Brief december 2017

It’s time to ‘look for the crook’ Junior Detectives are on the hunt as part of our Christmas safety campaign

Messages Spotlight

Spreading festive cheer THERE is never a quiet time in policing or Greater Manchester.

Christmas brings with it lots of enjoyment and hopefully some rest and relaxation with loved ones. It is also a time when we can help others to have a better time. This is why we are once again supporting Mission Christmas, which is Key 103’s appeal to support

disadvantaged children across Greater Manchester.

If we all provide one new and unwrapped gift we can again support this really worthwhile appeal. Last year, more than 61,000 children in Greater Manchester benefitted and I know in GMP we can help increase this number in 2017.

We also have a tradition of creating hampers for the elderly and vulnerable in our communities. We will be doing this again and I hope you can find a way to support us by providing items or identifying those people we can help. GMP has always shown its generosity throughout the year as well as during Christmas time.

This has been a really challenging year and our thoughts will be with those who lost loved ones or were affected by the horrific attack at Manchester

Note from the Editor WELCOME to the December edition of Brief and the last edition of 2017. There has been highs and lows this year but what remains evident is the unity and pride amongst our colleagues and the fantastic work we have achieved. In this edition you will see the year in pictures highlighting some of that work and what goes on behind the scenes. Features also include an update on the TOM and of course our Christmas safety campaign. This year we are asking you to “Look for the Crook”; a mischievous character who carries out criminal activity.

Brief is holding a competition to find the crook with the chance of winning a special prize. To enter you have to count how many times the crook appears throughout the pages of Brief (including this page) and email the answer with your name and number to brief@gmp.police.uk. The winner will be contacted before December 25.

We will be back in February for our next edition but for now enjoy the holidays and have a happy New Year!

Melissa Pye, Lead Editor

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Arena. The love and support shown across Manchester in the days after the attack I am sure will be seen again at this poignant time. It has been a year that has tested us all but we have demonstrated many, many times what we can achieve when we work together as a team.

There are some exciting times ahead of us as we build on the developments taking place to move us towards our Target Operating Model. Thank you for all you have done during the past 12 months and I hope you have some time with your loved ones to enjoy Christmas time.

Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable

4 Around the world, Lord Mayor event

5 News In Brief 6-7 Divisional Roundup 8 What’s Trending 9 Changes to the Mental Health Act ,

Spotlight 14 Target Operating Model 15-16 A Year in Pictures

Contents

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With thanks to the following people for their contribution to this issue:

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PC Chris McGhie

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Sgt Antony McGuire

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Hannah Daykin

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Nigel Anderson

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Sapna Bhudia

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Aileen Walters

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Kieanna Jackson

Liaison and Diversion Officers

Festive Period 10 Mission Christmas 11 Look for the Crook 12 Holiday safety 13 World festivities

Be published in Brief Editorial team: Melissa Pye, Fiona Carroll, Melissa Thomson– Mead

GMP Life 17 Letters of Appreciation 18 Obituaries and adverts 19 What’s on & The GMP Band

Photographers: Chris Oldham and Bill Morris 0161 856 2777 | Picture Desk: Lisa Marks 0161 856 2279 Designed and produced by: Corporate Communications, Force Headquarters, Central Park, M40 5BP Contact numbers: 0161 85 65939 / 5938 Email: Brief@gmp.police.uk Brief online: www.gmp.police.uk/Brief

raises £500,000

20 Three peaks to Peking, Dragonboat Racing & Climb of your life

21 Images of our Christmas card

Articles and contributions for the next edition of Brief should be submitted by

Monday 22 January 2018

competition

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News

Around the world “When he came out in the dark, he was all in black. … He did not take A woman phoned Derbyshire Police to ordinary streets, squeezing through say she had been a victim of theft tight spaces between houses and whilst trying to buy cannabis from a running on the tops of walls,” he added. dealer. She rang 101 and claimed the He has been charged for over 254 dealer had run off with the money. break-ins for thefts totaling ¥30 million Chief Superintendent Graham McLaughlin tweeted about the incident (£260,000) over the past eight years.

The thief said: ‘I have confidence in using the hashtag #stupid. my job, if I were younger, I wouldn’t have been caught. I’ll quit now as I’m POLICE in Osaka were left shocked 74 and old enough.” when they arrested a nimble “ninja” thief who turned out to be 74. The thief Canada who dressed in black and scrambled TWO men were waiting in line at a over walls had evaded capture for up to coffee shop when a third man cut in eight years. front of them. He threw a drink at the Police had been stumped by a string clerk and demanded all of the money of burglaries, their only lead being from the till. After an initial shock the security camera footage showing an two men then recovered and arrested agile thief with a black neck-warmer the crook. Apparently in his rush to rob pulled up to the nose and a parker the place he didn't notice he had hood down to the eyebrows. barged past two police officers in full “He was dressed all in black just like uniform. a ninja,” a senior official at the Kawachi Police Station said.

But the master thief made a mistake in May — his neck-warmer slipped and his identity was revealed on camera.

Police recognized their man as Mitsuaki Tanigawa, 74, who had a previous record of thefts.

They then started watching the aged crook and tried to trap him.

England

Lord Mayor honours the brave

Japan

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CC Ian Hopkins with members of GMP A reception to thank people involved in the city’s response to the Manchester Arena attack in May was held on Monday 6 November, at Manchester Town Hall.

The event, hosted by Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman on behalf of the Council - welcomed those involved in the immediate response, including officers from GMP and British Transport Police, North West Ambulance Service, NHS staff, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service as well as Victoria Station and Manchester Arena staff who assisted the injured.

Also in attendance were those involved in supporting the city and family through an extremely difficult time including police family liaison officers, council staff, the coroner’s office, Victim Support, trustees of the We Love Manchester Emergency

Fund (set up to support bereaved families and those injured and traumatised by the attack) and representatives of the Red Cross, who set up the fund in association with the Council and with the support of the Manchester Evening News.

Civic, community and faith leaders from across Greater Manchester who helped the city and wider region stand together in the aftermath of the attack were also present.

Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Eddy Newman said: “Manchester will never forget the terrible events of 22 May and those who were lost that night, injured or traumatised will forever be in our hearts.

“The worst of times can bring out the best in people and it’s right that we recognise the significant contribution made by so many who demonstrated professionalism, courage and compassion.”

News

STAY Alert is a national initiative funded by Counter Terrorism Policing as part of its Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) campaign. Initially focusing on the public to report suspicious behaviour, attentions have now turned to asking our officers and staff to remain vigilant.

For many, staying alert and being aware of what is going on around you is a daily occurrence. However, we can become complacent and don’t always stay alert in familiar places or in our personal time.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, national lead for counter terrorism policing, says: “Across the world, our colleagues have been attacked. And just this summer we lost one of our own officers in the attack on Westminster Bridge. It is vital we do not make the terrorists’ job easier by being complacent. We must stay alert to this threat in both our professional and personal lives.”

If you have any concerns about security that can't be easily resolved, you need to ACT and report it.

Find out more here.

will go live in four months. It is the single largest and most significant change to GMP’s IT infrastructure in the last 30 years and will impact on virtually every police officer and member of staff.

Read the key figures to the right.

A two-week initiative was launched by the TravelSafe Partnership (TSP) to keep people safe on the region’s sprawling bus and tram networks, which cater for more than 240 million journeys each year.

The team completed covert and high visibility patrols on board public transport, as well as being deployed on platforms and at bus stations to deter criminality.

The team also executed warrants to retrieve unpaid fines.

The partnership is made up of TravelSafe Officers (TSOs), PCSOs and Police Officers, all dedicated to patrolling the transport network including buses and trams.

Greater Manchester's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Beverley Hughes, said: “Public safety is our top priority and that is why we are stepping up our patrols to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour on our travel network.

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Divisional News

Divisional Roundup Trafford CADETS from Trafford joined hundreds of members of the public to march in the Remembrance Parade in Urmston on Sunday 12 November. Led by PC Ali the cadets marched alongside others to pay their respects for our fallen heroes.

Oldham SATURDAY 24 November saw a group of GMP officers take part in a 24-hour football marathon and raise £6000. The team led by PC Damieon Hartley-Pickles played non-stop for 24 hours against 24 opposing teams. The event was to raise funds for the Mahdlo Youth Zone. Mahdlo is a state-of-the-art youth zone in the heart of Oldham for 8-19 year olds. They deliver high quality experiences for young people and provide opportunities to inspire and raise aspirations.

The centre costs £1m to run each year so donations are a huge help in continuing the good work the centre does.

Wigan A new approach to tackling domestic abuse in Wigan has been unveiled recently.

A skilled multi-agency team including officers, victim support, and independent domestic abuse will support victims while also getting to the root cause to prevent it happening again.

Victims will be offered immediate support to ensure they and their family are safe, but will then be supported to resolve wider family issues such as debt, mental health and drug and alcohol issues. Perpetrators of domestic abuse will also receive interventions and support to stop them reoffending.

Tameside A community boat project has opened in Ashton aimed at helping disabled and disadvantaged people to experience a trip on the canals.

Community Spirit 2 is a specially built 57 foot narrowboat centrally heated with extra large cabin windows for passenger’s viewing pleasure. The boat has room for up to four

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wheelchairs and even has a unique feature which lets passengers steer the boat from the cabin. The initiative was launched with the help of two former GMP employees. Chief Inspector Nigel Anderson who is the president of a local charity and Joyce Bowerman a former call handler who is now the Mayor of Tameside. Although the two

both worked at Clayton Brook and Ashton they never actually came into contact. The project is looking for new volunteers. No experience is required just four hours a month helping others is all that is needed. Training can be given to national standards if desired.

Contact Stewart on 07503 145 146 for more information.

Salford TWO men were arrested for burglary after their vehicle set off the ANPR in Salford. The car was identified as using stolen plates and was linked to a robbery involving knives in Yorkshire.

After a pursuit the two males were detained with the assistance of NWAS. A great result using technology.

Bury SUPERINTENDENT Rick Jackson stepped out of his usual duties to join charity Independent Choices in support of International White Ribbon Day. The charity and the day is about men standing up to violence against women. A number of men from the Force also joined in.

CHEADLE Heath officers and staff have raised £260 for a colleague’s son who has a brain tumour. Leo Fleetwood, son of Custody Officer Phil Fleetwood is only nine years old and has a pilocytic astrocytomic brain tumour.

Earlier this year he commenced his 70 weeks of chemotherapy in a bid to shrink and get rid of the tumour.

Custody Officers decided to start a collection for the family and with the £260 raised managed to send the family to LEGOLAND Windsor and purchase Leo a Nintendo Switch games console. Custody Officer Mike Uff commented: “Having met Leo, I was overwhelmed at his bravery he is such a courageous little boy and extremely polite.

“He was overjoyed with the Nintendo gift and even cried. It was the least we could do and was worth it to see him smile.” Leo was recently presented with certificate’s of bravery and is now known as “Leo the Brave”.

City of Manchester OFFICERS from GMP, along with NWAS and GMFRS, joined forces to take on Manchester City Legends in a charity football match. Friday 20 October saw the City Legends V 999 combined services take place at Hyde United. The match was arranged by the former city players and citizens of Manchester to show thanks to the emergency services during their response to the Manchester arena attack. Legends included Ian Brightwell, Peter Barnes and Les Chapman.

Both teams were presented with the Westway NISSAN shields prior to kick off by Paul and Kath Hett, parents of Martyn Hett who sadly lost his life in the attack.

After this the teams were lead onto the pitch by mascot 11-year-old Catherine Burke who survived the bombing but spent weeks in hospital. The 999 team used their enthusiasm and lightning pace to take home a 6-1 victory.

Over £1000 was raised and will be used to build a monument of remembrance.

Divisional News

Stockport

Rochdale PCSO Jodie Barlow managed to get a generous member of the public to donate a 10ft Nobel Fir Christmas Tree, and others to donate decorations.

The tree was delivered to PETRUS after the public voted through GMP Rochdale’s social media accounts. Five organisations were nominated by the neighbourhood team for support they have given to the community and local residents. The public was then asked to vote for their winner.

Petrus Community is a registered charity providing residential and day support services for people in housing need in Rochdale and the wider surrounding areas.

Rochdale

Bolton THURSDAY 23 November saw Bolton host a GMP Cadet Passing Out Parade.

Organised by the Bolton and Blackley Cadet Team Leaders, the evening saw 200 GMP Cadets pass out at a ceremony attended by the Chief Constable, High Sheriff and the Mayor of Bolton. The ceremony recognised the

commitment that our new cadets have shown during their probationary period, and their desire to continue their journey with GMP. Chief Constable Ian Hopkins presented each cadet with a certificate in front of an audience of 500 extremely proud family members and friends.

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What’s Trending?

City Vs Feyenoord TUESDAY 21 November saw the city filled with thousands of football fans in anticipation of Manchester City’s Champions League fixture against Rotterdam team Feyenoord. There was a great atmosphere in the city centre and even non match attendees couldn’t resist a photo with our officers #CityvFey

Too good to be true ACTION Fraud put out a number of safety messages across the #blackfriday #cybermonday weekend encouraging people to be aware of bogus deals. Spam emails offering amazing discounts on well known goods was sent to over 100,000 people across the country. Action Fraud warned if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Also around Christmas time and online shopping it is essential we stay safe; always look for the padlock on a website to see if it’s secure. For more tips click here.

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Give up the gun AS part of the two week campaign to #giveupthegun, GMP held a firearms surrender at over 12 stations across the Force. The public were given the opportunity to surrender firearms and ammunition anonymously with no consequences. 243 guns were handed in during the two weeks a great result.

Speed Costs FROM 20-26 November motorists were encouraged to slow down and control their speedi as part of Road Safety Week. The week organised by charity Brake, aims to reduce the number of lives lost each year due to speeding. Events and initiatives were happening all around the country and over one million people engaged with the campaign. #roadsafetyweek #speeddown

Important changes to

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into contact with the police as suspects.

GMP is already seeing the benefit of having this dedicated resource. PS John Smith, who works in the Bury Custody Suite, commented: “Having the Liaison and Diversion Facilitators here is really useful. One example was a man who we arrested multiple times for being drunk and disorderly, who it turned out had a form of autism and alcohol dependency issues. He was at a low point in his life and was moving from place to GMP now has twenty dedicated and 23 per cent of male prisoners place since his house had been burHealth Liaison & Diversion facilitators were assessed as suffering from gled and boarded up. across the Force, put in place to help different types of anxiety and However, he was from the Yorkshire vulnerable people who come into depression, a startling statistic in area and was outside of the care of contact with the comparison with the estimated 16 per Greater Manchester social services. criminal justice system. cent of the general UK population Having no fixed abode, he would suffering from the same problems.

The role of the Health Liaison & have ended up in court which could Diversion facilitators is to work with To tackle this growing issue, the have been incredibly distressing for people in GMP custody who may NHS-led Liaison and Diversion him. have mental health needs, a learning Scheme was set up as a proactive “Through having an assessment disability, or other issues such as partnership between the health with one of the facilitators, he got substance misuse or financial service, police and other relevant settled in permanent accommodation problems, to direct them to support bodies, to try and prevent people with and referred to other services to agencies that can address their mental health needs or other support his other problems. He has needs and support them to avoid vulnerabilities from going into prison. not been arrested since. committing offences in the future.

The facilitators, who have been in “It is still in the early stages, Recent studies have highlighted post since February 2017, are based however I hope that examples like that the number of prisoners with across each of GMP’s seven custody these mean that in the future we will mental health problems is sites. They are qualified social see a reduction of repeat demand significantly higher than the national workers and their responsibility is to and better care for the most average. A Ministry of Justice study help identify people with vulnerable in our society.” showed that 49 per cent of women vulnerabilities when they first come

Mental Health Act 1983

Helping custody’s vulnerable people

A person experiencing a mental health crisis should receive the best possible care at the earliest point. As of Monday 11 December, some key changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 are being made as a result of the Policing and Crime Act 2017. The legal changes are intended to improve immediate service responses to people who need urgent help with their mental health in cases where police officers are the first to respond.

These will have a significant impact on the way that officers detain people under s135/136. Key changes are being made to places that can be used to detain people under s135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act, and the amount of time that we can detain people for . To read the full guidance click here.

If you have any questions please contact Chief Insp Andrew Sidebotham on: 07747648742.

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Festive Period

“I don't know how we could have faced Christmas if it wasn't for the Mission Christmas toy appeal. We have four boys and three girls, we tried to buy some little bits and pieces from the pound shops, so it looked like they had stuff but if was hard especially with the girls being in their teens, you can only really get them hair stuff and bubble bath. You should have seen their faces on Christmas morning as they didn't expect anything.

You made Christmas possible in our house and we can't thank your listeners enough for their generosity.”

ONE in four children in Greater Manchester are living in poverty. Key 103 and Cash for Kids have set up mission Christmas to ensure that every child in Manchester can wake up to a gift from Santa.

GMP has proudly helped Cash for Kids for a number of years and continue to do so with Mission Christmas spreading Christmas cheer at this special time of year. Read the messages of thanks to show just how much your help is appreciated.

Bringing it home

“Just wanted to say a massive thank you for helping to change the lives of so many of our children. Some of my children are getting new toys for the first time ever. Other families who are struggling, like me, have been overwhelmed by your generosity and can't thank you enough for the difference you have made. Every single child left today happy that they too had a lovely Christmas present.”

“We nominated this family to Mission Christmas EACH year we ask you to nominate families who and they received fantastic gifts. It gives us, the St you feel could benefit from Mission Christmas.

Mary's neighbourhood team, great pride to be able Officers on the front line can see how families have to help families like this and other families alike by been affected through crime or hardship and this is a way of the Cash for Kids campaign.” small way of bringing them happiness.

Last year Cash for Kids ensured that over 61,000 One family in particular, who was nominated by disadvantaged children woke up on Christmas day Oldham officer PC Damieon Hartley Pickles, had with a present. As well as all these gifts the charity several mouths to feed. “The family, who lives in the also chooses one lucky family to receive a “break heart of St Mary's beat in Oldham has several in”. Santa and his elves wait for the family to leave children, one with learning difficulties. Throughout then sneak into the home leaving food, decorations the year they have struggled and have fallen victim and of course presents under the tree. to hate crime and theft.

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“I would just like to say a massive thank you to Key 103 and the Mission Christmas Appeal.

It really made a huge difference to a lot of our families over the Christmas period.

Our school serves quite a deprived area, so the kind donations meant that every one of our 517 children went home for the holidays with a gift. The children were absolutely thrilled and many of the staff were in tears.”

PC Hartley-Pickles with Key 103’s Matt, Mike and Gemma at this years Mission Christmas launch

This is everything the family needs to enjoy a special day and create magical memories.

If you would like to nominate a family in need or would like to find out more about the charity then visit the website here.

To make a £5 donation text “MISSION” to 70808.

Hopefully it will give the children some insight The six & seven year olds have had a blast dressing and ideally they will pass on all of the safety up as junior detectives, learning all about the messages to their classmates to ensure a safe important work that the police do and how to Christmas for everyone.” ensure their family and friends stay safe this The first video aired on December 1 and has already had amazing engagement with the Christmas. That and the fact they get a few hours public. To view the video click here. off school too, is always a bonus. The children were nominated by their Headteacher Mrs Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the videos, Clinton, who has previously worked with GMP on including some special ‘Behind the Scenes’ numerous campaigns and understands the footage. importance of teaching children to interact with the police from a young age. The team filmed 20 hours To find out more about the campaign and how to of footage over a three day period and spent up to a have a safe Christmas click here. week editing it.

Geoff Lingard, Force Videographer commented: “There is a saying in the filming world, don’t work with animals, children or cops but the three of them were a delight to work with.

“Keeping kids entertained in between takes is not an easy fete but they were really well behaved ,they remembered all of their lines and really got into character especially when they had to arrest the “Crook”. We also gave them the chance to swap roles and get behind the camera, this went down particularly well and the word “action” was From left to right : Junior Detectives Andrea, Crystal and Harry behind the scenes shouted enthusiastically more than I can care to remember.

Period Festive News

EACH year GMP creates a Christmas campaign aimed at encouraging the public and members of staff to have a safe and happy Christmas by following a series of crime prevention tips. In light of recent events and the hard year the Force and Manchester have had we wanted to do something light hearted whilst still portraying those important safety messages.

‘Look for the Crook’ was inspired by a number of different things including this year’s BBC hit programme The Detectives. The ‘Crook’ is a 5ft stuffed elf who can be found committing various crimes across Greater Manchester and is being hunted by our very own ‘junior detectives’.

Junior Detectives Crystal, Harry and Andrea from St Edmunds in Monsall feature in four different videos focusing on each one of this years safety themes:  Drink driving  Online security  Drunk and disorderly  Burglary (keeping the house safe) The videos will be released on social media through December along with various other elements.

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Safety Holiday Festive Period 12

Keeping you protected THE National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) is a police database with property ownership information and stolen property records. This register enables the Force to search for property by serial numbers to identify the registered owner and see whether it has been stolen.

With Christmas around the corner, Santa will be delivering lots of new and expensive presents on Christmas day. People are likely to insure their items but we need to encourage them to also register their item with Immobilise.com, the largest free register of ownership details available to the public which feeds into the police database, the NMPR. This will increase their chances of getting it back if it is lost or stolen. For officers, using the NMPR database also creates intelligence on the property and can provide insights into criminal activity involving that item. All this will help build on investigations.

Also with the Report My Loss system people are able to register if their item is lost without previously registering it with Immobilise. This gives them a crime number for insurance purposes but also gathers information which again feeds into the NMPR.You can register a whole list of things from phones and laptops to bikes and jewellery.

Visit the NMPR here to see how it could help keep your valuables safe, not just through the holidays but all year round.

Operation Guard: Leaving its mark GMP recently launched Operation Guard; aimed at reducing commercial robbery and burglary using traceable liquids. From The traceable liquid can be seen January to September this year, under UV light the Force’s top ten wards had over 1,600 incidents. As a result, we’ve rolled out traceable liquid spray kits across the most vulnerable commercial properties and targeted known offenders.

Traceable liquid kits are placed at the exits of a commercial property.

If a robbery takes place, staff can activate the kits by pressing a wireless panic button, which tells the kit to spray the next person to leave the premises. The robber is then sprayed with traceable liquid as they attempt to leave the premises. For burglaries, if the alarm is tripped, the kits also become active. Once caught, criminals can be screened for the traceable liquid on their clothes or skin at custodial suits using ultra violet light, making a conviction much easier.

The holidays are a particularly vulnerable time as buildings and businesses’ are often open later and many of us travel to visit family, leaving domestic homes empty.

Here are some practical tips to reduce the chances of your home being targeted during the Christmas period and all year round:  Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you’re in the garden.  Install a visual burglar alarm  Install good outside lighting  Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property if you’re out  Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make your property appear occupied  Keep ladders and tools stored away; don't leave them outside.

THE month of December is a time to reflect on the past months and celebrate the coming of the new year. Whatever customs or religious traditions you choose to celebrate it is a great time to take some well deserved rest, eat plenty of food and enjoy some time with your family.

Read below to see how the rest of the world celebrates this magical time.

Judaism: Chanukah CHANUKAH is the eight-day ‘festival of lights’ celebrated in Judaism. The word Chanuakh means ‘dedication’ and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. 2,000 years ago the Jews won a battle against the Greeks to practise their religion freely. During this their temple was destroyed. They then cleaned and repaired the temple and placed an oil lamp inside. There was only enough oil to burn the candle for one day but miraculously it burned for eight days. Hence the eight day festival. This year Chanukah will be from 12 –20 December.

Christianity: Christmas CHRISTIANS come together in December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The name ‘Christmas’ comes from the Mass of Christ. A mass service is where Christians remember that Jesus died for them and then came back to life. The ‘Christ-mass’ service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset and before sunrise the next day. That’s where midnight mass was formed. Christians celebrate a special four week period of reflection before Christmas called Advent. The word Advent comes from the Latin for ‘coming towards’ and reminds Christians that Jesus came as the word of god to humanity. Celebrations include visiting church, lighting candles and singing hymns.

Buddhism: Bodhi Day BODHI day is traditionally celebrated by Buddhists on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month.

It celebrates the day in which Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince, abandoned his life of luxury and sat underneath the Bodhi tree with one goal of seeking an attained true enlightenment. This enlightenment led him to create the four noble truths and the eight-fold path both at the heart of the Buddhism core. Celebrations include colourful lights strung about the home for 30 days after the 8th, a fiscus tree decorated with beads and ornaments to represent the three jewels and a meal of rice and milk to signify the first meal offered to the Buddha after his awakening to regain strength.

Festive Period

A month of celebrations

Hinduism: Pancha Ganapati PANCHA Ganapati is the Hindu family festival of giving. It is a five day festival from 21-25 December where Hindus worship Lord Ganesha. Family members work to mend past mistakes and bring his blessings of joy into five realms of their life: family, friends, associates, culture and religion. Each day a tray of sweets, fruits and incense is prepared and offered to Lord Ganapati, ideally by children. Chants and songs are sung in his praise. Each day colourfully wrapped gifts are given to the children, who place them before Pancha Ganapati to open on the fifth day.

Whatever tradition you celebrate remember to stay safe during this busy period and enjoy some time with your loved ones.

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Spotlight

The future of policing THE Target Operating Model (TOM), which was developed in 2015, was the Force plan introduced to identify the changes that need to be put in place to meet our current and future challenges. In this special feature, we take a look at some of the key areas of the TOM and what that will mean for GMP.

TOM Timeline 2017-2018

Five principles at the heart of what we do     

Achieve better outcomes through place based working Prioritise activity according to threat, harm and risk Build a relationship with the people of Greater Manchester (formerly Citizen Contract) Develop and support our workforce to change the way we work Embrace opportunities from information and technology

A case for change The world is constantly changing and it’s important that policing reflects this, so we can provide the best possible service to the region. Our current case for change is: 

  

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To achieve better outcomes for the people of Greater Manchester in relation to health, employment and wellbeing as opportunities for local people remain below national levels.

The changing nature of vulnerability and crime eg radicalisation, cyber-related crime, sex offending Recognition that the single agency response is not working and that we need to work differently Budgetary pressure.

We will focus on reducing demand for our services, which will help us create capacity to change.

2019 – 2020 When we have more capacity, we will start to deliver activities that improve our services.

2021 + When we are working in ways Internally that will support it, we will look to fully integrate with our partners.

The TOM has already been used to drive a large number of initiatives including mobile technology. It includes four large programmes find out more about each of them below.

Our four change programmes Transforming public contact This aims to change the way the public access GMP moving high volumes of calls to online and training staff to resolve more calls at first contact. Staff will have the tools to provide a modern and effective public contact service, working at pace and with partners, where possible.

Improving operational policing This will review operational policing and adapt our service to meet modern policing demands. It’s critical we have the right shift pattern in place we plan to test a 2224 shift pattern in Oldham and Tameside early next year. This pilot will allow us to see if an alternative shift pattern will help to overcome some of the current issues facing frontline officers.

Building better outcomes This will invest in proactive policing, focusing on root cause problem solving, working with our partners and engaging closely with our communities to get ahead of demand.

Building a better organisation This will focus on building the right capabilities and structures to develop and support our officers and staff taking into account the budget challenges we face. £1m is being invested in wellbeing over three years and there will be regular surveys to ensure that we are able to put in place the support and development needed.

Your feedback continues to play a vital part in our journey as we implement the changes outlined above. The next Force Engagement Survey will be launched in February 2018 and it is important that we hear from as many of our staff as possible so that we can continue to improve and make GMP a better place to work.

Spotlight 15

GMP 2017 A year in pictures

Spotlight

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Letters

Letters of Appreciation A reassuring word “THANK you so much to PC Tracey Hallworth for your help. I would be most grateful if you could pass this email onto Tracy and any of your colleagues who are responsible for feedback regarding your officers.

On Saturday morning the neighbours of Miss Amy called the police at about 9.30am to say that my friend had been found in her own home and had sadly passed away. I, as a longstanding friend of Amy, was called about 11am and I went there to be greeted by Tracy who was so warm and friendly given the circumstances of dealing with none relatives . At this point I need to explain that I am in a wheelchair and could not get into Amy’s house to see her for myself. Tracy reassured me that Amy looked as though she had gone very peacefully which, at aged 91, is what you would wish for her. I know that people are quick to complain about the services when things go wrong so I wanted to tell you a positive story of how your officer Tracy Hallworth helped me and to pass on my sincere thanks to her.”

CF, Stockport

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Made me feel at ease “I was recently going through a domestic violence case. I was feeling upset and depressed regarding the whole court case and I didn’t know who to turn to.

PC 13795 Hussain was the officer who was dealing with the incident at the time. He took time to listen to my concerns. He made me understand that I was not at fault and made me aware of the support that was available making me feel at ease, which at the time felt like something that isn’t coming my way at all. I do not usually write praise but the support and assistance provided by this officer helped me a lot through this situation. Thanks to this officer’s advice I managed to get the help that I needed.

A thank you to the officer himself wasn’t enough so I wanted to take some time out and write to make the officer aware that I appreciate all his time and effort at this difficult time for me and my family.”

Anonymous , Rochdale

A credit to the Force “ON the night of 11 November 2017 on Market Street, Manchester City Centre, my wife had an incident where she fell and knocked her head and was non-responsive for a good few minutes. “I was in a very distressed state and confused as I know nothing of first aid and seeing my wife in such a position.

PC 70699 (Jane) and PC 70309 (Mary) attended and gave great assistance and calmed me down and made me see sense in a stressful situation. “They both supported my wife, gave great advice and worked with the Ambulance service to give her the best care. They also dispersed crowds in a professional manner knowing it was causing distress to both myself and my wife. I would like to say a big thank you to both Jane and Mary for their professional support. Both officers are a credit to GMP and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they did on that night and I wish them both the best of luck in their duty as officers of the law.

They are both a credit to GMP.” Anonymous, CoM

Making a difference PC Simon Toft, PC Dean Warburton, CSI Catherine Ayling - “ON Wednesday 8/11 a number of your officers attended a burglary at our home. They disturbed the burglar in the act, narrowly failing to apprehend him - an extensive search then occurred, including a dog handler. I arrived home immediately afterwards while the search was in progress. I'm writing to put on record our thanks to your officers for the bravery, professionalism, and manner in which they conducted their duties - it was truly impressive.

In particular I would like to draw to your attention and thank the three main officers who were at our home in the hours afterwards. The thoroughness, care and manner in which they performed their duties and conducted themselves whilst with us was very striking. They were particularly understanding of the shock we were in and how this made us feel, and acted accordingly in terms of talking through things with us and what was and would be happening. During their investigation they interacted with myself and my family being sensitive to how each of us might be feeling. This has been a distressing time for our family, but the way they were with us in these first few hours made a real difference. Thank you for all the work you.” MP, Stockport

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Send all entries to brief@gmp.police.uk

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530 224 or Pets are suitably matched who continues the www.mooboarn owners existing routine. For more information cornwall.co.uk for contact wendycurnock@digsfordogs.uk.com. more details.

Obituaries Insp Ronald Kells, died 07/10/17, age 85  PC Paul Michael Swindles, died 08/11/17, age 55.  Supt Anthony John Scanlon, died 22/10/17, age 73.  PC Ian Thomas Swarbrick, died 15/10/17, age 68. 

PC David Richardson, Died 31/10/17, age 68.  Supt Malcolm Robertson, died 05/10/17, age 81.  PC William Baines, died 10/10/17, age 77.  DS Brian Horrocks, died 22/11/17. 

Please note this list is accurate as of

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What’s On?

Hitting the high notes THE GMP Police Band celebrates its 140th Anniversary this year. Since 2011 the band has played at 500 events, and supported numerous GMP functions such as the prestigious Chief Constable’s STARS Awards ceremony. Over 60 individuals from across the Northwest region volunteer a combination of 11,000 hours each year of their time for rehearsals and performances. Many of the events the band perform at are for the benefit of local communities and charities including Ronald McDonald House, the Windmill Fundraising Campaign and the Greater

Manchester High Sheriff’s Police Trust.

The band’s collaboration with these organisations has been invaluable for them as the funds raised for the causes they have supported since 2011 total over £570,000 to date. These funds are then contributed back into the community to support local projects.

They are booked for 20 events between now and 21 December 2017, with a performance lined up for the GM High Sheriff’s Christmas Charity Ball. Further information on news and performances can be found on the bands website here.

They also have both Facebook and Twitter pages @GMPband.

What’s on @ Christmas Friday 8 Dec Harry Potter Manchester Arena

9 Dec 1 Jan 2018 Winter Wonderland Events City

Wednesday 20 Dec Xmas Spectacular Bridgewater Hall Sunday 10 Dec Mariah Carey Manchester Arena December 12 days of Xmas Tatton Park

7-11 Dec Gruffalo Live, Lowry

December Christmas films Home Cinema 31 Dec Ultimate Power

Albert Hall

17 Dec Hanukkah Fun Day

The band earlier this year featuring on the Crimewatch Roadshow with presenter Michelle Ackerley

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Manchester Jewish Museum

including climbing the Yorkshire three peaks LAST Christmas, after receiving a brochure from where she bumped her fiancé Craig, Press Officer Hannah Daykin into none other then decided to climb The Great Wall of China to raise ACC Garry Shewan, funds for The PSP Association. The charity raises she was ready for the awareness of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy; task ahead. a disease that her dad sadly passed away from in She and partner 2012. PSP is a neurological condition caused by the Craig walked for five premature loss of nerve cells in parts of the brain. days straight on the Hannah and Craig met in 2013 through the charity wall with some days as Craig's grandma had also passed away from the reaching nine hours. same disease. Once the emotions had calmed down They even climbed the reality began to set in. Not only had she never ‘Heaven’s Ladder’ and owned a pair of walking boots, they had to raise tobogganed down the £5,000 for the charity in less then ten months. side.

After a month of Hannah commented: “It takes 18 months to walk considering the the whole wall and, whilst it felt like it, I’m challenge, she assured it was only five days. Regardless, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so glad we did finally agreed and held a Chinese New it. The funds will go towards researching a cure for Year party to kick off the cruel disease and if by doing this we have helped the fundraising. Fast just one family who are living with PSP, it will have forward ten months, been more than we could have ever hoped for.” and with a number of To understand more about the disease and living fundraising activities with PSP click here. under her belt

Climb of your life EARLIER this year DS Tony McGuire was scrolling through the pages of the intranet when he came across an advert to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Having recently turned 50 the bucket list had been drawn up and he was determined to tick off the climb which was a lifelong goal of his to complete.

He and 17 others consisting of serving/retired police officers, family and friends will take on the 5,895 meters to the summit in February 2018. Tony decided to use the challenge to raise funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice which is based locally to his home address in Didsbury.

He commented: “It has been a lifelong ambition to do this climb and having witnessed some of the amazing work the Hospice does I wanted to do something to help. The Hospice is heavily dependent on charitable contributions and has recently extended the accommodation areas. It will be a great opportunity and having met some of the other participants at the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge earlier this year I’m even more excited.

However it will be a real challenge avoiding altitude sickness and the creepy crawlies.”

If you would like to sponsor Tony’s journey visit his Just Giving page here.

GMP Life

Three peaks to Peking

Fancy racing a dragon?

THE GMP Dragon Boat Race team is looking for new members. The team, made up of 12 members were crowned the Salford Dragon Boat Festival champions in 2016 and have gone from strength to strength ever since. They are now looking to widen their team and fill the trophy case. If you fancy a challenge then email the team on sarah.pickston@gmp.police.uk to find out more.

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Children of Manchester were asked to design a Christmas card using the theme ‘Look for the Crook’