Wigan edition of The Brief – December 2023

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

WIGAN · DECEMBER 2023

A FOND FAREWELL TO MA’AM HIGHAM

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A final farewell…

As I write my final District Brief message before I retire, it has made me reflect on my time at Wigan & Leigh, not just the last two and a half years, but when I started 31 years ago as a 21-year-old naïve local girl.

I have had so much fun in my career, zipping around, locking up and mooching looking for burglars. I can remember my ‘probationary’ period as if it was yesterday, as I was so excited to be a police officer. I remember my first arrest, getting the caution wrong and executing a warrant at the wrong address! I was privileged to work with great people at Wigan & Leigh, and coming back as District Commander has been a dream come true.

It has been my honour to work alongside you all, on what is a very busy and challenging district. My motto has always been to work hard and play hard, and that is exactly what we have done.I have lots of fond memories; laughing, pizza, making breakfast, out on patrol, Op AVRO days, remembrance parades, open days, the list goes on. I have had a wonderful career and experienced things that I never would have thought.

I have also been very lucky to have been nominated and receive various awards; in 2019 a British Lifetime Achievement Award and also a Global Leadership Award, where I actually went to Alaska to collect it.

In November, I attended Buckingham Palace and received a King’s Police Medal from His Majesty the King, which I still cannot get my head around - not bad for a girl from Norley Hall!

Never forget you possess a superpower; the power to arrest and to protect children and the public. Never stop using them, you will never know the impact you can have on a person.

With regards to our police staff, you are the Moneypenny, Q and Nick Fury that supports and allows officers to use those superpowers.

I have been blessed with working with wonderful people; honest, hardworking, caring officers and staff who go the extra mile every day for each other and our communities. It has been my absolute pleasure. With all my love and best wishes. Stay safe.

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham

DECEMBER 2023

Goodbye and good luck!

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham has been presented with a King’s Police Medal (KPM) at Buckingham Palace on 8 November 2023.

Awarded for gallantry or distinguished service, a KPM is the ultimate form of recognition for police officers.

Ch Supt Higham received the accolade from King Charles III himself and says that she will treasure the ‘spectacular’ experience and her GMP career as a whole throughout her impending retirement.

She said: “Being presented with a KPM from King Charles in front of my family was the perfect way to sign off,” “King Charles was lovely, and chatting to him about my career and having him pin such a prestigious medal to my tunic in one of the grandest rooms at Buckingham Palace was a surreal and spectacular experience.

“It was truly magical and undoubtedly the proudest moment of my life, particularly with my loved ones being in the room to share the moment with me.

“I couldn’t have asked for more, and the same goes for my policing career as a whole.

“I have had a thoroughly enjoyable near 31-year career at GMP and seen and done things I never could have imagined when I started out as a naïve 21-year-old from Norley Hall.

“I have been blessed to have worked alongside honest, hard working, caring and diligent officers, staff members and volunteers who go the extra mile for each other and for the communities we serve.

“I know that GMP is in safe hands, and I will miss you all and cherish the memories you have given me.”

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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DECEMBER 2023

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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DECEMBER 2023

m early Christmas present

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DECEMBER 2023

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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DECEMBER 2023

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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Mini Police help stop Wigan’s speeders Wigan’s Mini Police child volunteers took part in a speed gun operation in Atherton in November.

Operation Roadrunner took place on Hamilton Street in Atherton, which runs next to the local park and the Cenotaph, and is close to both Parklee Primary and Atherton High School.

Hamilton Street is a well-signposted 20mph road with speed bumps in place; however, this does not seem to slow a lot of drivers down and there has always been an issue with speeding around the area; so the officers overseeing the initiative and the children agreed that a speed gun operation was necessary.

The Mini Police were appropriately briefed regarding safety and listening to instructions.

PC Pilling and PC Allison used the speed gun, while PCs Rouse and Kiernan and PCSO Coyne were with the children, speaking to drivers who were stopped.

The team turned drivers who had been caught speeding onto Bullough Street, where PCs Rouse and Kiernan engaged with them first to ascertain that they were open to being spoken to by the children.

The Mini Police were then brought over in pairs, to advise drivers about the speed limit and the dangers that speeding could cause.

This was very well received, with all 21 drivers who were stopped over the course of 45 minutes responding well to the children’s intervention.

The children loved the activity, and learned a lot about the dangers of speeding and road safety.

Councillor Lee McStein attended, as he has been receiving complaints regarding speeding on Hamilton Street, and was very impressed with the operation.

Parklee Primary headteacher Dawn Roper also took part in a road safety demonstration, taking a breathalyser test – which she passed.

District specific pages come to the Intranet Each district now has its 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.

Tabitha’s Tuck Shop

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We know how important it is to recognise and celebrate acts of kindness and selflessness from our colleagues, and we are proud to put the spotlight on Tabitha Boland, a remarkable individual from CID, who has dedicated herself to running a charity-oriented tuck shop.

The tuck shop was initially a small initiative, which has gained popularity overtime and Tabitha has the responsibility of ordering supplies, restocking the shop, and keeping track of inventory, which is a big job! She willingly invests her personal time and efforts, fuelling her desire to make a meaningful difference and she genuinely cares for the wellbeing of others.

In addition, Tabitha’s unwavering commitment and determination is truly exceptional, as she goes above and beyond to support those in need.

This tireless work has not gone unnoticed as she made an incredible cash donation of £750 to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.

Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary is deeply grateful for Tabitha’s support, and they plan to send her an official certificate of thanks to acknowledge her remarkable generosity.

Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary is a fantastic organisation that provides shelter, care, and loving homes to animals in need.

Based in Ramsbottom in Bury, they work extremely hard to rehabilitate and

DECEMBER 2023

rescue animals, giving them a safe, and nurturing environment until they can find their forever homes. The sanctuary dedicates themselves to making a difference in the lives of these animals, and it is heart-warming to see the incredible impact they have.

Tabitha’s story is not only just a piece of good news for the district; it is an inspiring example of the difference one person can make through their time, effort, and kindness.

This heart-warming story is a reminder that there is still an abundance of compassion and kindness in our world, and that we should all encourage others to follow in her footsteps, spread positivity and to make a difference in our communities.

If you are wanting to help and support Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, you can adopt, donate, sponsor or volunteer.

For further information, please visit their website: bleakholt.org.

Specials in Wigan volunteer over 500 hours in October The Special Constabulary is an integral part of the Force and continues to contribute to events across the districts, engage in various activities from traffic operations to community visits and support night-time economy operations.

In October, the cohort of special constables across Wigan yielded some impressive results.

They volunteered over 500 hours to policing duties, attended 72 emergency 999 calls, assisted with the arrests of five suspects, and seized 11 uninsured cars.

If you’re interested in becoming a special constable, the Force are currently recruiting and through the Employer Supporting Policing (ESP) scheme, GMP gives members of the Force additional paid leave to undertake special constable duties and training.

Special constables have the same powers as regular police officers and play a vital part in GMP, helping to prevent crime and interacting with the communities we serve.

To find out more, please head to www.gmp.police.uk/careers and select special constables.