OP LIONESS RETURNING TO TACKLE VAWG

Operation Lioness is returning this month as part of GMP’s ongoing commitment to end violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The operation, which was set up in 2021 in response to a nationwide call to crack down on violence against women and girls, relaunches in July and will continue throughout the summer months to ensure that women and girls can enjoy night outs in Greater Manchester without fear.

Op Lioness was rolled out to each district of GMP last year and saw officers and staff working with local partners and charities to make Greater Manchester’s open spaces and night-time economies safe. Anti-spiking initiatives and the Ask for Angela domestic abuse campaign were promoted, alongside the provision of visible reassurance to the public and deterrence to offenders.

Over 250 arrests were made last year, for a variety of offences, including drink spiking, rape and domestic assault.

The returning Op Lioness will see dedicated teams of officers ascending on town centres at the weekends in a crackdown on violence and abuse directed at women and girls.

Focussing on the night-time economy, officers will work closely with partner agencies and have a visible presence in town centres, licensed premises and public transport, as they tackle issues including sexual harassment, spiking and predatory behaviour.

VAWG was recently highlighted as a national priority as the NPCC published the first ever national Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA) of crimes posing the most danger to women and girls.

The 230-page summary document has been published to outline the greatest threats to women and girls, putting it alongside counter terrorism and child abuse in terms of its importance to policing.

Detective Superintendent James Faulkner, GMP’s tactical lead for VAWG, said: “Bringing an end to violence against women and girls is an absolute priority for GMP and, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s publication of the recent STRA demonstrates, all the other UK police forces.

“Here at GMP we remain committed to ending violence against women and girls.

“As the police, we have a responsibility to target offenders and ensure that they face the consequences of their actions, and operations such as Op Lioness are vitally important in helping us to achieve that.”

Further information on the work being done by GMP to tackle VAWG is on the intranet – simply search for ‘VAWG’.