Stockport edition of The Brief – December 2023

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

STOCKPORT · DECEMBER 2023

STOCKPORT’S LATEST TITLE TBC DAY OF ACTION

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DECEMBER 2023

Officers in Stockport continue the fight against crime

November marked both Armistice and Remembrance Sunday, both being exceptionally important for our community to reflect and remember the brave men and woman who have made their ultimate sacrifice in service since 1914 right up to this day.

On Sunday 12 November, I was thrilled and honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of Greater Manchester Police at the War Memorial. In company with Detective Superintendent Helen Critchley, we were honoured to look down from the steps on to the crowd of hundreds with their heads bowed in silence reflecting and remembering our fallen. The inclement weather certainly did not stop our community coming out and showing their support.

Part of what made the occasion so special for me was the opportunity to listen to the remembrance submissions from across the political, religious and cultural spectrums. It was clear all people from across our community were completely in tune with each other in relation to our values and sharing a moment of reflection supporting those who gave so much.

Greater Manchester Police is a proud advocate of the Armed Forces Covenant and actively takes part in the employer recognition scheme.

I am really keen on encouraging as many ex-servicemen and women to consider a career within GMP, so should you have any friends or family who are currently serving within our Armed Services, people who are perhaps coming to the end of their service and thinking about their next steps, I would strongly encourage all of them to have Greater Manchester Police in view.

My special thanks to all of the officers who policed the weekend’s events so well - As your District Commander I am proud of all of you.

Chief Superintendent John Webster

Around 40 officers were in the town centre and Edgeley as part of Operation Rimini – GMP’s dedicated operation to tackle retail crime and anti-social behaviour – and Operation Acquire – a forcewide initiative that targets people suspected of committing neighbourhood offences – on Wednesday 22 November.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of several offences on the day, and a car suspected of being involved in criminal activity was seized with £11,000 worth of illegal vapes was seized in conjunction with Trading Standards.

So far this year, a total of 36 arrests have been made and 103 charges have been secured as a result of the days of action.

Sergeant James Senior said: “When I meet with partners and shopkeepers, the main feedback is they want to see more police on the streets.

“In response to that, our staff numbers have increased, and we are far more visible now, and that’s what these days of action are all about.

“People who commit crime and

anti-social behaviour simply won’t be tolerated.”

Due to the proactive work of our Stockport policing teams, there has been a 28 per cent decrease in burglaries in the past 12 months, and the number solved has doubled.

Detective Inspector Michael Jimenez said: “There is a lot of development happening in Stockport, and we need to be ready for that growth and be a couple of steps ahead, which is why we have a dedicated team for burglary, robbery and vehicle theft. We want to make Stockport a fantastic place to live, visit and enjoy a night out, but we don’t want people here who will create misery.”

The day of action was run by the Stockport Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, the Special Constabulary, Stockport’s Neighbourhood Crime Team, Divisional Tutor Unit, British Transport Police and GMP’s Mounted Unit.

Partners from Stockport Council’s Rough Sleepers Team, Trading Standards, Merseyway Security, Ocean Security and the Wellspring homeless charity were also involved.

If you need any support with Bee in the Loop or would like to submit a story for the new district edition of The Brief, please get in touch with Georgia Holland or Jessica Allen-Millbank

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DECEMBER 2023

Securing justice for CSE survivors The force has reiterated its commitment to victim care following the sentencing of five men for non-recent child sexual exploitation.

The offenders were jailed for a total of 71-and-a-half years for sexually abusing two girls in Rochdale between 2002 and 2006.

Jahn Shahid Ghani was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for six counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, Mohammed Ghani was jailed for 14 years for five counts of sexual assault, Insar Hussain was handed a 17-year prison sentence for one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault, Ali Razza Hussain Kazmi was given an eight-year jail sentence for one count of rape and two counts of sexual intercourse with a child and Martin Rhodes was sent down for 12-and-a-half years for four counts of sexual assault.

These significant custodial sentences follow a lengthy investigation led by our Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT), with support from the Rochdale district and partner agencies.

Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson said: “I really want to take a moment to commend the officers and staff involved in the investigation. This result, from the first of five trials under Operation Lytton, is a testament to their determination to rebuild relationships with survivors.

“They have not only created a prosecution case which has secured excellent sentences, they have given those who have suffered a long overdue sense of justice and protected other vulnerable young people from these predators. Victims and survivors, members of the public and stakeholders now have some assurance that whilst investigations into non-recent CSE are complexed and can take some time, this police force is ready to respond, and that the victim-led, suspect-focussed approach taken in this case and others yields results in terms of justice for survivors, offenders and communities.”

Op Lytton follows three previous GMP operations, also focussing on non-recent child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, which resulted in the convictions of 36 offenders in 2012 and 2015.

In recent years, the force and local authorities across Greater Manchester have put a renewed focus on caring

for victims and delivering outstanding service to survivors, ensuring that they are the centre of investigations, are supported by specialist services and feel empowered to testify against those who have harmed them.

CSE MIT Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Whilst the force’s approach to child sexual exploitation is now more proactive than ever before, with a real focus on preventing those who are identified as being at risk from becoming victims in the first place, Operation Lytton shows that when crimes have sadly been committed, we will work with partner agencies to support victims and survivors and relentlessly pursue offenders, regardless of the amount of time that has passed.

“Victim care is absolutely critical to non-recent CSE investigations.

“We put victims at the very centre of our investigations, and putting the right support around them and going at their own pace is vital to the success of them.

“Both ourselves and support services tailor our approach and care plans around survivors, so that they can come forward in their own time. Whenever they are ready, we will be there to listen.

“These are very complicated matters, and they can take quite a long time to get to court, but we will be with the victim from the start of that journey right until the end and beyond.

“Whilst judicial outcomes are really important – it’s always great to see CSE offenders being put behind bars for a long time – the most important thing for me and the investigation is to see justice for survivors.”

Formerly the Force CSE Unit, CSE MIT was established in 2021 and is dedicated to investigating the most serious and complex cases across Greater Manchester whilst supporting investigations led by district-based officers, ensuring that investigations into non-recent child sexual exploitations are of a consistently high standard.

Based at Nexus House, the team is made up of police officers and staff who are specially trained to work with partner agencies to effectively identify and engage with victims, ensure safeguarding action is taken, locate suspects and gather evidence for presentation to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Ali Kazmi

Insar Hussain

Martin Rhodes

Jahn Ghani

Mohammed Ghani

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Achieving Race Equality Report The second edition of GMP’s Achieving Race Equality Report is in the process of being published on the force’s website and will also be available on the intranet.

The report includes data and information about our performance in relation to the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) and the delivery of the force’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy.

It forms part of GMP’s commitment to being more open and transparent about areas that still require progress, as well as signalling the improvements being made.

GMP is committed to implementing the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s PRAP and has been acting as an ‘icebreaker’ force to trial a new approach to co-designing and testing new models of engagement with young and Black communities.

If successful, this will be rolled out nationally as recommended good practice.

The PRAP is fully supported by the College of Policing and all police chiefs across England and Wales.

Actions are focused on the following four pillars to improve lives and outcomes for Black people and communities: • Represented: A police service that is representative of Black people and supports its Black officers, staff and volunteers.

• Involved: A police service that routinely involves Black people in its governance and engagement.

• Not under protected: A police service that protects Black people from crime and seeks justice for Black victims.

• Not over policed: A police service that is fair, respectful and equitable in its actions towards Black people.

Our PRAP plan forms part of GMP’s DEI Strategy. This is divided into the following three themes, each led by a Chief Superintendent and supported by Superintendent Rachael Harrison’s DEI team: • The People Theme, led by Detective Chief Superintendent Daniel Inglis: This theme is committed to addressing disproportionality and harmonising workforce attraction, retention and progression. It addresses ‘disproportionality’, ‘workforce attraction, retention and progression’ and ‘support for new members’.

• The Victims and Communities Theme, led by Chief Superintendent John Webster: This theme focuses on innovative ways to engage with Black communities and victims.

The team are working to foster community engagement, with a specific emphasis on pilot areas Moss Side and Stockport. They have established Community Innovation Hubs that serve as a beacon of hope for open dialogue, collaboration and joint problemsolving between the police and the community. These have enabled engagement with young Black people, and we are co-creating new ways of involving Black people in policing.

• The Place Theme, led by Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter: This theme aims to identify and address specific challenges in geographical locations that may experience higher levels of racial disparities in policing activities and outcomes. By tailoring interventions and strategies to address local issues, GMP is determined to create safer and more equitable places for all residents.

From left, Chief Superintendents Daniel Inglis, John Webster and Mark Dexter

APMIS helping our battle against SOC The performance element of the Agency Partner Management Information System (APMIS) has been aiding our fight against serious and organised crime since it was launched at GMP in July.

APMIS is designed to collate, record and analyse data relating to SOC threats.

This includes disruption and seizure data.

Since its integration, we have

recorded over 650 disruptions against serious and organised crime, with over 10 per cent of them categorised as major, indicating a long-term significant impact on those who pose substantial risk to the communities we serve.

Our criminal justice statistics show that 232 people were arrested, 88 were charged and 67 were sentenced during the first three months on the system, as we step up our efforts to protect and safeguard vulnerable members

of the Greater Manchester community.

Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson said: “This insight is only possible to share this with you because of everyone’s hard work and commitment to embedding APMIS into our ways of working.

“Thank you for your ongoing support and contribution as we continue to implement APMIS and ensure that our communities are protected from serious and organised crime.”

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DECEMBER 2023

Our fight against honour-based abuse FHQ hosted the force’s inaugural honour-based abuse (HBA) Champions event in November.

Tying in with our support for White Ribbon Day and the 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls (VAWG), the networking event was attended by 54 of GMP’s HBA Champions.

It provided them with an opportunity to share knowledge and best practice for tackling HBA. Chief Inspector Toby Facey opened the event by saying: “Each one of you in this room has volunteered to be here to learn, and seeing so many of you here is testament to how seriously you are taking your role in tackling the horrific abuse that affects many people from different communities across Greater Manchester.

“I am really proud of the work we are undertaking, and I want to thank you all for your ongoing support in the role of HBA Champion.”

Two survivors of HBA shared their harrowing stories at the event: • Memory Nyahunzwi – who founded the Olive Pathway charity to educate, equip, empower and effectively support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and to prevent DA within Black communities – spoke about her experience of being an asylum seeker in a forced marriage in which she was subjected to various forms of HBA and domestic violence.

• Award-winning LGBTQ+ activist Lucky Roy Singh also spoke about forced marriage, HBA and DA, revealing how he overcame the abuse he suffered and now uses his story to spearhead change.

The event was organised by Detective Constable Sarah Leyland, our Honour-Based Abuse Subject Matter Expert (HBA SME).

She said: “Historically, honour-based abuse has not commonly been identified by either victims or officers, but in the past 12 months – after a focus on educating and empowering our call handlers and officers – GMP has made huge strides in correctly identifying HBA and recording the crimes appropriately.

“The officer in charge of a case must use C58 and C59 closing codes for all incidents where HBA is suspected to be the trigger.

“Across all reported crimes – including assaults, controlling and coercive behaviour, harassment and sexual offences – there will be unidentified victims of HBA. “These victims need our support, and the relentless pursuit of offenders is essential.

“Let’s find it, identify it and name it.

“We may only have one chance to speak to a victim, so knowing the signs and getting it right first time is crucial.”

For more information about HBA, or if you would like to become a HBA Champion, please contact DC Leyland via sarah.leyland@gmp.police.uk

Committed to tackling VAWG and RAOSO The force reaffirmed our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) as part of North West Sexual Violence Awareness Week.

During the awareness week in November, organisations across the region shone a spotlight on the support available to victims, including medical professionals, mental health services and charities.

Rape and other sexual offences (RAOSO) are some of the most complex and challenging types of crimes a police force deals with, and often have a traumatic and long-lasting effect on the victim.

Operation Soteria Bluestone was launched in 2021, with the Home Office programme bringing police forces, academics and policy leads together to use evidence and insight to enable forces to transform their response to RAOSO offences.

Last year GMP became one of the forces to adopt the approach.

Detective Superintendent Richard Hunt, GMP’s RAOSO lead, said: “Our process of transformation under Op Soteria Bluestone is ever evolving and will take time, but it is something we are absolutely committed to.

“All officers joining GMP will be specially trained in how to respond to victims and survivors of sexual offences. This is

something I am proud of and something we intend to roll out across the frontline in its entirety, with ambitions to be one of the first forces in the UK to do this.”

Alongside the improvements to student training, GMP’s RAOSO first responder booklet is currently being redeveloped by specialist teams and external partners.

It will be issued across the force in the coming months to further aid officers who deal with these offences.

For more information, please read the ‘North West Sexual Violence Awareness Week’ article on the intranet.

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DECEMBER 2023

Bereaved boy given dream Police-mad eight-year-old who recently lost both his parents made a GMP officer for a day An eight-year-old boy who lost both his parents within five weeks has been given the early Christmas present he wanted… an adventure day at GMP. Police-mad Teddy Riley was treated to tours of FHQ, Hough End, Openshaw and Clayton Brook.

Teddy visited the Mounted Unit, Tactical Dogs Unit, Drone Unit and the Armoury and held a range of weapons under the supervision of Armed Response Officers.

He was given house entry and vehicle stop demonstrations by specialist armed officers, took part in riot training and watched a spectacular petrol reception training drill at Clayton Brook that saw officers test their fire retardant kit to the max.

Teddy was even made an honorary police officer by Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods and was issued with a police uniform to wear for the day.

His framed certificate now has pride of place in Teddy’s home in Whaley Bridge.

Specialist Operations Planning Unit (SOPU) Sergeant Nick Galgani, who organised the visit, said: “Teddy and his 13-year-old sister April tragically lost both their parents Beth and Neil within five weeks recently.

“Their auntie Trudy Lindsey works at GMP as a SOPU Police Constable, and when I heard about the deaths of Beth and Neil and how much Teddy loves anything to do with policing, I wanted to give him a special day.

“He absolutely loved coming into GMP, and April, who happily accompanied him on the day, thoroughly enjoyed the experience too.

“Everyone made a real fuss of them, and they went home with a fantastic range of gifts, including Teddies, certificates, badges, commemorative coins and police caps.

“I would like to thank the Dep and everyone else who helped to give the children a much-needed fun and happy day that they will never forget.”

PC Lindsey said: “I have never felt so humbled and proud to be part of the GMP family.

“I will be eternally grateful to everyone who helped to give my nephew and niece what was a precision perfect day.

“All the stops were pulled out – and then some! It was like a Royal visit. Everyone was amazing with the children, and they both enjoyed the experience so much.

“After the most terrible few weeks for them, it was the first time that they have really smiled and had fun since their parents’ deaths.

“They were able to go back to being just kids again for the day, thanks to Sergeant Galgani, the Dep and all my other wonderful colleagues at GMP.” On the way home from his dream day, Teddy said: “Mum and Dad would have been proud that I have made it as a police officer, but it is very hard work and very tiring.

“A sausage butty, chocolate waffles, pancakes and hot chocolate keep you going though. It’s great being a policeman.”

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m early Christmas present

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First force to launch Forcer Protocol GMP is proud to be the first force to have launched ground-breaking veterans’ initiative The Forcer Protocol.

Launched in Greater Manchester in November, this new tool ensures that key information is available to forces when they are searching for service veterans who have gone missing.

Safe and Found Online provides the opportunity for professional carers, family members and friends to complete a form which records vital information in relation to veterans, in case they ever go missing.

Officers will only ever ask for the information provided on the form if the person is reported to them as missing from home.

The Forcer Protocol follows a three-step approach: 1. The person is reported missing to GMP. The dedicated department dealing with reports from the public will then ask whether that person is known to be a veteran. They must do this in every missing case as part of the initial assessment. The Force Operations Centre can then get direct access to Safe and Found Online, giving them crucial information in a matter of minutes.

2. GMP will then identify the risk and investigate, and will hopefully locate the missing person safe and well.

3. A referral is then completed on a Single Veterans Pathway, particularly through Operation Nova and the NHS, to ensure that the veteran gets the support they need. This will potentially reduce demand on policing in the long-term.

alongside The Forcer Protocol founder Claire Lilly, said: “The Forcer Protocol has been designed to support veterans in our communities, ensuring that we reduce the risk to vulnerable people and put support in place to prevent repeat demand by having a joined-up approach to problem solving and sharing accountability with the NHS and veterans charities.

“Serving within and transitioning from the armed forces can be an

overwhelming experience, and in some instances leaving behind that way of life is difficult and distressing for the individual concerned.

“We are the first force in the country to trial this protocol as we continue to lead the way in relation to our Armed Forces Covenant and veteran support.

“Hopefully it will be adopted nationally after our key involvement.”

The Forcer Protocol is named after Alan Forcer, who tragically took his own life following concerns over his whereabouts.

Alan suffered with complex PTSD, extreme anxiety, physical pain and debilitating depression following service in Northern Ireland and Kosovo during the heights of conflicts.

His story and the issues he encountered along the veteran care pathway are sadly not unique to him.

If key information about Alan had been immediately available to the police when he went missing, it is conceivable that he could have been found alive and given the support that he needed.

Chief Inspector Mark Mangnall, who has been a key figure in bringing this new tool to the force and is pictured

New Greater Manchester Victims’ Service provider A new delivery of Greater Manchester Victims’ Services (GMVS) has seen Catch22 taking over the reins as the provider.

The not-for-profit social business has been commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to take on the responsibility of supporting

victims and witnesses of both reported and unreported crime from across the region. In partnership with GMP, the service is being deployed from both FHQ and our Force Crime Management Unit (FCUM) at Unit A to enhance the practical and emotional support available to all victims of crime, bringing key aspects of

the refreshed service in-house. Catch22 designs and delivers services that build resilience and aspiration in people and communities.

If you have questions about GMVS, you should contact your Victim Services’ Co-ordinator or GMP’s Interim Victim Services Strategic Lead, Louise Sever.

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Remembering heroes and colleagues

Two big events on the GMP calendar in November saw us commemorate the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives to defend our freedom and protect our way of life.

We also took the time to remember the colleagues who are sadly no longer with us.

The remembrance weekend kicked off with GMP’s annual memorial service at Sedgley Park on Friday 10 November.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson was joined by Deputy Mayor Kate Green at the service, which was led by Father Barry Lomax and supported by Reverend Charles Nevin.

The service paid tribute to GMP officers, staff members and volunteers who have sadly lost their lives, and remembered the sacrifice of the servicemen and women who have fallen in the line of duty since the First World War. Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods, Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson and Chief Resource Officer Lee Rawlinson all did readings, and CC Watson read aloud a Roll of Honour of the GMP colleagues we have lost over the past 12 months. They are Police Constables Neil Hough, Angela Bullock and Barry Carmichael, PCSO Derek Thomas, Special

Constable Martin Ainsworth, Cleaner Margaret Garrity, Enquiry Counter Officer Tracey Burns, Staff iMET Co-ordinator Valerie Wood and Recruitment Co-ordinator Elaine Mason.

Following the service in the chapel, CC Watson laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in the Memorial Garden, and family and friends laid their own floral tributes to those who have lost their lives whilst working for GMP. On Remembrance Day itself (Sunday 12 November), CC Watson joined hundreds of Mancunians in attending a service of remembrance in the city centre.

The commemoration ceremony was held at the Cenotaph on St Peter’s Square.

Chief Superintendent Rick Jackson inspected the GMP contingent marching in the parade, and CC Watson laid a wreath onto the monument on behalf of the force.

The GMP Band performed at both events, and other remembrance services took place in cities, towns and villages across Greater Manchester, with a well planned and well executed GMP policing operation ensuring that our communities and veterans were able to pay their respects without fear, intimidation or disruption.

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Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police Chance to win a technology bundle Police Mutual is giving police staff, PCSOs, Special Constables and their families the chance to enter a free prize draw to win one of four technology bundles.

The bundles up for grabs are: • First prize: Apple iPad 10th Generation Silver 256GB Wi-Fi and Apple AirPods Max Silver.

• Second prize: Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro Bluetooth (45mm) Black Titanium and Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro Graphite.

• Third prize: Sony PlayStation 5 Console and Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga.

• Fourth prize: Nintendo Switch 1.1 32GB Console Neon Red and Blue plus Super Mario Bros.U Deluxe and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The prize draw ends on New Year’s Eve, with the draw taking place on Monday 8 January 2024.

You must be eligible for Police Mutual products, and terms and conditions apply for the prize draw.

For the full details of the prize draw, including how to enter, visit www.policemutual.co.uk/capture/christmaswin Cuppa with Cruse at FHQ If you have lost someone, it can be really comforting to talk about them.

Sharing memories and telling funny stories etc can also help to navigate the rollercoaster of emotions experienced whilst grieving.

Cruse Bereavement Support volunteers, along with GMP’s newly trained Grief First Aiders, will be in Room 330 at FHQ from 11am to 2pm on Friday 8 December to have a chat over a brew with anyone who would like to come and speak about a person, pet or anything else they have lost.

All members of the force are invited to attend.

• Launch of a children’s book: Authored by a member of police staff, this book aims to help children understand why a parent or carer in policing might miss family meals or bedtime stories. It is set to launch in March 2024, coinciding with World Book Day. Visit www.oscarkilo.org.uk for more information about the programme.

Stress and trauma digital course Oscar Kilo has worked with Me Learning and the College of Policing to develop a digital learning course to give police officers, staff and volunteers basic information on stress, trauma and wellbeing.

All members of GMP should be aware of incidents and situations that can cause anxiety, depression, burnout and traumatic stress in themselves, their colleagues and members of the public they interact with.

The new course is for all members of the policing family, particularly those in frontline roles, officer and staff supervisors and learning and development personnel.

Simply search for ‘Stress and Trauma Level 1’ on College Learn, which is available to anyone with a ‘police.uk’ email account.

The course lasts around 50 minutes.

If you have difficulties accessing College Learn, email contactcentre@college.police.uk Women’s health event at Stockport Stockport recently hosted a women’s health event, which was set up by wellbeing volunteer Julie Woodhouse and her adorable dog Fozzy.

They are pictured at the event with GMP’s Police Officer of the Year, Stockport Response PC Tracy Hallworth.

Fozzy had around 40 interactions whilst he was there.

‘Family Life’ programme launched Working in policing is tough, and not just for the person employed to do the job.

There is no doubt it has an impact on families and loved ones, whether that is a parent concerned about their daughter out on the beat, a couple missing out on time together or people trying to manage a young family and shifts.

Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, has launched a range of new resources to support the loved ones of police officers and staff.

The ‘Family Life’ programme includes: • Toolkits and education: Now available in the Family Life section of the Oscar Kilo website, these resources provide invaluable insights and practical advice on navigating the issues faced by police families in key areas such as mental health, communicating with children, finances and the challenges of living with a shift worker.

• Bereavement counselling support: For families of officers and staff who tragically die in the execution of their duties or by suicide.

If you would like to share good practice from your area, please send details to wellbeingvolunteercoordinators@ gmp.police.uk Awareness in December GMP’s monthly wellbeing theme for December is ‘physical health, fitness and nutrition’.

Awareness dates for the diary in December include: • Friday 1 December: World AIDS Day • Saturday 2 December: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery • Saturday 2 December to Friday 8 December: National Grief Awareness Week • Sunday 10 December: Human Rights Day

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DECEMBER 2023

Stockport officers provide lifesaving response Four officers have been praised for their heroic efforts after saving the life of a man suffering a heart attack just a stone’s throw away from Cheadle Heath Police Station.

On Friday 6 October 2023, a member of the public from a nearby workplace came into the station in a panic after a colleague of theirs was suffering a heart attack and needed urgent help.

Hearing the call out on their radios as they came back from a warrant, Police Constable Trevor Furlong and Detective Constable Ben Swapp went straight over to the workplace to start CPR as the saw the 71-year-old man in the recovery position unresponsive.

Back at district Sergeant Michelle Gee, who was covering response, took the lead with Inspector Gemma Shenton, locating a defibrillator before making their way over to support their colleagues and continue administer lifesaving treatment, all taking it in turns, as is recommended.

The man thankfully responded to their efforts by breathing faintly and was placed back in the recovery position but later relapsed and was put on his back.

Administering the defib a shock was given until the air ambulance arrived

where they mentioned the pads were ‘perfectly placed’ and took over with their dedicated machine.

Another shock was given by the ambulance crew and his heart successfully started again.

Placed on a dedicated airway he was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital by ambulance and initial diagnosis was positive in that he looked likely to survive.

In the days that followed he was fitted with a stent and is on a successful road to recovery thanks to the efforts of everyone.

Sergeant Gee remained at the scene to support work colleagues of the man who were understandably in shock after a frantic few moments where they tried everything they could to save his life before GMP officers took over.

Following the incident, Sergeant Gee said; “It was a real team effort and was an example of where we had to think fast and act equally as quickly. As police officers instinct took over and we managed to help a member of the public in their hour of need.

“I’m really pleased and thankful to have been part of a dedicated team of

officers who pulled together and did the right thing.

“It just goes to show the importance of knowing the basics of CPR and I would urge others to look into it and take a course, if possible, as your actions before emergency services arrive are vital.”

Whilst PC Trevor Furlong added; “As officers we are first aid trained due to us being the first to respond to incidents involving the public.

Having this has shown again GMP officers being able to do what we do best and help our community.

“I’m extremely proud because as a group we’ve managed to help someone go back to their loved ones.”

A huge congratulations to all officers involved in this incident!

A thank you during a difficult time Every day and every night, officers and staff from across the district work tirelessly, rain or shine, to ensure our communities are protected from threat, harm and risk.

They support our communi-ties often through the most difficult times in life which means the world to that person.

Quite often officers and staff will continue through their jobs, not taking a moment to reflect on the positive impact they’ve just made – through support they’ve given during a road traffic incident and a community visit to

sensitively breaking difficult news and providing support in someone’s darkest moments.

A recent example of this was the words of thanks and support which came from parents who had recently lost their son – Police Constables David Penlington and Tracy Hallworth supported these parents in their hour of need, when the rug had been pulled out from underneath them.

David and Tracy supported them during a difficult period in their lives and after a while, the par-ents reached

out to them to note the below: “I’ve been meaning to write but obviously we’ve been in a blur of arrangements for funerals and all sorts of other things concerning our son.

“I wanted to say a deep thank you to both you and Dave for the way looked after us at the time of our son’s passing.

“You were both incredibly professional and caring at the same time. I can’t possibly put into words how much I/we appreciate what you did for us.”

District specific pages come to the Intranet Each district now has their own News section on the intranet at the bottom of their district page, where there will be relevant articles to that particular district.

People can now go onto their district’s intranet page to see targeted and relevant information about their area.

This way, you are able to get up to date with all the latest news updates for your district.

This section can be what you make it, if you would like to put any information or an article on there, please email the Internal.Comms@gmp.police.uk team who will make that happen.

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Christmas reward and recognition scheme The Stockport SLT team want to spread the word about the upcoming reward and recognition scheme for Stockport.

“As we approach the final stages of 2023, we invite you all to participate in our Christmas reward and recognition scheme – 24 days of Advent.

“Every day from 1 - 24 December 2023, we will be giving away prizes to celebrate the incredible work you all do every day, that we, your SLT are so proud of.

“It is easy to get bogged down in the things that aren’t going so well, but it is important to remember that there are fantastic things happening on the district and you are working hard for the people of Stockport. We know that, and this is our way of showing our appreciation for it. You don’t have to celebrate Christmas to get involved, this is for everyone.

“We don’t want this to be about the SLT selecting prize winners. This is your opportunity to show the people you work alongside every day how much you value the things they do.

“We want you to tell us who deserves special recognition this holiday season.

It could be a job they have been to,

something they have done for victim, a result they have achieved or something they have done to support their colleagues this year.

“Throughout this week you will see Christmas wrapped post boxes appear across our stations along with the below poster.

“The first is already one in the 1st floor kitchen at CH and one winging its way to Fred Perry house, with Hazel Grove, Cheadle and Reddish to follow.

“Town Centre team and Marple you haven’t been forgotten I just ran out of boxes. Please use any of the five. At the

side of the box will be a pile of cards for you to fill in to nominate someone. The rules are really simple, on the card (use both sides) you write the below three things and then put it in the box: • “Name of nomination - This can be an individual, a pair, or a team (name/collar number/team or relief and parading station) • Nominator – This won’t be shared, it is just so we know we where it has come from (and that you aren’t nominating yourselves) • Reason for the nomination “You can nominate anyone up to the rank of inspector, police officers and police staff. You will have four weeks to get your nominations in ready for the winners to be selected.

“Each day, a member of the SLT will come to either a team briefing, or the team’s office and the winner will be able to select a gift bag containing their prize. There is some good stuff in there - which we hope you will enjoy. There are four team prizes, and the rest are for individuals or one prize each for a pair.

“We look forward to reading the nominations - and hope you will all have a bit of fun getting involved!”

Safer Business Week hits Stockport As part of the National Business Crime Centre Safer Business Week, districts from across the Force were supporting local businesses to tackle business crime through prevention, intelligence sharing, targeted enforcement and community engagement.

Across Stockport, businesses, especially independent and local businesses suffer greatly at the hands of shoplifters and Safer Business Week shows the commitment that GMP have to tackling everything retail-related, including searching for shoplifters, undertaking proactive patrols of criminal hotspots, talking to shop owners to discuss security, and engaging with local communities to discuss how everyone can play their part.

Partners also have a part to play to ensure that every resource is fully utilised, and businesses feel well looked after – for both the workers and customers.

Neighbourhood officers, as a continuation of Operation Rimini, were joined on a day of action by members of the Divisional Tutor Unit, Neighbourhood Crime Team, Special Constabulary, and British Transport Police.

In just one day of the week of action, Stockport officers carried out: • 11 stop searches, recovering and destroying quantity of cannabis • 3 arrests including wanted on warrants, thefts and public order offences.

• Found and safeguarded a missing person • Engaged with both the public and shopworkers to discuss any issues and concerns they may have Following the day of action, one known offender was also jailed for 15 weeks after pleading guilty to nine counts of shoplifting, and officers continue to work to ensure arrests and

charges for those who have committed crime in the Stockport area.

Inspector John Piction said: “Officers undertook a great deal of work during the day – from making arrests to locating a missing person and discussing safety advice with shopworkers. The momentum continues to build with these proactive policing operations and they will continue over the coming weeks and months.

“By working closely with partners, the local policing teams continue to make Stockport a safe place for people to visit and enjoy.”