Oldham edition of The Brief – January 2024

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

OLDHAM · JANUARY 2024

OLDHAM

A LOOK BACK AT 2023

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As the year draws to a close, I wanted to express thanks and my deepest gratitude to each and every member of staff for your unwavering dedication, courage and sacrifice.

Your commitment to ensuring that the people of Oldham are safe has not gone unnoticed. I hope that those of you who were off during the festive break had a relaxing and enjoyable time. For those working, again a massive thank you for your dedication.

It’s been a heck of a year, with new members of staff joining the district and others leaving to take up new opportunities or retiring having completed their service. We have seen some significant change with the introduction of the Neighbourhood and District Operations, followed closely by the Force Crime Management Unit. Throughout all this the district has continued to improve in almost all areas of our business. This has resulted in us safeguarding more victims of crime.

These improvements have assisted the Force in coming out of ‘enhanced scrutiny’ from HMICFRS. we are, for the second year the most improved police force in the country.

That’s down to every member of the constabulary.

It always amazes me at the sheer volume of serious and complex crimes we have each day! I wanted to end this message highlighting some of the excellent work that we’ve done this year.

In Child Safeguarding, CPIU have concluded the historic investigation Op Pontrea, with CPS authorising 47 offences for a complex familial abuse case involving both parents on their children. The volume of cases for neglect, child sexual and physical abuse continues to increase and both Complex Safeguarding and CPIU teams are absolutely dedicated to investigate and support our most vulnerable victims The CID team, whilst being massively under resourced continued to investigate and charge our most dangerous criminals, many involved in serious assaults, kidnap, attempt murder, domestic abuse, rape and other sexual offences.

Op Key, the football disorder between Oldham v Wrexham is drawing to a conclusion with many offenders being charged with violent disorder and other public order offences.

The Challenger Team continues to work away at dismantling our Organised Crime Groups, seizing their proceeds of crime. Most of the jobs are still in the sneaky beaky world so can’t say too much, but it’s brilliant work.

The Neighbourhood and Prevention Hub staff, continue to drive down demand with innovative POP plans and the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders, at the last count we have 28 live orders running for a total of 83 years!

Response continues to deliver on our Grade 1 and 2 response times, and we’re stopping, searching and arresting more people than we have done for years.

Our MASH and Case Conference teams work tirelessly as the conduit between GMP and partner agencies, not only assessing referrals, identifying those most at risk and attending strategy meetings, but ensuring information is shared appropriately and we carry out our statutory duty around safeguarding the most vulnerable.

The NCT continues to work hard dismantling the many teams of burglars and street robbers in the district. They’ve recently uncovered a team who are responsible for over 30 house breaks, and the team are currently enjoying a short break courtesy of HRH King Charles!

Our invaluable and dedicated members of the Special Constabulary continue to support both local and Forcewide initiatives, reducing the demand on the regular officers.

The District Intel Hub, our many police staff colleagues, property, estates staff, performance team and DRMU are some of the unsung heroes of the station. Working tirelessly behind the scenes and keeping the station running! I am promised that the refurb of the nick will be started in early 2024 – the delay has been the leaking roof!

Myself, Jude, Carl, Abi, Ian, Lindsay, Matt, Justine and Kate as the Senior Leadership Team are incredibly proud of the improvements that Oldham continue to make. Once again, this is down to the incredible hard work and dedication of you all. Keep up the hard work as you are making a massive difference to the lives of victims in Oldham and GMP. Chief Superintendent Phil Hutchinson

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Largest supply of firearms investigation ever dealt with by UK law enforcement GMP officers and staff have been hailed for the key roles they have played in dismantling one of the largest drugs and firearms rings ever encountered by UK law enforcement and bringing the offenders to justice.

Six of the offenders – Omar Malik, Conor Sandlan, Daniel Gibbons, Daniel Waters, Andrew Cooney and Sean Hogan – were jailed for a combined total of 174 years in December, with Adrian Gonzalez set to be sentenced at the end of January.

The jail time secured makes Operation Glassy one of the most successful organised crime group investigations in the history of GMP. Detective Constable Stuart Rawlinson, who was the officer in the case (OIC), and Detective Sergeant Heather Stirzaker, who was in charge of the analysis of the encrypted mobile phones that were seized as part of the investigation, were commended by the judge at December’s sentencing for their standout work on Op Glassy.

They also joined Detective Superintendent Joseph Harrop, Detective Chief Inspector Phillip Kennedy, Detective Inspector Richard Castley, DS Richie McCorry, DCs Richard Basiurski, David Clark and Mark Ellis, Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) Major Incident Analyst Donna Thomas and Investigation Support Officers Tanya O’Meara and Sam KinghamQuinton in the Op Glassy team that was shortlisted for the Proactive Investigation of the Year category at the 2023 Chief Constable’s Annual Awards.

Det Supt Harrop said: “The vast amount of jail time imposed on the offenders is a fitting result of an extremely complex and comprehensive investigation that uncovered the extent of their large-scale supply of controlled drugs, money laundering and the importation and supply of firearms.

“It is the largest supply of firearms investigation ever dealt with by UK law enforcement.

“Our Serious Organised Crime Group’s Syndicate 2 led the investigation following a referral from the National Crime Agency.

“The NCA had infiltrated messages from the gang’s encrypted mobile phones as part of Operation Venetic and

the takedown of the EncroChat global communication service that was used exclusively by criminals.

“Following a subsequent surveillance operation conducted by SOCG, we searched a number of properties and seized four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, £640,000 in cash and substantial quantities of cocaine and amphetamines.

“The seven offenders (pictured) were subsequently arrested and charged with being members of a sophisticated OCG that utilised various means – including the use of encrypted mobile phones – to communicate and plan criminal activity and set up bogus companies to conceal importations and criminality.

“The Greater Manchester-based gang were in the process of expanding their criminal network internationally, importing and supplying more than 80 of the most dangerous prohibited firearms to other criminals believed to be involved in the supply of controlled drugs and serious violent crime.

“The seven members of the OCG

conducted various roles, from the head of the gang in Omar Malik to sales, couriers and warehouse management.

“These very dangerous men only cared about making vast amounts of money. They didn’t care how lethal their commodities were or the consequences for the communities and innocent people who would be irrevocably affected by their criminal enterprise.

“Due to the extent of the evidence gathered against them – working alongside the NCA and the Crown Prosecution Service’s North West Complex Case Unit – we were always confident of securing convictions against all seven and are delighted to have done so.

“The operation stands out in UK law enforcement in terms of how to dismantle OCGs believed to be supplying weapons to crime groups nationally and internationally, and I would like to praise and thank all members of the Op Glassy team for their hark work in securing one of GMP’s very best results in 2023.”

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The GMP Staff Survey results Back in May we launched the GMP Staff Survey to assess the current state of wellbeing and staff engagement at the force.

The survey was conducted in collaboration with Oscar Kilo and Durham University.

Our aim was to understand how we can best support you – what works, what doesn’t and everything in between.

Over 5,000 of you took part, making it possible for us to really understand what you think and feel.

In October we provided you with a breakdown of the data we gathered, covering both districts and branches across the organisation, as well as the force’s overall results.

So, what does this mean?

Summary of findings Each question asked in the survey was rated from ‘Extremely Low’, ‘Very Low’, ‘Low’, ‘Moderately Low’, ‘Moderate’, ‘Moderately High’, ‘High’, ‘Very High’ and ‘Extremely High’.

City of Manchester had the highest response rate, with 84 per cent completing the survey.

CoM was also the highest scoring district for ‘Feeling Valued’ by the force, meaning that individuals feel appreciated by co-workers and acknowledgement of their skills, efforts and the impact of their work.

Tameside, which also had a high response rate, of 80 per cent, scored highly in the ‘Pro-social Motivation’ category, which shows that colleagues want to help and benefit others through their work and contribute positively, often without expecting personal gain or reward.

‘Pro-social Motivation’ and the desire to help and benefit others was also high in branches such as Forensic Services and CID/Local Investigations.

Whilst there are positives to focus on, low scoring areas highlighted key themes and where our priorities lie in response to the survey results:

• Address hindrance stressors: Look at the bureaucratic barriers and poorly designed processes that act as barriers to your workday, alleviating the stressors and removing everyday stresses and strains.

• Increase appreciation and value: We are committed to increasing appreciation and fostering a sense of value, increased motivation, prioritising recognition, open communication, empowerment and a culture of inclusivity.

• Health and wellbeing: The survey results show anxiety and depression to be issues across districts and branches. We recognise that demand is increasing and officers and staff are working exceptionally hard, so it is more important than ever that you are supported.

The below graphic showcases the key

findings of the GMP Staff Survey.

What next?

We will be launching an Engagement and Improvement Panel in the coming weeks, which will be made up of representatives from each of our districts and branches and will meet on a quarterly basis to reflect on the key themes following the staff survey.

If you would like to be involved in the panel, please email staffengagement@ gmp.police.uk Your health and wellbeing are integral to GMP, and our dedicated Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinators are on hand to assist any member of the force who may be struggling. You can contact them via wellbeingvolunteercoordinators@gmp. police.uk or visit the ‘Wellbeing’ section of the intranet, which can be accessed via the blue banner at the top.

Hanukkah celebration event held at FHQ Hanukkah was celebrated in a special event held at FHQ in December.

Officers and staff from across the force were invited to attend the event, no matter what their faith. It was organised

by our Jewish Police Association and the Community Security Trust (CST).

Chief Constable Stephen Watson was among the senior officers who attended and chatted with JPA members and their

families, as well as community partners.

The evening included the lighting of the menorah, feasting on traditional doughnuts and a singalong with a school choir.

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THE DRONE

The team have recently upgraded to the latest in

commercial drone technology, with weather resistant air assets, high power zoom and thermal/infrared camera sensors.

The drone can fly for around 35 to 40 minutes, in rain and high winds, with spotlights to illuminate a large area and in-built collision avoidance.

There are also smaller, quieter drones for quicker or more covert jobs, as well as new tactical indoor

g n i y l F

drones which can be used for internal building searches, firearms or unsafe structures

HIGH

THE JOB

that officers cannot be sent into.

All the drones have the ability to live stream all footage and imagery back to any GMP

The GMP Drone Unit has been operational since 2018.

laptop or mobile phone,

Starting as a trial named Op Pathfinder, it soon became a

using Microsoft

permanent part of the Specialist Search Unit within Specialist Operations

Teams.

at Openshaw. Moving the Drone Unit into the Specialist Search Unit has resulted in a significant improvement in deployment capability, with four dedicated drone pilots working closely alongside nine Police Search Advisers (PolSAs), who are also fully trained to operate the equipment.

The team now have the capability to deploy from

In terms of deployments, the team are able to assist with a wide variety of tasks.

7am to 12 midnight seven days a week.

Let’s find out more...

The main deployments include high risk missing searches, thermal/infrared taskings for cannabis grow intel, method of entry recces for planned warrants, crime operations and off-road bike operations, as well as any spontaneous deployments for burglaries, thefts etc.

The team regularly take part in large planned force events, such as football matches, other sporting events, concerts and large community events.

They are always more than happy to consider new types of taskings, should divisions have such requirements.

The future of police drones is a bright one, with national planning already in place to make use of more autonomous flight functions, as well as flight ‘beyond visual line of sight’. Drones are constantly improving and adapting to what we need.

To request the drone for deployment: Non-time sensitive taskings: Send a completed Form 2007 to drone@gmp.police.uk Time sensitive/spontaneous taskings: Call either radio channel 371, the Force Duty Officer (FDO) on extension 66321, ext 66207 or the drone mobile number of 07393 239737

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New best-in-class vehicles will enable us to ‘pr

Our fleet of police vehicles are now the envy of forces across the UK. We have increased the size of our fleet by almost 15 per cent as part of an ongoing £5.3 million three-year investment.

The Special Operations uplift that began last year has enabled us to add the best-in-class vans, cars and motorbikes to our existing fleet.

The new vehicles are all fitted with the latest ANPR, CCTV and tracker technology.

Inspector Danny Kabal, the vehicle SPoC for Spec Ops, said: “We now have a fleet of vehicles to match our ambition to become the best performing police force in the country.

“Our new state-of-the-art vehicles will enable our Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit and roads policing officers to proactively pursue criminals across all kinds of terrain and deny them the use of the road.

“The Tactical Aid Unit has a fleet of vans that enable the unit to manage disorder, complex searches and other key areas of business, and our Tactical Firearms Unit now has a fleet which is fit for the future of armed policing demands.

“ANPR has been added to our Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) fleet, and it will also be added to the new Tactical Dog Unit vehicles when they arrive, maximising opportunities to arrest more criminals, support our districts and keep the communities of Greater Manchester safe.”

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roactively pursue criminals across all terrains’ Our new vehicles, funded through the £5.3m investment that spans until 2024/25, are: Vans • Ford Transit Vans: The new vans, which will be placed in response and neighbourhood roles, have increased storage capacity and the ability to transfer prisoners. This ensures that the vehicles are fit for current and future demand.

• Ford Transit Police Support Unit (PSU) Carriers: These have been designed in conjunction with operational police officers to ensure that they are versatile enough for routine policing and, where necessary, public order incidents.

• Peugeot Partner Vans: These vans will enable our Crime Scene Investigators to respond to incidents whilst having a bespoke storage solution for organised kit carriage.

Cars/4x4s • Skoda Kodiaq Dogs Unit Cars: These vehicles have an increased storage capacity. They are fitted with the latest ANPR technology and will enable officers to tackle all terrains.

• Cupra Formentor, Golf R and Audi S3 Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit (TVIU) Cars: Fitted with the latest ANPR and tracking technology, these high-performance vehicles enable our officers to proactively pursue and apprehend some of the region’s most dangerous offenders who use high-powered cars.

• Volvo, Audi and Ford ST Roads Policing Cars: The vehicles are designed to enable officers to effectively police our road network and reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions in Greater Manchester. These cars are also fitted with the latest ANPR and tracking technology.

• Toyota Corolla Patrol Cars: These cars are robust and reliable, and they are designed to cope with the unique demands placed on response policing.

• Toyota Hilux Pick-up Trucks: We have invested in a number of these 4x4 vehicles to support our rural districts in delivering their services to Greater Manchester’s communities.

• Volkswagen Touareg and Volvo XC90 Armed Response Vehicles: These 4x4s, which are equipped with the latest ANPR technology, enable our armed officers to provide continued support to our communities. They are fit for current and future armed policing demands.

Motorbikes • BMW RT1250 Motorbikes: These bikes help our Roads Policing Unit officers to effectively police our road network and provide additional functions, such as escorts and transfers.

• BMW 750GS Motorbikes: More nimble and manoeuvrable, these bikes allow specialist officers to perform specific tactics.

• Yamaha Ténéré Motorbikes: The fully off-road motorbikes enable officers to deal with off-road requirements and rough terrain.

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Helping people have a happy Christmas December saw GMP engage in a range of events to spread Christmas cheer to employees and communities alike.

The festive season kicked off with the launch of Christmas markets and decorations across Greater Manchester.

This saw the launch of Op Dasher, our policing operation to ensure that residents and Christmas market visitors had a safe and enjoyable time in the run up to Christmas.

We also stepped up our efforts to prevent burglaries, thefts, robberies, fraud and drink and drug driving, as well as to bring offenders to justice.

As officers worked to combat inevitable seasonal spikes in such offences, support staff organised and ran the following four internal festive events in December: • Charity Christmas Fayre at FHQ: This popular event provided an opportunity for all members of the force to buy a wide range of gifts for their nearest and dearest from a range of stall holders. It saw over £300 raised for Care of Police Survivors (COPS), a UK registered charity dedicated to helping the families of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

• Christmas Carol Concert at Manchester Cathedral: GMP officers and staff wasted no time in snapping up the tickets for themselves and their families. A thousand people attended

to enjoy the musical talents of a local choir and the GMP Band at the free event that had everyone in a joyful mood.

• Community Christmas Lunch at FHQ: Each district nominated 10 people from their communities to join senior officers for a Christmas meal and entertainment. The guest diners were victims of crime or vulnerable people particularly deserving of some festive cheer.

• Coffee and Carols Christmas Event at FHQ: Organised by the Christian Police Association and Catholic Police Guild, the feel-good service was led

by Force Lead Chaplain Father Barry Lomax and featured carol singing from a GMP male voice choir and readings

from Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods and Volunteer Police Cadets.

We also held Christmas appeals, and were overwhelmed by the amount of donations of food and toys received.

You have shown your generosity once again – and the Greater Manchester community had a better Christmas because of it.

Thousands of donated food items were sent to a local food bank, and sackfuls of Christmas presents were donated to Hits Radio’s Cash for Kids to ensure that no child woke up on Christmas Day without a present.

Thanks to all those who donated and helped to make people in need have a happier Christmas.

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Hitting all the right notes in December Hot on the heels of being shortlisted in the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards’ Volunteer of the Year category, the GMP Band has been busy spreading its magic at seven festive events that took place during December.

Highlights included dates at Bridgewater Hall for the Manchester and Districts Hospitals’ Christmas Carol Concerts and the force’s Christmas Carol Concert at Manchester Cathedral.

Band Manager Barry Frost, a retired police officer who joined the band 21 years ago, said: “Our band and smaller groups are in great demand and play regularly at many GMP events, civic ceremonies and private and corporate functions. We have supported over 670 community and charity engagements since I became Band Manager in 2012, generating over £1.1 million – being able to give something back to the communities in which we live and work is extremely important to us.

“We enjoy all the events we play at, but performing at the Christmas events in fantastic venues such as Manchester Cathedral was amazing.”

Barry, who is set to step down as Band Manager this month and be replaced by retired police officer Philip Boardman, added: “Christmas is always a special time of the year, and the festive events we play at makes it even more special.

“December was a very busy time for the band. We loved performing at all the events and got really good feedback from the organisers and audiences.”

The band also performed at GMP’s annual memorial service at Sedgley Park on Friday 10 November and at the service of remembrance in the city centre on Remembrance Day. The origins of the band The original Police Band was formed in Salford after the funeral of a police officer in 1877.

Following the amalgamation of the City of Salford Police with the City of Manchester Police in 1968 – and the subsequent creation of GMP in 1974 – the bands of the respective areas joined forces.

The amalgamated band originally consisted of 35 full-time police officers, who undertook engagements all over the country on behalf of the force.

The band now has more than 50 volunteers, including a small number of serving and retired police officers, GMP support staff, professional musicians, teachers and members of the wider community.

Did you know?

• The band has an acclaimed 30-strong Concert Wind Band, conducted by Philip Boardman • The highly successful Big Band was formed in 2003, playing music made famous by many of the great swing

bands, including Glenn Miller and Count Basie • There are also several vocalists complemented by the band’s backing singers, who bring an additional variety to events as they perform popular music from the 1940s to the 1990s and beyond • There are also a number of smaller groups, including a five-piece Jazz Ensemble, a Saxophone Quartet and a team of Ceremonial Fanfare Trumpeters Are you a musician or singer?

The GMP Band is always looking for talented musicians or vocalists.

If you are interested in joining, contact Barry Frost on 07565 962153 or dbfrost@outlook.com or email police.band@gmp.police.uk You can follow the band on Facebook (search for GMP Band) and Twitter @ gmpband

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Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police Be part of alcohol experiment The Live Alcohol Experiment is a new take on Dry January.

This programme is designed to support colleagues in reducing their alcohol intake, raise awareness of alcohol’s effects on the body and brain, improve mindfulness around alcohol consumption and explore alternative ways to cope with stress.

The 30-day experiment claims to help participants: • Improve sleep • Become curious about why they drink alcohol • Undertake a pause from normal alcohol habits and embark on Dry January by putting alcohol under the microscope and taking the break in an informed way, looking at the influence of ‘society, substance and self’ on our habits around alcohol • Increase knowledge of alcohol’s impact on the body and brain • Change thoughts, beliefs and behaviours relating to alcohol • Reduce stress and anxiety • Create focus, improve mental clarity and renew motivation • Address habit forming and encourage new hobbies • Improve wellbeing • Increase awareness of the importance of nutrition • Reduce body weight.

All Greater Manchester Police officers, staff members and volunteers are invited to sign up to the experiment, at which point you will become part of the 2024 support group and be given access to a closed Facebook community group page.

Simply search for ‘Bluelight and NHS Live Alcohol Experiment 2024’ on Facebook or contact GMP Sergeant Irene Laycock.

New Health Assured wellbeing app Health Assured’s My Health Advantage wellbeing app will no longer function at the end of January and will be removed from work mobile phones.

It is being replaced by the Wisdom app.

This alternative wellbeing app is already on work devices, so there is no need to download it.

All you need to do is sign into it using the same unique code of ‘MHA189009’ at the initial log in.

Health Assured is GMP’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

Become a Grief First Aider Grief will impact us all at some point, and it can be difficult to access formal support when you need it.

That is why our Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinators have worked with the Cruse Bereavement Support charity to provide the opportunity for GMP’s officers, staff and volunteers to receive specialist bereavement training.

We are the first force and member of the blue light services to have set up Grief First Aid training.

All Grief First Aiders are trained to provide support and offer a safe space to talk to bereaved colleagues with compassion and understanding.

This could assist directly following a bereavement, when returning to work or any other time a colleague is struggling.

Grief does not have a time frame, and this initiative emphasises that no-one is ever alone in how they are feeling.

Anyone interested in receiving Grief First Aid training from Cruse Bereavement Support should email wellbeingvolunteercoordinators@gmp. police.uk for more information.

Campaigns in January • Veganuary • Walk Your Dog Month • National Mentoring Month • Dry January • National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month • Brew Monday and Blue Monday (Monday 15 January) • Big Energy Saving Week (Wednesday 17 to Tuesday 23 January) • Burns Night (Thursday 25 January) • Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (Monday 22 to Sunday 28 January)

Popular new car lease salary sacrifice scheme The new car lease salary sacrifice scheme is proving to be popular.

Around 50 members of the force have placed orders since the scheme was launched in the middle of November

by GMP in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions.

It offers a range of vehicles to suit all needs, ranging from small compact cars to large family SUVs. The benefits of the scheme are you do not have to pay a deposit, the competitive prices and the fact that full maintenance and breakdown and

insurance cover is included in the price.

The scheme also provides troublefree budgeting, easy ordering and high service levels.

Search for the ‘GMP Car Lease Scheme’ article on the intranet for more details, including how to place an order.

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Preparing for emergencies at airport Divisional Commanders and senior officers have taken part in a unique familiarisation session at Manchester Airport.

They were invited to meet airport officers to go through airport practices and procedures.

This is a unique area to police, with over 29,000,000 passengers a year, 35,000 airport staff, two runways, over 70 airlines, eight hotels and 600 public transport trips a day.

Airport officers’ day-to-day issues could be anything from rough sleepers and security breaches to full scale emergencies.

Held on several dates, the training started in the classroom, focusing on the layout of the airport and historic events that have shaped current day policing there.

Attendees were then given an overview of the three main emergency plans, deployments and co-ordinations at the airport: • Suspicious packages and evacuation • Op Sioux, which is a bomb threat on aircraft • Op Scorpio, which is hijacked aircraft.

This was followed by a group discussion on the procedures and how best to manage each situation.

The future of the airport and what the demolition of Terminal 1 will mean to the police station, future threats such as drones and the airport’s own drone detection devices and effectors to interrupt signals were also discussed in the classroom.

The attendees were then given a tour of the main areas of the airport that come into play when an emergency occurs.

Going through the barriers, they went to the hanger where a hijacking would be managed, the rendezvous point for

bomb threats and the air traffic control tower to get a unique view of planes taking off.

As a result of the training, Divisional Commanders and senior officers are now more familiar with the processes and locations for emergencies at the airport.

They are now better equipped to deal with an emergency situation and know what to expect should the worst happen.

Manchester Airport Inspector Neil Humphreys said: “We have enjoyed

hosting the events and hope that they have been informative.

“The objective of the course was to highlight current airport practices and procedures, putting into context work with wider partners in the aviation sector.

“We explained the roles and responsibilities of commanders when deployed to key contingency plans at Manchester Airport and gave them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with their role and locations across the airport.”

Most successful fundraising walk yet Our Armed Forces Network completed its most successful Walking Home for Christmas fundraiser yet in December.

Over 30 officers and staff members participated in the three-mile walk which raised over £2,000 for Walking With The Wounded (WWTW).

The charity helps ex-service personnel who are struggling and in

need of individualised support.

The annual walk from FHQ to the Cenotaph in St Peter’s Square was led by Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes.

Inspector Jim Jones, Tactical Lead for the Armed Forces Covenant, said: “This was our fifth Walking Home for Christmas fundraiser, and I am delighted

to say that we smashed the amount made in any previous year.

“The money raised is used by WWTW to put valuable support in place to help former service personnel start the new year with a brighter outlook.

“A huge thanks to everyone who participated and donated – it really will make a difference.”

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Commended for bringing killers to justice ‘Brilliant’ work in bringing four teenagers to justice for killing a 17-year-old boy in Withington has been acknowledged in the form of a Judge’s Commendation.

The recipient, Serious Crime Division’s Major Investigation Team (MIT) Detective Sergeant Louise Kelly, says that it is a real honour to have been recognised for her work as the OIC for the Kyle Hackland case.

The teenager (pictured below) was stabbed to death in a pre-meditated attack carried out in broad daylight on Tuesday 22 November 2022.

An investigation was launched, and 19-year-olds Yousef Sesay and Lewis Ludford and 17-year-olds Tafari Kosey-Smith and Alfie Benson were arrested and charged after being identified as the offenders.

Thanks to the strength of the evidence that MIT gathered against them, the first three offenders were convicted of murder and Benson was found guilty of manslaughter following a six-week trial.

They were sentenced to a total of 76 years in prison.

Post sentencing, His Honour Judge (HHJ) Alan Conrad commended the police investigation and gave

special recognition to DS Kelly. She was subsequently presented with a Judge’s Commendation ‘in recognition of her professionalism, diligence and commitment’ at the latest Chief Constable’s Long Service, Retirement and Awards Ceremony held at Hough End. MIT Detective Chief Inspector David Moores, who was the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) of the case, said: “DS Louise Kelly thoroughly deserves her Judge’s Commendation.

“After being appointed as the Officer In Charge following the murder of Kyle Hackland, she diligently went about her role of ensuring that we secured the best evidence available.

“A significant amount of material was gathered during the investigation.

She did a brilliant job with this, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that

Kyle’s killers were brought to justice.

“She was also extremely supportive to Kyle’s family, who have expressed their gratitude for the service they have been given and for amount of detail we went into to ensure that the offenders could not wriggle out of the horrific crime they committed.”

DS Kelly (pictured above) said: “It is a real honour to have been presented with a Judge’s Commendation, but this was a huge team effort, both internally and externally.

“Without all the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the investigation – including MIT Syndicates 8 and 6, the Video Evidence Retrieval and Analysis (VERA) Unit, forensic teams, the Digital Investigation Unit (DIU), the Cyber Crime Unit and more – getting justice for Kyle and his family would not have been possible.”

‘Greater Than Violence’ strategy launched The Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit has launched a 10-year strategy for preventing and reducing violence in the areas we police.

Part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Violence Reduction Unit brings together GMP, the National Probation Service, health and education professionals, youth justice and local authorities to address the underlying causes of violent crime and work together with communities to prevent it.

Our Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “The 10-year ‘Greater Than Violence’ strategy marks a significant milestone in our commitment to creating safer communities.

“It builds upon the foundation laid by the VRU, harnessing the unit’s expertise and experience to drive positive change.

“Our mission is clear: to reduce violence in its many forms, from street crime to knife-enabled serious violence and homicide.

“We will do this by addressing root causes and providing holistic support

to individuals and communities, and through the determined pursuit of those intent on harming others.

“Through multi-agency collaboration, we aim to tackle the underlying social determinants of violence, with a robust evidence base, engagement and consultation.

“We will also continue to invest in early intervention programmes and neighbourhood policing to prevent violence before it escalates.”

The new strategy is on the Violence Reduction Unit’s website.