Oldham edition of The Brief – November 2023

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

OLDHAM · NOVEMBER 2023

OLDHAM’S MILLION POUND RAID

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NOVEMBER 2023

£1 million cannabis farm discovered in Derker

September and October continued to see us bed in the significant changes to the district operations model. With the introduction of the new Force Crime Management Unit and DIT teams, we know there has been the odd teething problem but both are undoubtedly improving the policing model across the force.

The district is making some minor changes to the Command Hub, placing more resources in there to assist with managing the demand before it gets to the ‘front-line’. We’ll be updating the teams face-to-face as we need the feedback so it can be tweaked if needed.

Demand has been high this month, but everyone has continued to respond and deal with the many critical incidents we have had. This is testimony to the hard work of everyone.

In terms of reward and recognition, a huge congratulations to the finalists in the Chief Constable’s Awards; Lucy Slater, Oldham Prevention Hub and Ann Kiba. Although they did not win on the night - a fantastic achievement for Oldham. We will continue to reward district staff internally, so please keep the nominations coming.

Unbelievably, Christmas is coming!

For us, that means time with families and friends but also darker nights and the seasonal rise in burglary, shoplifting and theft of motor vehicles.

To keep our communities safe, we will continue to target those offenders causing misery to our local area and use our full range of policing powers including stop and search to deter and arrest those people.

Thank you once again for your dedication, hard work and professionalism in everything you do for the communities we serve and for your colleagues.

Chief Superintendent Phil Hutchinson

A warrant in Derker uncovered a cannabis farm believed to be worth more than £1million after officers discovered hundreds of plants on 18 October 2023.

Following the raid on Collet Street, two men were arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.

Chief Superintendent Phil Hutchinson said: “Our work in the past month alone is testament to how well our officers are doing at rooting out this issue.

“Thanks to the community we were able to conduct this warrant today, which led to a huge discovery.”

The team also conducted a second warrant on Thursday 19 October at an address on Quail Street in Oldham. One male was detained inside the house on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis.

The approximate value of the second seizure was £100,000.

These warrants come as a welcome result for Oldham, as the team have seized over £4 million worth of cannabis over a four week period within the Oldham district.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Lucy Leicester said: “We will continue to act on intelligence, and the information the public share with us is vital in our teams taking actions such as this.”

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NOVEMBER 2023

‘On track to be UK’s best force within two years’ After reflecting on the standard of the work of this year’s Annual Awards winners and other shortlisted candidates, Chief Constable Stephen Watson confidently stated that we will be the best performing police force in the country within two years.

He found it harder than ever to choose the winners this year, due to the sky high standard of the nominations across the 18 categories, and used the glittering awards ceremony held at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium to commend the work being done across GMP to continue the force’s rapid resurgence.

The Chief said: “Our Annual Awards offer the chance to pause for a moment to reflect on what it is that you are collectively and individually achieving in the interests of the public whom we serve.

“I send a huge heartfelt thanks to you all, because what GMP is achieving right now is special.

“We have gone from special measures and being 43rd out of 43 forces to smashing every reasonable measure of efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy.

“GMP was the most improved force in the country last year, and I confidently

predict that we will be so for the second consecutive year.

“We are on a mission to be the best police force in this country for the next 30 years – and we will achieve it.

“In two years’ time we will be ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ at all things and we will be the best performing force in the country, because of you.

“It’s all down to your performance, your leadership and what it is you’re asking of yourselves and your colleagues.

“It’s about professionalism, it’s about diligence, it’s about standards, it’s about compassion and it’s about being relentless in harrying criminals and looking after good people and preventing bad things from happening to them.

“It’s about picking up the phone, making accurate records, investigating lines of enquiry, arresting bad people, looking after vulnerable victims, making sure that we keep folks informed and operating proactively to prevent crimes and anti-social behaviour from happening in the first place.

“I could not feel more privileged and honoured to be entrusted with the leadership of this force, and I thank

you all for everything that you have done and continue to do.”

The Chief has labelled October’s event ‘a glorious occasion’ for GMP and congratulated all the officers, staff members, volunteers, apprentices and Cadets who won awards on the big night.

He has pointed out that the 18 award categories highlight the fact that GMP is a ‘full spectrum organisation’, rewarding everything from ‘very localised interventions through to highly specialist interventions that use fearsome forms of technology to tackle criminals who cause the most harm, and everything in between’.

Never one to rest of his laurels, the Chief has also pointed out that there is still much work to be done to realise his strategic vision for GMP. “We know we can do more and we know we can do better – we have to move from quantity to quality, from behaviours to culture,” the Chief said.

“But we have started to nail the basics in a way that is not only making a big difference to our public but is making GMP start to be seen as an exemplar for the rest of the country.”

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NOVEMBER 2023

Congratulations to all our Chief Constable’s Annual Awards winners Rochdale CID’s Operation Cardington team were the big winners at the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards.

After scooping the Criminal Investigation of the Year category title, the team were crowned the Overall Award winners at a glittering ceremony held at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson hailed the team on the big night for their outstanding work in establishing the extent of serial domestic abuser and rapist Andrew Ellison’s offending and bringing him to justice for his appalling crimes.

The team subsequently labelled the double award win ‘the icing on the cake’ to a standout investigation that culminated in a 28-year prison sentence for Ellison and some much needed closure for his five victims.

See the ‘Double delight for Op Cardington team’ article on the intranet for the full details.

Although the team are undoubtedly worthy winners, the Chief admits that he found picking the winners of this year’s awards incredibly hard due to the extremely high standard of the nominated candidates.

Addressing the candidates on the night, he said: “It was a very hard job because we were inundated with a great volume of fantastic nominations this year, but it was a brilliant job as it was enlightening and left you feeling motivated.

“There were times when it felt almost impossible to distinguish between excellent police work and the excellent work of those who support the frontline most excellently.

“You are all worthy of being here. You all are reflective of a resurgent GMP, and you all represent the very best of GMP and the very best of policing nationally.”

The standard was so high for the Unsung Hero Award that the Chief could not decide on a sole winner for it, so he chose to have two winners instead.

He also created a new Proactive Investigation of the Year award due to the amount of standout nominees in the Criminal Investigation of the Year category.

A full list of the award categories and the winners is below, with corresponding photographs to the right: 1.

Overall Award and Criminal Investigation of the Year: Rochdale CID’s Operation Cardington team – Detective Sergeants Ruth Thompson, Tim O’Callagan and Rick Shelton, Detective Constables Marshall Trower, Russ Clarke, Mel Jeffery, Rachael Stafford, Georgina Jones and Hannah Havard and Intelligence Support Officer Kelly Parkinson.

2. Apprentice of the Year: Safer Transport Team Business Administration Apprentice Dominika Majdziak.

3. Bravery Award: Trafford Neighbourhood Policing Team officers – Sergeants Marc Foster and Tim Ansell and Police Constable Marcus Wolstencroft.

4. Cadet Leader of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Leader Garry Joynes.

5. Cadet of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Head Cadet Toby Parker.

6. Innovation: Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch (FCCO) Marple implementation team – Crime Recording and Resolution Unit (CRRU) Business Lead Rebecca Greaney, CRRU Manager Kristopher Langdown, Digital Policing Programme (DPP) Sergeant Adam Frank, DPP Police Constables Mark Jones, Dominic Ginty and Mark Harrison and Change Project Manager David Millington.

7. Operation of the Year: Operation Wolverine – Sergeant Mike Lawrenson and Police Constables Myles Edwards, Joanne Ferguson, Martin Reynolds, Mark Bateson, Ryan Davies and Wayne Redfearn, PCSOs Maria Hughes and Claire Broome and Administration Assistants Gary Bolton and Hazel Smith.

8. PCSO of the Year: Wigan PCSO Michelle Ashurst.

9. Police Officer of the Year: Stockport Response Police Constable Tracy Hallworth.

10. Problem Solving: Operation Vulcan – Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, Detective Chief Inspector Jenny Kelly, Detective Inspector Christian Julien, Inspector Andy Torkington, Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, Sergeant Dan Cullum, Detective Constables Rob Smith and Peter Williams, Temporary DCs Vanessa Gilbert, Rachel Gill and Matthew Bowling, Investigative Support Officers Nick Price, Neil Ingram and Libbi Anderson, Police Constables Antony Rushton, Jamieleigh Clark, Simon Pymm, Saad Khan, Matthew Kech, John Galloway, Jennifer Burd, Lewis Boucher, Adam Challenor and Nick White, Major Incident Analyst Cain Ashton and Media Officers Fleur Armitage and Abigail Richardson.

11. Staff Member of the Year: Procedural Standards Forensic Specialist Hannah Marney.

12. Special Officer of the Year: Bury Special Constable Adam Duffy.

13. Student Officer of the Year: Bury Detective Constable Morgan Skeels-Caldwell.

14. Team of the Year: Bolton Neighbourhood Priority Crime Team (NPCT) – Detective Inspector Jon Waywell, Detective Sergeant Carla Deighton, Detective Constable Simon Swann, Sergeant Sarah Dixon and Police Constables Kiernan Bishop-Phillips, Matt Cookson, Joel Dalton, Jack Shaw, Emma Critchley, Georgia Ashcroft, Hannah Kirk and Sam Burgess.

15. Unsung Hero Award: Nexus House Catering Assistant Sophia McCurrie and Design Studio Manager Jay Ashworth (Sharon Kaberry picked up Jay’s award on his behalf).

16. Voluntary Police Cadet Unit of the Year: Bury Volunteer Police Cadet Unit Volunteer Cadet Co-ordinators Inspector Ryan Page and PCs Tim Heap and Claire Wright and Volunteer Cadet Leaders PC Luke Woodcock, Special Constable Steve Bolton, Dr Rebecca Page and now retired Comms Operator Allister Taylor.

17. Volunteer of the Year: Bury Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Dorothy Stoddard.

18. Proactive Investigation of the Year: Operation Somerled – Serious Organised Crime Group’s Syndicate 3’s Detective Inspectors Anthony Norman and Claire Rawcliffe, Detective Sergeants Colin Shackleton, Ryan Grumbridge, Phil Kennedy, Mark Atkinson and Mark Dunnington, Detective Constables Anthony Scott, Lee Siddall, Bryn Reeves and Dominic Greenwood, retired DC Glynn Mason, Intelligence Support Officer Roger Galt and Intelligence Analyst Donna Thomas.

Check out the dedicated ‘Chief Constable’s Annual Awards 2023’ section of the intranet for more photos and information about the awards.

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A range of dignitaries – including the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Diane Hawkins, the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Mary-Liz Walker, the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green and GMFRS’ Deputy Chief Fire Officer Ben Norman – assisted the Chief in handing out the awards. The winners are photographed picking up their awards on the night. The photograph of the Op Somerled team has been excluded due to them being a covert team.

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NOVEMBER 2023

Mission accomp for Operation Pr

Conservative Party Conference policing operation

The policing operation for the Conservative Party Conference was once again a success this year.

The major event for Manchester saw thousands of visitors and delegates welcomed to the city.

It took our officers over 12 months to prepare for Operation Protector.

The four-day conference held in October was a multi-agency security operation that successfully showcased Manchester as a vibrant, friendly city that can host large-scale events peacefully and with professionalism.

More than 10,000 people safely visited the city, to the benefit of local businesses and the local economy.

On the opening day of the conference, around 3,000 protestors marched through the city and attended a rally which went ahead without incident.

Unrelated to the event, a number of proactive arrests were made in the city, demonstrating that it was business as usual for many officers on the ground.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes, Gold Commander for the event, said: “Security operations of this scale are always complex and require a high degree of multi-agency work.

“With our partners, we worked tirelessly to protect delegates, enable protests and keep our city safe, and I am proud to hear such positive feedback about our staff, who performed their duties to the highest of standards.”

The success of the conference has further boosted Manchester’s reputation as an iconic city for major events.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “I know many thousands of you have been involved in executing what was again an immense policing operation, whether that be through planning the event, policing it, assisting visitors, catering and all those on divisions who carried and took up the slack of those deployed at the conference.

“This operation is something which really strains every sinew of GMP. “These conferences are really important for our city region and Greater Manchester Police, as they give us an opportunity to showcase what it is that makes GMP such a great organisation.

“My thanks go to all of you for your professionalism, your diligence and your cheerfulness.

“You did a fantastic job and I am very proud of you.”

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plished rotector

n an overwhelming success

NOVEMBER 2023

Behind the scenes of operational preparation Manchester has up to 119 million visitors a year, and policing large-scale events is a common occurrence for GMP. Ensuring the safety and security of participants and spectators is a monumental task for these events.

The force undertakes a meticulous and comprehensive set of preparations to ensure that these events go off without a hitch.

The latest Operation Protector showed that extensive planning is key to a successful operation.

Protective Security Operations Chief Inspector Roger Worrell, the Lead Planning Co-ordinator for Op Protector, said: “I work on Op Protector for 12 months, and the planning and logistics team are brought together six months prior to the Conservative Party Conference. This team comprises 15 officers and a police staff member, who are seconded from their ‘day jobs’ to work solely on Op Protector.

“Their work focuses on ensuring the appropriate resources are rostered for duty across the operation and that they are provided with the right vehicles, accommodation and accreditation for their roles.”

Ensuring that each element of the security operation is in place is key, and the team focus on mitigation measures for various threats, such as deploying National Barrier fencing to prevent a vehicle attack, using detection equipment to stop a drone in mid-air and implementing large-scale searches in conjunction with the military to identify and find any improvised explosive devices.

The four-day conference itself saw: • An average of 1,650 officers deployed on Op Protector duties per day • A total of 235 police vehicles used • More than 16,000 hot meals served by GMP Catering on and off site for Op Protector.

The operation involves multiple partners, such as the military, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and fire and ambulance services. They are all involved from the beginning of the planning stage.

CI Worrell added: “I’ve helped plan three Op Protectors – in 2019, 2021 and 2023 – and I’ve already started to work on the 2025 conference.

“There were no major incidents at this year’s conference, which is a mark of success – the team did an excellent job and all the hard work and planning paid off.

“Working on Op Protector gives me real job satisfaction, and when it’s over and everything has gone well… I can breathe a sigh of relief!”

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NOVEMBER 2023

Celebrating Black History Month at FHQ October saw the annual celebration of Black History Month, which honours and commemorates the significant contributions made by Black individuals throughout history.

GMP’s Black and Asian Police Association (BAPA) marked Black History Month with a celebratory event held at FHQ on Friday 19 October.

The event boasted a host of speakers, West African and West Indian food and engaging conversations.

Kicking off at 10am, poet Deanna read out a couple of beautiful and elegant poems that focused on the struggles of the Windrush and celebrated ‘sisters’ of BHM. Guest speaker and historian Linford Sweeney – an Africancentred history educator, family history researcher, coach and author – then shared his insights into the rich history and contributions of the Black community.

Linford, from Manchester, provided an educated display with a humorous twist, giving the audience a deeper insight into how far back Black people have been influencing the UK. After enjoying tasty West African and West Indian treats such as patties and coco bread, the attendees watched a short play performed by actor and director Marcus Hercules.

Incorporating a variety of dance and drama, the play revolved around the Windrush, particularly the loss of family and the struggles of the streets.

Marcus amazed the audience with his energetic style in delivering an outstanding performance with a thought-provoking message.

BAPA’s Deputy Chair Julian Addison said: “BAPA would like to thank the esteem guests for giving their time to attend FHQ and sharing their wealth of knowledge and talent.

“BHM really hits home and makes you think of the struggles people went through, and highlights that everyone is equal.

“This national celebration will continue to promote understanding of Black heritage and culture.”

Black History Month has its roots in the United States. It was initiated in 1926 by Dr Carter G Woodson.

Since then, it has evolved into an international celebration that allows us to reflect on the struggles, achievements and experiences of Black people worldwide.

BHM has been celebrated in the UK since 1987, providing an opportunity to acknowledge the rich tapestry of Black heritage and culture that enriches our society.

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NOVEMBER 2023

GMP the king of problem solving Greater Manchester Police is officially the best force in the UK when it comes to problem solving.

Not only was GMP the only force to be crowned the winner of more than one of this year’s five Tilley Awards, Operation Vulcan was unveiled as the overall 2023 Tilley Award winner at the National Problem Solving Conference hosted by South Yorkshire Police in October.

Since it was launched in November 2022 to tackle organised crime gangs embedded in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways, Op Vulcan has led to more than 220 arrests being made, over 200 counterfeit shops being closed down and more than 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items – with an estimated street value of over £140 million – being seized.

Chief Superintendent Emma Taylor, Head of the Prevention Branch and the Strategic Lead for Problem Solving, said: “Problem solving is crucial to modern policing, and the results of this year’s Tilley Awards proves that nobody is doing it better than GMP, which is something we should be hugely proud of.

“The national awards were set up in 1999 by the Home Office to acknowledge and celebrate the best examples of problem solving in UK policing, with five winners and an overall winner announced every year.

“Huge congratulations to the Op Vulcan team for deservedly being crowned this year’s overall Tilley Awards winner. The amazing work of the team has scuppered the vast amount of organised criminality in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways and led to those areas being completely transformed.

“Congratulations also go to our other 2023 Tilley Award winner, a successful initiative that was launched in 2021 to reduce knife crime and robbery incidents at a housing estate in Bolton through changing the layout of the environment.

The tactics – including a partnership approach to successfully applying for a public safety protection order and making environmental changes such as improving lighting, providing new fencing and alley gates – led to a 72 per cent reduction in robberies in the area.

“I would also like to say well done to Operation Overspill for being our other problem solving initiative in the top 10 shortlist for this year’s Tilley Awards – no other force had more than one initiative in the top 10.

“Op Overspill has seen hundreds of people arrested and a significant reduction in robbery incidents since it was launched in May 2022 in partnership with Bolton Council to keep people safe in the town centre at night following an increase in reports of robberies, other crimes and anti-social behaviour.

“This all highlights our commitment to becoming a police force with prevention and problem solving at our core, and the fantastic progress we have made in this regard.

“We know that problem solving is very effective at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and keeping our communities safe.

“The initiatives that have received recognition via this year’s Tilley Awards are just some of many examples of GMP working with partner agencies to achieve excellent results.”

Op Vulcan also won the Problem Solving category at our Chief Constable’s Annual Awards held in October.

Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, who leads the Op Vulcan team, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team, who deserve all the recognition they get.

“It’s been a privilege over the past year to work with a fantastic team of dedicated officers and partner agencies who have given their all to tackle the organised crime associated with the counterfeit trade to create sustainable changes in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways.

“Those areas feel completely different to where we were 12 months ago, and we hope to achieve similar success in Piccadilly Gardens now that Op Vulcan has been launched there.”

Check out the Tilley Awards articles on the intranet for more details about Op Vulcan and our other nationally recognised problem solving initiatives.

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NOVEMBER 2023

Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police Wellbeing tour goes to Spec Ops The Wellbeing Team visited the Specialist Operations Branch in October to help its SPoCs raise the profile of wellbeing, the importance of looking after yourself and the support that is available.

The mini Wellbeing on Tour event was organised by Spec Ops Inspector Craig Birkhead and his committee, who arranged for one of the Oscar Kilo vans to attend Openshaw, Clayton Brook and Eccles over three days.

Partners attended from Police Mutual and No1 CopperPot Credit Union, to provide financial support and information.

Our Occupational Health team carried out health checks over the three days.

Code 9, GMP’s men’s mental health support group led

by Sergeant Stuart Charlesworth and ex-Merseyside Police firearms officer Russell Fairclough, was also represented at the event.

A coffee van was at all sites, offering freshly ground coffee, tea and hot chocolate whilst people spoke to partners and colleagues.

Engagement levels escalated over the three days of the mini tour, with 50 members of the force engaging on day one, 103 on day two and 117 on the final day.

That’s 221 individuals who now have more tools in their box to help them when they are struggling!

Grief first aiders coming soon The Wellbeing Team have been working closely with Cruse Bereavement Care to introduce a new volunteer role.

Volunteers will be able to offer a one-to-one confidential listening ear to any member of the force going through a bereavement.

Bereavement will impact us all, and having a safe space to talk about your feelings and the person/thing/future you have lost helps people to process their grief and work through the stages of it.

There will soon be a cohort of individuals who are specifically trained and available to offer this support to colleagues.

Please keep an eye on the Wellbeing intranet pages for further details, or speak to your Wellbeing SPoC. Awareness in November • Movember (all month): Men’s health is in crisis. Men are dying on average four-and-a-half years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons. A growing number of men – around 10.8 million globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men and across the world a man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69 per cent of all suicides. You can get involved in Movember in many ways, from growing a moustache to arranging awareness talks and everything in between. Simply type ‘Movember’ into your search bar to find the dedicated website.

• Lung Cancer Awareness Month (all month): This annual public health campaign was devised to increase awareness about lung cancer, its risk factors, early detection and treatment options.

• Pancreatic Cancer Month (all month) • National Diabetes Month (all month) • Talk Money Week (Monday 6 to Thursday 10 November) • White Ribbon Day (Saturday 25 November): This sees the start of 16 days of action against violence against women and girls.

Supporting Op Protector The Wellbeing Team were based at the designated Refreshments Venue during Operation Protector, speaking to officers who were deployed to the policing operation for the Conservative Party Conference.

Partners Police Mutual and Nuffield Health carried out over 50 health checks there as part of the wellbeing support.

Thanks to everyone who engaged and spoke to the team about wellbeing and support.

Help is always at hand If you are struggling, there is always someone to talk to: • Peer support in GMP: Contact the Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinators to be put in contact with an individual who has lived experience of a situation you are currently going through.

• Health Assured: You can call the employee assistance programme’s free, confidential helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0800 028 0199.

• Samaritans: A listening ear is always available on 123 116.

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NOVEMBER 2023

Community initiatives across Oldham Alongside supporting our communities with neighbourhood policing issues, teams across the district have also been attending community events to maintain relationships between officers and the public.

Being able to interact with the communities ensures that officers can keep an ear to the ground on what is happening whilst also enjoying the festivities themselves – from family fun days to local traditions.

Neighbourhood Beat Officer for Saddleworth West & Lees, PC Jonathan Marsden after 17 years on the team. He leaves behind a wealth of irreplaceable experience and the whole team wish him well in his future endeavours.

Officers also provided parents with advice on cyber security alongside crime prevention advice and staying safe when out and about.

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Rushcart Festival The end of September saw the return of the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival which neighbourhood officers attended to speak with the community and join in the festivities.

This year was extra special as the team said goodbye to the

Stoneleigh Park – Family Fun Day After being approached by the organisers, our Neighbourhood Prevention Officers were only too happy to support speaking to members of the public about everything that being a police officer entails. Whilst in attendance during the event, officers dealt with a concerned mother whose child had gone missing in the busy park - however thanks to due diligence from the officers, was swiftly located. Children and adults alike were engaging with officers, trying on uniform and having turns putting family members in the detainee cage in the rear of the carrier.

Outdoor Collaborative The district has been supporting community initiatives across the area, with organisations able to apply to the district ARIS funding pot. One such organisation which benefitted from this recently is Outdoor Collaborative – a charity that advances education in Greater Manchester in the art of photography and filmmaking focusing on the outdoors, particularly amongst young people. Trustee Adam Ward from the charity was presented with a cheque by Inspector Stu Berry for £11,000 for a new minibus, which will enable the charity to transport young, disadvantaged people to different outdoor locations and provide them with valuable life skills.

Saddleworth Police Station reopens On Saturday 16 September for the first time in nearly 10 years, Saddleworth Police Station opened its doors to the public.

Sergeant Connor Brook attended on this day and held a Sergeant’s Surgery – the first of many due to happen at the station.

Sergeant Brook of the Saddleworth & Lees Neighbourhood Policing team said: “We are a remote community who are fortunate enough to host one of GMP’s few satellite police stations. A continuing concern we were hearing from our local residents is the accessibility and visibility of our officers within their local area.

“After hearing from our communities, officers have worked together to launch new and innovative ways to open lines of communication with our community, find out what issues are

impacting on their community and build key intelligence to ensure we are more efficient at fighting and reducing crime.

Alongside the Sergeant’s Surgery, the teams also run pop-up style surgeries which are advertised across the community, through social media and across Bee in the Loop to ensure we are hearing from all members of our communities.

The pop-up surgeries were introduced by Saddleworth North PCSO Mike Lowther who wanted to address accessibility concerns residents were facing when they wanted to speak to officers about their issues.

These surgeries mean the team can drive to a more accessible location, and residents can also speak with local NBOs and PCSOs about issues they are concerned about within their local areas.

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NOVEMBER 2023

Supporting Saddleworth-based PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund The father of a murdered colleague has accepted a donation from the Rotary Club of Saddleworth to a fund set up in his daughter’s memory.

PC Nicola Hughes’ father Bryan attended Saddleworth Police Station on Thursday 19 October where the club made the £200 donation to the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund at the request of the Saddleworth and Lees Neighbourhood Policing Team.

The club offered to donate to a charity of the team’s choice following the NPT’s presence at the annual Saddleworth Wellifest held at Well-i-Hole Farm.

The team had no hesitation in choosing the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund, and her father Bryn Hughes attended Saddleworth Police Station on behalf of the charity.

He is pictured with the donation

cheque alongside the Rotary Club of Saddleworth’s Clint Elliott and Saddleworth and Lees NPT Sergeant Connor Brook.

Sergeant Brook said: “It is our privilege to have this donation made to the PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund. The donation is made in honour and tribute to colleagues tragically taken from us in the line of duty.”

PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone were murdered on duty by Dale Cregan in 2012. The Saddleworthbased PC Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund was set up in 2014 to provide assistance to anyone under 21 years old who has suffered the loss of a close family member through violent crime, by providing funding or services for education or employment.

The charity continues to support young

people who may be suffering from the devastating effects of fatalities, which have resulted from serious and violent crime.

Oldham leads the way with Youth Scrutiny Panel

In October, Oldham held the first Youth Scrutiny Panel in Greater Manchester at Oldham Civic Centre, which will be the first of many sessions.

Independent from Greater Manchester Police, and supported by Oldham Council’s Youth Service, the panel has been created to scrutinise policing approaches and identify areas for improvement focusing mainly on the use of force and stop searches.

Young people from across the district were given the opportunity to bring issues that are concerning them forward and offer alternative approaches to policing strategies through building positive relationships with police.

The panel consisted of 24 young people from Oldham who were selected

by Oldham Youth Services and included people from a wide range of backgrounds with different experiences and thoughts.

Chief Superintendent Phil Hutchinson said: “I’m proud that Oldham are leading the way working with young people to seek direct feedback from them to improve the ways we interact with people of all ages.

“The initial feedback from the panel was positive, direct, unfiltered, and exactly what we need to hear to drive change in our communities.

“The ability of my officers to engage and interact with the youth panel will positively affect our relationship with them and, ultimately will reduce policing demand in the future by preventing them

from becoming victims or offenders.

“Our young people are the future of Oldham and anything we can do to improve the relationship between the public and the police is incredibly important in strengthening our communities.”

Sergeant Lucy Leicester said: “For some young people, their first contact with the police is in a ‘crisis’ situation, related to their home or family. These people are often some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“Alongside this, negative perceptions can be passed down from generation to generation. This is why it is so important that we learn from our interactions with young people, and this panel is a great start in achieving a collaborative way to work.”

One of the panel members, Kyra (aged 15) said: “It’s really good that young people can let the police know what they do wrong and what they do right. To have the opportunity to work this way means that we can really make a difference.”