The Tameside Brief - January 2025

TAMESIDE · JANUARY 2025

District information can be found on pages 2, 11 and 12. Force information is pages 3 - 10.

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This month’s focus is response policing and the incredible work done by our response teams.

Often the first port of call for many emergencies across Greater Manchester, response teams are based across the districts to ensure our communities can be supported 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They work tirelessly to maintain public safety and trust; and their commitment and professionalism is crucial in making sure that the public feel secure, knowing help is always just a call away.

The response policing role can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding.

The calls they receive can range from someone being seriously injured, to dealing with someone in distress or a report of a high-risk missing person.

In the past year alone, response teams have tackled hundreds of thousands of urgent incidents, however the work of response officers extends beyond just attending incidents. Often being the first on the scene, they play an important role when it comes to supporting communities who they often meet at a difficult point in their lives – being a victim of an incident, a witness or just needing support at a time of crisis.

Building community relationships and engaging with the public is a key part of being a response officer, with many beginning their careers in response roles due to the challenges and rewards it presents. This frontline experience is invaluable, shaping them into well-rounded professionals equipped to handle any situation.

The focus on next month’s message will be a look at our Major Investigation Teams (MIT) and the way that district officers can support in the first moments of an investigation.

JANUARY 2025

There were a lot of highlights for the Tameside in 2024.

As we embark on the New Year, we have looked back at some of the successes of the last 12 months.

A focus on community initiatives was an integral part throughout 2024 and the year was kicked off as we celebrated money being invested into the community through the delivery of a play shown across schools in Tameside as part of GMP and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council’s joint commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. The project was led by Detective Chief Inspector Anna Barker and gave officers from the child protection investigation unit the opportunity to see the play and support with any disclosures or concerns raised by pupils.

Tameside was also represented in the Great Britain Rugby Police League tour in Australia during February and March with PC Forster, Sergeant Ben Marsden and Sergeant Robert Froggett. Officers also celebrated the graduation of their ‘Little Sisters’ from the Girls Out Loud: Big Sister mentoring programme, after dedicating 12 months mentoring girls from Tameside – Chief Inspector Claire Galt and Sergeant Steph O’Brien helped to mentor girls from Great Academy School in Ashton alongside three officers from Rochdale and other women from around Greater Manchester.

2024 also saw internal celebrations held to award staff and officers with good work minutes, commendations and certificates of achievement all were worthy winners from supporting vulnerable people to assisting officers.

The June edition of District Brief shone

a light on the Tameside Challenger team and all the work they do to identify, disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups (OCGs). From coordinating auctions of property seized by the team, to seizing drugs and weapons, making arrests and safeguarding people subject to exploitation, the team works hard to improve the quality of life for residents and keep the streets safe from organised crime.

Towards the end of August, a substantial cannabis farm was discovered in Hyde. Over 600 mature plants with an estimated street value of close to £700,000 was seized.

November saw a week dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour with operations across the force including in Tameside, which utilised proactive patrols and tackled everything from drug use to problematic street drinking. The operation has seen multiple positive outcomes.

Anti-drink spiking devices and bleed control kits were distributed to Tameside pubs and bars as part of night-time economy visits. This operation was led

by Tameside Council licensing officers working in partnership with police officers from across Tameside, aimed to support licensees in the run up to the busy festive season while also highlighting key safety messages and conducting compliance checks.

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JANUARY 2025

Operation Invigor at GMP GMP’s Commercial Vehicle Unit has been running operations as part of the national Operation Invigor, which aims to crack down on organised immigration crime.

Over a series of dates in November and December 2024, the team patrolled the M62 corridor and Thornham island area, using thermal and telescopic cameras to search voids inside HGV and LVG trailers and detect heat sources which could indicate the presence of clandestine entrants into the United Kingdom..

In December, the team checked more than 60 HGVs

registered to foreign entities; where relevant, drivers were issued fines for vehicle defects and load offences, and one vehicle was seized after it was found to be uninsured. Op Invigor investigations detected two HGVs with holes cut in the roofs leading to voids large enough to conceal people: intelligence on these vehicles has been submitted.

Sgt Neil Dalley commented: “I’m very pleased with the action so far – and I have just had confirmation we can extend the operation until April 2025, committing to two operations per month on the M62 corridor and Manchester Airport.”

Calling all officers – your experience in mental health interactions matters If you’re a police officer with more than one year’s experience, and you often encounter members of the public in severe mental health distress, we want to hear from you!

Police officers are frequently called upon to interact with individuals experiencing mental health crises, often doing so with minimal training in this area. These interviews aim to build a broader understanding of your knowledge, experiences and opinions on these interactions.

Interviews will be conducted through Microsoft Teams at a time that works best for you and should take around an hour, depending on how much you would like to share – rest assured, you won’t be asked to share details about specific incidents.

Your participation will contribute to better training and support for officers in the future. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Carolina at ccampodonico@uclan.ac.uk.

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JANUARY 2025

Right Care, Right Person: three months in Phase 1 of GMP’s Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) initiative, which was introduced on 30 September for all concern for welfare calls, has now been fully implemented across Greater Manchester.

To support this transformational change across the force, several measures have been put in place to embed the approach successfully across the partnership, including: • A strategic and tactical oversight group, chaired by Deputy Mayor Kate Green, to oversee implementation and identify areas of key learning.

• Subject matter experts and floorwalkers providing ongoing support to call handlers as they transition to the new assessment tool.

• Colleagues visiting from the Metropolitan Police and Humberside Police in the first two weeks of RCRP to share their knowledge and support call handlers. Ongoing best practice and learning continues across other force areas.

• Daily partner huddles in the first two weeks to ensure partners had a forum to share key themes, issues and impact on their services.

• Effective escalation processes in place to dispute deployment decisions.

While we are still in the early stages, GMP is already seeing a significant impact on our performance, resulting in an improved service to our residents. The introduction of RCRP has allowed the force to deliver its core policing duties more effectively, freeing up officer time to focus on fighting crime and protecting the most vulnerable individuals in our communities.

In its first quarter in operation, the initiative has seen: • An average reduction of 20% in concern for welfare deployments where callers have been signposted to a more appropriate service.

• A 59% reduction in Grade 1 and Grade 2 queues.

• GMP’s fastest Grade 1 and Grade 2 attendance in two years.

The force has committed to redeploying the resulting efficiency savings to strengthen its neighbourhood policing

model. The additional capacity this offers will result in an increase in visibility, building community trust as well as enabling district teams to better tackle neighbourhood crime and the key priorities set by communities in their neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the force is closely monitoring its other service areas to build a holistic understanding of the impact of RCRP. We have maintained close relationships with our partners and stakeholders throughout the development and rollout of RCRP; to date feedback has been positive, with no significant impact on partner services reported.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has reported a 61% decrease in calls from GMP relating to mental health incidents now that GMP call handlers have a more appropriate pathway to signpost those in crisis. While the NHS non-emergency 111 helpline service has reported an increase in calls from GMP, this was anticipated well in advance and the service has confirmed it has the necessary resources in place to respond to this increase.

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Walking and talking for mental health On Saturday 28 September officers from GMP and the Code 9 support group took part in a men’s mental health ‘walk and talk’ event with officers from the men’s health team at West Mercia Police.

The officers completed an eight-mile walk around the Carding Mill Valley area of Shropshire and talked about how their respective forces dealt with wellbeing. The walk finished at a local café, where a few good ideas were discussed and exchanged over coffee and cake.

In planning the event, the team knew they wanted it to take place outside; as spending time outdoors has been proven to reduce the risk of mental health problems developing. Walking is one activity that people can engage in to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing, and has been proven to boost

self esteem and regulate our emotions.

The event was a great success and GMP is looking to host West Mercia officers with a walk in the Greater Manchester area early in the new year.

Sgt Stu Charlesworth from Code 9 said: “It was great to meet up with like-minded officers from a different force to talk about wellbeing, and about how we can improve the welfare of officers. Everyone really enjoyed the day and despite the rain leading up to the event, the weather cleared on the day of the walk! We’re now planning to make this a regular event and if successful, in the future we’ll be inviting other forces to join us.”

If you’re interested in taking part in the next walk or would like further details, contact Stuart on 09351@gmp.police.uk or Tom Hall at 17202@gmp.police.uk.

Stem cell registration drive at FHQ On Wednesday 20 November GMP force headquarters welcomed two amazing charities: representatives from DKMS, the UK’s largest stem cell donor register, were present for a donor registration drive to encourage people to join the lifesaving register; while The Christie, one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, promoted its fundraising endeavours and vital research into new techniques and treatments for cancer.

The charities were invited following DS Jay O’Connell’s story about his father Chris O’Connell’s experience as a recipient of a stem cell transplant and the extra years it gave him.

Chris, who was a constable with Lancashire Police, sadly passed away in August 2024 after battling lymphoma cancer for many years. Chris received support from both DKMS and The Christie over the course of his illness and was determined to give back by fundraising and raising awareness of the important work they do; Jay is now continuing that legacy.

A big thank you to DS Jay O’Connell and DS Dan Woods for organising this fantastic event, which resulted in 50 GMP employees registering on the stem cell donor register and

raising £394 for The Christie.

The DKMS Donor Registration Drive is off to Nexus House next. If anyone else in GMP would like to host DKMS for a donor registration event, please get in touch via ctpnw. communications@gmp.police.uk.

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JANUARY 2025

GMP Male Voice Choir GMP Male Voice Choir (GMPMVC) was founded in June 1974 with little more than a dozen members. For the first two decades or so of its existence, the choir consisted solely of serving police officers, but as the years passed it began to open its ranks to members of the public who had been appropriately vetted.

At its largest, the choir had more than 40 active members; even now it still musters up to fifteen singers for concerts locally and elsewhere in the UK, as well as overseas. It still retains one original founding member, while a few others have clocked up over 40 years of service – but new members are always welcome!

The choir has made several recordings, beginning in 1979, including an LP with British folk pop duo Brian and Michael – best known for their hit single ‘Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry’s Song)’ – and another for the NSPCC titled ‘Coppers for Kids’. They were also delighted to accept an invitation from the late Queen Elizabeth II to sing on a CD in aid of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen (RNMDSF), of which she was the patron, and now claim to sing ‘by royal appointment’.

Continued success in concerts has led to appearances on BBC and Granada Television as well as local radio, while our choristers’ handsome faces have also been seen on TV screens in Sweden and Finland. They have performed alongside artists including Frank Carson, Roy Walker, the Houghton Weavers, the Band of the Royal Marines, the United States Army Band, the White Russian Army Band (formerly the Red Army Ensemble) and the Bolshoi Arts Company.

The choir has been honoured to take part in many prestigious occasions, such as the triennial concerts for Cancer Research UK at London’s Royal Albert Hall from 2006 through to 2018, when the concerts came to an end. In that final year, GMPMVC was joined by its friends from Gothenburg Police Male Voice Choir and Cantorums Manskor in Sweden for a concert that members still talk about with pride today. They also appeared at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls in 2012 to celebrate the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. All of these concerts were recorded live and are available on DVD. The choir celebrated its 45th anniversary with a cruise to the Norwegian fjords and performed two concerts to packed

houses while on board. It has given concerts in Sweden, Finland and Germany, always singing at least one item in the native language; reciprocal visits have been made by police choirs from each of these countries.

Its repertoire is very varied, covering from Handel to the Beatles with a great deal of variety in between. There is something for everyone, whatever their age or taste in music, and the concerts always include some comedy and ad lib humour which helps the choristers to make friends from all walks of life wherever they go.

If you’re interested in joining the choir, want to know more or would like to book the choir for a concert, you can find GMPMVC on Facebook, visit its website at www.gmpmvc.com or email the secretary at fpgmpmvc@gmail.com.

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A day in the life: DS Natalie Danger, GMP band saxophonist Attendees at GMP’s annual carol concert were treated to performances by GMP’s house band of numbers including Merry Christmas Everyone, A Christmas Scrapbook, and Without Fear or Favour: a piece composed specially for the 50th anniversary of the force.

Ahead of the event we spoke with DS Natalie Danger, who plays saxophone with the band, about her experiences.

How long have you been with GMP, and what is your role?

I’m a detective sergeant in the CID at Central Park. I joined GMP in 2019 through a Detective Direct Entry Scheme.

How long have you been a member of the GMP band?

I joined the band in 2020, shortly after landing on division.

What inspired you to start playing your instrument, and how long have you been playing it?

I started playing the piano at around five, but I wanted to be able to play in a band. When I was 13 I began learning on to play with the county wind band while I was still in school.

At university I played in musical theatre bands – we performed hits from musicals such as 42nd Street and Legally Blonde.

Do you have a favourite Christmas song to perform? Why does this song hold special meaning for you?

My favourite Christmas songs to perform are Sleigh Ride and

Carol of the Bells. We tend to play these songs at the end of a concert, because they provide an uplifting ending and everyone goes out humming the tune.

What has been the most memorable experience you’ve had performing in a band?

The most memorable experiences are definitely the GMP Christmas Concert in Manchester Cathedral. The band start rehearsing for the concert in August, which is very early for most people to start listening to Christmas music! All the members in the band put a lot of effort into it and the audience love the occasion.

How do you feel performing in the GMP concert adds to the spirit of the season?

It’s a great opportunity to bring officers together with their families and to be given recognition for all their hard work over the year.

If you could perform a duet or collaborate with any musician (past or present) for a Christmas song, who would it be and why?

If I had to collaborate with just one person, which is a difficult choice, it would have to be [UK singer-singwriter] Raye. She has a powerful message, her voice is amazing and she would definitely bring some jazz to the Christmas spirit!

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JANUARY 2025

HMIC praise for child protection at GMP Greater Manchester Police has received positive recognition in a recent independent inspection of its child protection arrangements, marking significant progress in how we safeguard vulnerable young people across our region.

The National Child Protection Inspection was conducted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) between July and August 2024. The resulting report, published in December 2024, rated GMP as ‘good’ or ‘adequate’ across all areas reviewed, in a testament to our ongoing commitment to putting victims at the heart of everything we do.

The inspection highlighted two areas where GMP is performing particularly well: our leadership of child protection arrangements and our work with safeguarding partners. Three other areas – responding to children at risk, assessing risk and making appropriate referrals, and investigating reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation – were rated as adequate.

The report noted the GMP’s strong oversight and understanding of performance, alongside our productive work with statutory safeguarding partners. It specifically praised our innovative approaches to protecting vulnerable children, including Operation Luka – which targets areas where children at risk of exploitation are known to gather – and our prevention work through Operation Addition, which has successfully reduced missing children reports by over 1,500 cases in a year.

The inspection recognised that today’s GMP has child protection as a clear priority, supported by a well-trained, talented and dedicated workforce specialising in this crucial area. Our complex safeguarding teams were highlighted for their effective daily information sharing and prompt action to protect children, while our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) arrangements were praised for facilitating quick and appropriate information sharing with partners.

Alongside the main report, HMICFRS also released interim findings from its inspection of Greater Manchester’s complex safeguarding peer review process, which sees GMP work alongside strategic safeguarding partners to reduce criminal and sexual exploitation of children. This review found six areas rated as ‘good’ and six as ‘adequate’, further underlining our progress.

Det Supt Alex Bacon, GMP’s force lead for child protection and missing, said: “I had to hit the ground running on arriving at GMP, as the team had only received notice of the inspection the week before. I’ve worked in child protection for the majority of my career, so this area of policing is a real passion of mine.

“The HMICFRS review has given us a really strong foundation to build upon as we continue to strive towards improving our approach to child protection. I am looking forward to the challenge of addressing the areas for improvement and we already have plans in development. We cannot stand still in matters of child protection – we will always need to keep working to enhance our services, and we must continue to demonstrate that we are a force that places child protection at the top of our priorities.

“The support from GMP’s districts and branches has been incredible, and we could not have demonstrated our effectiveness to our child protection response without this collaborative effort.”

This report represents another milestone in GMP’s improvement journey, demonstrating how renewed leadership

and dedication from our workforce is delivering better outcomes for the communities we serve. Most importantly, it shows that victims, survivors, and vulnerable people can have increasing confidence in our service when they need us most.

The full report is available on the HMICFRS website and will help inform our ongoing work to protect children and young people across Greater Manchester.

Operation Luka Op Luka, the city centre’s overarching response to tackling child exploitation, is a concerted multi-agency effort which sees police, the local authority, children and adult social services, early help practitioners, NHS staff and other key partners co-locate to bring their experience and expertise together to safeguard young people, disrupt exploitation and investigate criminality. In 2024, Op Luka enabled safeguarding referrals for 173 children in Manchester city centre and arrests of 29 alleged perpetrators; nine suspects have been charged and are now awaiting trial.

GMP has also been making use of innovative civil orders such as sexual risk orders, slavery and trafficking risk orders and child abduction warning notices, which impose strict conditions on offenders to allow us to effectively manage their movements to minimise future offending.

This programme also includes Operation Makesafe, whereby our neighbourhood officers also deliver bespoke training packages to hoteliers aimed at supporting business owners and employees to identify potential victims of child exploitation and, where necessary, how to alert police officers so they can intervene before any young person comes to harm.

Officers will also regularly conduct test purchases at hotels to check if staff can spot the signs of child sexual exploitation and take action to safeguard young people; if they fail, further training sessions are offered. In recent months, we’ve seen a real success with this operation, with increased support from hoteliers who are challenging inappropriate behaviour and reporting concerns to police.

GMP has been recognised nationally as one of the forces leading the way with Operation Makesafe. Officers have extended this training in the city centre, and it is now available for taxi drivers, bus drivers and ticket inspectors – all people who will often come into contact with young people who are at risk, and who are best placed to identify predatory behaviour and report it to police. City of Manchester district commander Ch Supt David Meeney said: “In recent years, we’ve taken strides in our journey to improve our response to child sexual exploitation, and we welcome this acknowledgement in the recent HMICFRS report.

“Our journey so far has seen us put a real focus on effective partnership work, and Operation Luka is the embodiment of this coming together. By co-locating key individuals within our Complex Safeguarding Hub, we are able to maximise our joint capabilities and bring together a variety of subject matter experts to yield positive results. This partnership work also means we’re able to increase our chances of identifying children who may be at risk of exploitation – either sexually or criminally, at the earliest possible opportunity.

“We endeavour to reach as many people in our communities as possible. By delivering bespoke inputs, we aim to help them identify the different ways exploitation can present itself in children by increasing their awareness and empowering them to report concerns to us so that we can act.”

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Axon Photobook Axon’s new Photobook function is now available at www. evidence.com.

Photobook aims to improve the management of evidence by streamlining the sharing capability for photographic evidence in cases. It enables users to collate up to 100 photographic images into a single PDF document and share it as part of a case.

Users can select relevant images for inclusion in the document and choose the order in which they are presented.

The PDF document is then exhibited by the officer creating it and can easily be shared with the CPS. In order to ensure the process of creating a Photobook is as simple as possible, users should: • Store all evidential digital images on evidence.com • Use the crime number as the request ID when sending community requests • Use the crime number as the ID for all digital evidence on evidence.com • Enter the exhibit reference number as the title • Ensure the description field is updated with a description of what the photograph is

Support on using Photobook can be obtained from your local criminal justice hub. A how-to video guide, a comprehensive training guide and a training document have been produced to support the use of Axon Photobook, and can be accessed on the intranet via Operational support > Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) > Axon Photobook.

The release of Axon Photobook is being coordinated by the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) project within the Digital Policing Programme (DPP), in co-ordination with the Criminal Justice and Custody branch. If you have any technical questions about Axon Photobook or DEMS, please contact the Digital Policing Programme at DPPCommunications@gmp. police.uk.

Domestic abuse protection orders In December, in recognition of GMP securing its first domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs), the Minister for Safeguarding Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips MP wrote to Det Supt Toby Facey and DS Steven Gardner thanking them and the force as a whole for their hard work getting the pilot up and running, and acknowledging the successful breach of order investigation that led to a custodial sentence.

Ms Phillips said: “I would like to thank you for the significant work your force has undertaken over the past few years to prepare for the launch of this new order. I understand that since launch on 27 November, you have obtained five DAPOs and that you have two DAPO applications in train. This is brilliant news, and I would encourage you to keep up the good work and continue to consider applying for a DAPN/DAPO in every domestic abuse case.”

She added: “I also understand that this DAPO was used to protect a victim of controlling and coercive behaviour, which reinforces to me how important this new tool is, as the victim would not have been able to be protected under the old regime of domestic violence

protection orders (DVPOs). This case is the perfect example of showcasing how the effective use of DAPOs can be a vital tool for policing and I commend every person who worked on this case for acting so quickly to protect this victim.”

Since the launch of the pilot in Bury at the end of November 2024, the district has already begun to see great results, with three of the eight live orders breached resulting in: • One eight-month prison sentence for breach of order • One 12-week prison sentence for not signing on in line with the order and possession of drugs which were found on arrest • One £80 fine for failure to sign on Following the handing down of the eight-month prison sentence on Monday 6 January, DS Keith Galley commented: “The order was granted on acquittal at court where the offender was on trial for domestic abuse. This trial was discontinued due to the victim not supporting prosecution, but despite this we were able to apply for a DAPO to safeguard the victim.

“This order was served to the offender with instruction to attend a police station

to report their name and address within three days. The offender failed to do this and breached the order by attending the victim’s address on Christmas Day. “On 26 December 2024, Bury front desk notified the team that the offender had not appeared in the timeframe given and the victim also called in to report that the offender had been at her address since Christmas Day. He was arrested on Saturday 4 January 2025 by Bury DAT. The offender was interviewed

by E Relief response and admitted the breaches.

“This is a fantastic result and shows the force and victims just how effective a DAPO can be in safeguarding those who are subject to such abuse, even when they don’t want to support a criminal prosecution.”

The pilot has now been extended to Wigan, where it went live on 6 January.

The district applied for its first two Domestic Abuse Protection Notices (DAPNs) on the same day and both were granted for six months, protecting the respective victims from further abuse. The pilot is scheduled to go live in the City of Manchester (CoM) district on Monday 17 February 2025, with the rest of the force following in due course.

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New visual impairment protocol launched Approximately 16,450 people across Greater Manchester are registered as having visual impairment, including blindness and partial sight loss.

In 2024, to support our continued investment in supporting our local communities, GMP’s Disability Support Network lead Sgt Kerry Smith introduced the protocol to the force at an event at GMP force headquarters on Monday 16 December, the final day of Disability History Month in the UK, inviting local stakeholders and members of the community to understand the protocol and hear from force leaders on what the implementation means.

Use of the protocol is determined by the service user; however, it adds a layer of security and assurance when visual identification of a police officer by their uniform or warrant card is not possible due to being blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.

The protocol can be used by anyone with a visual impairment to any degree, as well anyone who cares for or supports someone who is visually impaired.

The service user is safeguarded by allowing them to verify the identity of a police officer that has called at their address, before letting them into the premises. This verification is facilitated by the Force Contact Centre, either over the phone or by the attending officer using an agreed password.

There are two scenarios when the protocol can be used: the first is when the service user calls the police and they need to verify the identity of the officer that subsequently attends their address; while the second is when the service user needs to verify the identity of a police officer who has called at their address but did not initiate the visit. In the second scenario, the visit is either planned, such as a pre-arranged appointment, or it is unplanned, and they were not expecting the police to call at the address.

The force consulted with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), FCCO and GMP’s Disability Support Network chair and DEI team during the development of the protocol.

Further information will be shared with key partners and will be advertised on the RNIB website, which is linked to other support sites designed for those who are blind, partially sighted, or visually impaired.

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150 cannabis plants seized during warrant in Audenshaw Five rooms full of cannabis plants at various stages of their growth cycle were discovered during a property search in Audenshaw on 15 January 2025.

Acting on intelligence gathered, officers from the Tameside Neighbourhood Team executed the warrant on Manchester Road early this morning, with a subsequent search recovering the items.

In all, approximately 150 plans were recovered from the scene,

along with numerous paraphernalia, growing equipment, and more.

The work comes as part of the team’s wider work in combating drug supply across the district.

Sergeant Stuart Charlesworth, from GMP’s Tameside district, said: “We are committed to combating drugs supply in all its form across our district and I am happy with the positive result from this warrant, which saw more than 150 plants seized.

“Our officers worked tirelessly to gather intelligence and execute this warrant. Drugs and the supply of them is a very serious matter and one which we dedicate numerous resources to tackling.

“Much of our intelligence comes from within communities themselves and I would continue to ask we ensure that if communities have any concerns about suspicious behaviour to get in touch with their local neighbourhood team.”

Growing Bee in the Loop across Tameside Bee in the Loop launched in March 2023, and our subscription numbers have grown substantially since then thanks to the messages that have already been sent out by our workforce.

So far, across Greater Manchester 31,185 members have signed up to receive targeted messaging about the issues that matter the most to them in their communities, which are sent directly to them via email.

As of the beginning of January, Tameside had 3,095 subscribers across the district, and these can be broken down to: Tameside North: 1,571 Tameside South: 1,524 Over the past three months, across Tameside there’s been a steady stream of communities signing up to the platform with 101 new users in October, 133 in November and 140 in December.

Data graphs showcasing numbers of Bee in the Loop subscribers spread across Greater Manchester as well as visual maps for Tameside showcasing subscribers can be requested via Jess Allen-Millbank.

Keep up the great work and we look forward to seeing further members and interactions with the communities in the coming months.

If you have any questions regarding access to Bee in the Loop, please get in touch with

Rashed.siddiquee@gmp.police.uk For support with content or requests for posters for communities, please get in touch with Jessica.Allen-Millbank@gmp. police.uk.

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Tackling criminality across Tameside Across Tameside, neighbourhood officers have been working tirelessly in a bid to stop different types of criminality from blighting the community.

Towards the end of January, neighbourhood officers from Hyde executed a warrant on a property in Newton with a large quantity of cash and suspected Class A & B drugs being seized and arrests being made.

Enquiries are ongoing to continue to tackle this issue.

Tameside officers have also been working alongside Tameside Council to ensure a shop linked to criminal activity remains closed.

The shop in Droylsden which had been selling illegal vapes and tobacco has had its closure order was extended until 18 April 2025.

Amsterdam Off Licence, on Market Street, was shut in October following a string of offences.

The shop, which had been subject of two licence reviews, had been found to be consistently non-compliant in relation to various licensing, waste management, trading standards and other criminality.

After the order was extended at Tameside Magistrates Court on Friday 17 January, Tameside Council’s executive member for environmental

services and neighbourhoods, Councillor Laura Boyle, said: “I’m pleased that our application to extend the closure order was successful so that we can prevent these offences, which include selling illicit tobacco and illegal vapes, from returning.

“We are determined to do everything we can to protect our residents and prevent harm to the community.”

Thanks to PC Priestley for his ‘respectful attitude’ PC Conor Priestley received thanks from a family for his excellent manner when he was called to an incident involving their teenage son.

The family said: “Small gestures mean a lot and can make an upsetting and uncomfortable situation a little easier to handle and you did that for our son.

“He expressed to us how kind you were to him throughout this experience. Although you had a job to do, you did it with a respectful attitude and a genuine heart.

“Our family is grateful for your kind words throughout this experience.

We appreciate the way you handled our son and how you went above and

beyond to speak about the character you saw in him.

“The character you observed in our son is his true character. Thank you for taking the time out to make sure that was read in court.

“Ashton police needs more officers like you!”