Wigan District Brief - February 2024

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

WIGAN - FEBRUARY 2024

WIGAN CHALLENGER TEAM STRIKES AGAIN

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Another successful month for Wigan, which has provided me with the opportunity to share some notable accomplishments in my regular weekly updates. The unmistakable spirit of teamwork, perseverance, and a sense of duty to our communities remains unparalleled.

As we move forward into 2024, our key objectives in Wigan persist: enhancing attendance times, reducing crime demand, and elevating investigation standards (VCOP and PIP1 & 2). Achieving these goals hinges on aligning with the Chief Constable's directive to enhance our Quality, Standards, and Behaviour. Substantial strides have been made in our commitment to a prompter response to incidents, resulting in a decrease in stagnant demand.

We've also made significant headway in reducing crime volume, with additional initiatives in the pipeline. I urge everyone to pay close attention to VCOP and ARD compliance. Recent months have seen the issuance of guidance on this matter; please familiarise yourselves with it or seek clarification from a member of the Performance team, as it can truly make a difference.

In the coming month, I urge you to concentrate on our standards.

Take the time to review the uniform policy and be prepared for supervisory scrutiny if adherence is lacking. Maintaining a tidy workspace, cleaning up after yourself and your team, and ensuring exhibits and paperwork are properly stored are vital. Treat police vehicles with the same care as you would your own, imagining that you are responsible for their servicing and repairs. These are fundamental areas highlighted by yourselves in our recent engagement sessions as needing improvement. Mastering these basics not only makes your jobs more seamless and enjoyable but also leaves a lasting positive impression on the public.

Continue the excellent work, and take pride in your achievements as I certainly am.

Chief Superintendent Ian Jones

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Wigan’s Complex Safeguarding team and Wigan Challenger team strikes again Across the district, officers have continued their fight against county lines with numerous warrants executed by Wigan’s Complex Safeguarding team supported by Wigan Challenger team as well as local neighbourhood officers and TAU.

In January, warrants were conducted at three addresses in Aspull, Ince and Wigan as part of an investigation into a county drugs line operating in the area.

The operation, also aided by community intelligence and GMP's ongoing investigation into drugs and county lines operations, resulted in the successful arrests of three people.

An 18-year-old woman, 17-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to sell the class B drug of cannabis and modern slavery. They have all been bailed pending further investigation.

It is believed the controllers of the drug line are using young teenagers to deal drugs for them.

During the operation, the team seized mobile phones, debtors lists and cannabis.

Detective Inspector Pat Wood said: “Our Complex Investigation team conducted a thorough investigation, which resulted in these warrants. The team have worked tirelessly in tackling child criminal exploitation (CCE) in the Wigan area.

“Drugs supply has blighted members of this community for some time and results like today go a long way to help combat it.”

“The investigation has identified significant members of the county line and we have now arrested these nominals. We believe the adult members of the line have conspired with each other to distribute illegal drugs and are exploiting children and recruiting them into drug supply.

“Arresting these individuals allows us to protect and safeguard vulnerable children connected to the suspects and others within the community, resulting in further prevention of exploitation.

“Where the team are able to identify any victim of CCE, we are able to utilise relationships with partners to ensure we put safeguarding measures in place to support victims and remove them from the risks of this lifestyle.”

If you need any support with Bee in the Loop or would like to submit a story for the new district edition of The Brief, please get in touch with Jessica Allen-Millbank

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New Code of Ethics to abide by Do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons A new national Code of Ethics has been published to reflect the challenges of modern-day policing whilst outlining the professional behaviours that the public can expect to see from officers, staff members, volunteers and apprentices.

Designed to underpin the policing sector, the Code of Ethics outlines the professional behaviours from a service that is fair, ethical and can be trusted to keep the public safe.

It provides the bedrock for everyone across policing to ‘do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons’.

This new Code of Ethics will work alongside a separate Code of Practice for ethical policing.

Launched in December, the Code of Practice sets out the actions that chief officers should take to support people in their force to follow the ethical policing principles and demonstrate professional behaviour.

Our Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said: “I welcome the launch of the new Code of Ethics, which now better reflects the modern-day challenges we face.

“It commits us to prioritising public service by always acting in the public interest, leading with courage by challenging wrongdoing when we see it and responding with respect and empathy at every call we attend.

“This represents an important step forward for GMP – we are always striving to do the right thing and behave professionally at all times, and with this framework in place we can measure our actions, to ensure that we’re all working towards the same standards.

“The ethical policing principles will drive everything we do going forward, and it’s your responsibility to fully understand these principles and embed them in your ways of working.

“They are there to help you make the right decisions, whilst acting ethically and responsibly.”

What has changed?

The nine principles from the 2014 Code of Ethics have been mapped into the following three principles that are easier to remember and apply: • Public service • Courage • Respect and empathy.

These principles are supported by guidance that sets out what ethical and professional behaviour looks like on a day-to-day basis.

This details how policing professionals should behave, and will help all members of GMP to apply the ethical policing principles in their specific role.

The guidance provides practical advice on areas of policing that are important to maintaining public trust and legitimacy.

This includes being open, honest and candid, treating all people and their property with fairness, dignity and respect and challenging or reporting behaviour that is unprofessional.

The Code of Ethics guides officers, staff, volunteers and apprentices through the decision-making process by encouraging the use of personal responsibility and professional judgement.

It is central to the National Decision Model (NDM), and by using the Code of Ethics you can ensure that you are acting in a fair and ethical way in everything you do, whether that is arresting a suspect or delivering training.

Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said: “You make difficult decisions on a daily basis which often impact people who are vulnerable.

“This new code will guide you through the decision-making process to ensure that you are applying professional judgement and personal responsibility, whilst reflecting on and learning from past experiences, continuing to improve, review and apply new knowledge.”

More about the new code The code is hosted on the College of Policing website and has been developed by serving police officers, police staff, academics and representatives from partner organisations.

It is based on evidence and first-hand experience to make sure that everyone working in policing feels fully supported within their roles.

DCC Woods added: “Whilst the Code of Ethics gives us guidance of how we require people to conduct their work, it works alongside GMP’s Standards of Behaviour.

“These standards are in place to remind us what we need to do – they are a mandatory set of key performance rules that must be adhered to.

“More information is on the dedicated Code of Ethics section of the intranet.

“Remember, the Code of Ethics underpins everything we do, every day.”

Your feedback is welcomed We would like to hear what you think of the new code. Please scan the QR code below to access a quick and anonymous feedback survey.

The survey can also be accessed via the intranet.

2024 Code of Ethics survey

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Book your place for Chief Constable’s Roadshow

Eight roadshow sessions to choose from

This year marks GMP’s 50th anniversary, so there is no better time to reflect on where we are as an organisation and where we want to be.

Our goal is to be the best performing police force in the country, and although there is a lot of work that needs to be done to achieve that ambition, we are undoubtedly on the right path.

Our recent police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) report cemented our position as the most improved force in the country for the second year running, and Chief Constable Stephen Watson would like to thank all officers, staff members, volunteers and apprentices in person for their hard work and dedication that is fuelling GMP’s resurgence and to let them know our plans for the future.

The upcoming Chief Constable’s Roadshow offers the perfect opportunity to do so.

All members of the force are urged to attend one of the events taking place between the Tuesdays of 30 April and 2 June 2024 to celebrate GMP’s achievements over the past year and to discuss our blueprint for further progress over the next 12 months and beyond.

We have arranged eight sessions across four dates and three venues to provide the opportunity for all members of the force to attend. The options are:

Staying on track to be the UK’s best force CC Watson said: “The rate of improvement seen at GMP since the force was put into special measures in December 2020 is unparalleled in the history of UK policing.

“The goal now is to continue the momentum.

“The annual roadshow provides a platform for officers, staff members, volunteers and apprentices to come together, take stock of where have been and the improvements we have made and identify the remaining challenges that lie ahead and how we will navigate our way through them.

“It also provides the opportunity for you to feed back to the Chief Officer Team directly.”

• Tuesday 30 April: AJ Bell Stadium, Salford • Friday 3 May: Midland Hotel, Manchester • Thursday 9 May: Midland Hotel, Manchester • Tuesday 14 May: Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton Morning (10am to 12 noon) and afternoon (1.30pm to 3.30pm) sessions will be held on all four event days.

To book your place, visit https://forms.office.com/e/gtLv3hfddy and fill in the simple form, detailing your name, collar number, the branch/district you work for and your chosen session by the deadline of Monday 22 April.

Pre-event feedback to inform roadshow agenda In the lead up to the roadshow, we want to hear how you have contributed to GMP’s continued evolution over the past year.

We want to know: • What are you most proud of achieving this year and why?

• What do you think we still need to do?

Please answer the questions in full via https://forms.office. com/e/5P014u6YYB CC Watson said: “The quick survey will inform the roadshow agenda and enable us to address any issues that you raise.

“I look forward to seeing you all during the roadshow.”

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Retrospective facial recognition pilot is already proving to be successful GMP is already reaping the rewards of agreeing to be one of six police forces to pilot a retrospective facial recognition (RFR) initiative.

The four-month pilot has been launched to improve and increase RFR through the Police National Database (PND), as part of the Home Office Digital Landscape Review programme.

RFR is one of the functions of the PND that looks for matches using existing photographs, with over 18 million searchable records. It uses an algorithm to compare images of unknown individuals against a pre-determined dataset to establish if they are on the national database.

If you have an image of a person you need to identify in connection with an ongoing investigation, you may be able to do so via an RFR search via the PND. Missing people and people of interest in an investigation can also be searched for.

We began working with different areas of the force to embed the initiative when the pilot went live at GMP at the start of January.

This is an ongoing process, with training being provided as and where necessary, but we have already seen some positive results.

Superintendent Marcus Noden, the force lead for the pilot, said: “We need to ensure that we are always looking at new and better ways of policing.

“Our participation in this pilot will not only help to deliver improved use of facial recognition technology in policing nationally, it will increasingly provide positive results for the force.

“We have already benefited from the pilot on a number of occasions.

“For example, Sergeant Mark O’Brien recently established that a man loitering around closed shops in Bolton town centre was a registered sex offender wanted for three offences, after obtaining a photo of him and uploading it onto the PND facial recognition tool.

“The man had given a different name to his true identity established through the technology.

“Usage of RFR is increasing at GMP day-by-day, and the team looking after the pilot will continue to work with different areas of the force to further embed this initiative, providing training where necessary so that everyone who can make use of this technology in their role will be fully up to speed.”

The force has around 200 trained PND operators that can action an RFR search for you upon request.

Our branches and districts have their

own PND points of contact.

Check out the ‘Police National Database’ section of the intranet for everything you need to know about utilising the PND to help you achieve more positive results in your role.

Supt Noden added: “GMP was unable to put many images onto the PND from custody captures prior to March 2023, due to the poor image qualities taken by the cameras in the custody suites.

“Since then, however, the quality of our custody images has improved through the use of advanced camera equipment, which now provide good enough quality images to be uploaded onto the PND. “As a result, up to 3,000 GMP custody images are now being uploaded onto the PND every month, with the image size and quality getting better over time too.

“The fact that we’re improving our performance at the start point of the RFR process can only be a positive in terms of RFR opportunities further along the crime investigation line.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the system can do to help us get positive outcomes.

“For many investigation teams, such as the District Investigation Teams (DITs) and the Initial Investigation Unit (IIU), there are literally thousands of additional investigative opportunities through the use of facial recognition, as a result of ongoing system improvements.

“I ask all teams to think about how they can take advantage of this facility to help them with their work.”

We are working with the Home Office, College of Policing, National Police Chiefs’ Council and Police Digital Service in delivering the pilot.

Examples of suspects being identified via RFR

CCTV image

Cropped CCTV image

Custody image

CCTV image

Custody image

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Invaluable air sup requested whenev The National Police Air Service provides an invaluable service to forces across the country – but it is currently being underutilised by GMP. Bury district Chief Superintendent Chris Hill, the GMP and North West lead for NPAS, said: “The National Police Air Service was formed in October 2012 following a national review of air support conducted by the Home Office in 2009.

“NPAS provides borderless air support to the 43 police forces of England and Wales 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from its national network of 13 bases, with our closest being at Barton in the Salford district.

“The blended air service provided by NPAS involves 13 helicopters and three fixed wing aeroplanes.

“Flying at an average speed of 138mph, police air support saves officers on the ground valuable time when it matters and is an invaluable resource for tackling criminality, saving lives and keeping people and communities safe.

“In time-critical searches, such as that of a high risk missing adult or child, the time saved in locating people can literally mean the difference between life and death.

“Yet we are not utilising NPAS enough at GMP.” NPAS can carry out a variety of tasks for forces, including: • Searching for high risk missing people, injured people and for people where there is a serious concern for their safety and wellbeing • Searching for suspects • Managing vehicle pursuits from the air • Assisting with counter terrorism and specialist firearms operations • Aerial photography • Crowd control.

The benefits of utilising air support include: • The ability to search large areas quickly – 20 times faster than other options and requiring fewer ground resources – can mean the difference between life and death • The crew can provide an aerial overview of a situation, which minimises risk to members of the public and officers • The mission equipment on board the aircraft provides a real-time downlink into control rooms • NPAS has the ability to surge resources in times of greatest need • The service provides enhanced safety of the public and officers • NPAS produces specialist quality evidence • The aircraft provide a visible and powerful deterrent, ensuring that communities are safe and people feel safer.

NPAS aircrafts offer daylight and thermal imaging cameras with video recording capability and high-quality stills photography.

The helicopters also have a public address system and a Nitesun search light.

Ch Supt Hill said: “Air support should be requested whenever it is justified.

“It should also be requested at the earliest opportunity in order to maximise effectiveness.”

A request for air support can be made through the Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch (FCCO), where authorisation will be given by the Force Duty Officer (FDO)/Force Duty Supervisor (FDS) and passed to NPAS Control.

Once the request has been received by NPAS, the next available aircraft will be allocated.

If it is already airborne and is operating locally or is on a local ‘CK’ talk group, a request can be made directly to the aircraft in order to minimise response time. However, this will

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pport should be ver it is justified need authorisation from the control room supervision.

The information that needs to be passed to NPAS is the location, task and talk group.

Pre-planned tasking requests can be made via a ‘Request For Pre-Planned Air Support’ form and must be authorised by an inspector or above.

Once the form has been completed it should be emailed to NPAS Dispatch via ops.centre@npas.police.uk The nearest base for GMP is NPAS Barton in Eccles. The contact details are: • • • •

Base Manager (Sergeant): Extension 64604 Duty Crew: Ext 64601 Pilot: Ext 64636 Email: npas.barton@npas.police.uk

When it comes to pre-planned deployments, NPAS Tactical Flight Officers are available to provide strategic advice and guidance around NPAS capability and service delivery.

This will support cost-effective and efficient deployments, intelligence targeted taskings and increase positive outcomes.

You can request to speak to NPAS Tactical Flight Officers via the above Base Manager and Duty Crew numbers for NPAS Barton.

Is a drone a more suitable option?

The GMP Drone Unit is a more suitable alternative to NPAS support in some instances.

Our drones can get into much smaller spaces, including indoor areas and unsafe spaces. The fact that they are smaller and quieter than a helicopter makes them more suitable for many tasks, including those of a more ‘covert’ nature.

Also, unlike NPAS support, it does not cost the force anything when our drones are utilised.

However, our drones have limitations. The operator must maintain a clear line of sight with the drone at all times, and so drones are not suitable for vehicle pursuits and other similar deployments.

Drones are also more limited in inclement weather conditions, although they can fly in rain.

To request a drone for deployment, send a completed Form 2007 to drone@gmp.police.uk for non-time sensitive taskings or call either radio channel 371, the FDO on extension 66321, ext 66207 (office) or the duty drone mobile number of 07393 239737 for time sensitive/spontaneous taskings.

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An exceptional resource for all suspected CSE and CCE cases GMP’s Complex Safeguarding Teams are on hand to provide expert support and assistance to officers across the force on any case in which they feel that there may be child exploitation concerns.

Each of our districts has a dedicated team for child sexual exploitation (CSE) and child criminal exploitation (CCE) investigations.

Made up of detectives, social workers, psychologists and nurses, they are an invaluable resource that officers should utilise for all suspected CSE and CCE cases.

The teams will provide investigative support, guidance and assistance, and, importantly, if the evidence suggests that the child is being exploited by an adult, they will take ownership of the investigation in order to safeguard the child and prosecute the exploiter.

Detective Sergeant Tim Greenwood, of our Public Protection and Serious Crime Division, said: “The Complex Safeguarding Teams across the force provide passion and dedication to protecting vulnerable children in Greater Manchester.

“I see evidence daily of their commitment to safeguard, educate and support not only the children but their parents and families too.

“Recently we have commissioned some online training called ‘Out of the Shadows’, which highlights and identifies the real-life dangers for some of Greater Manchester’s children, and I ask every officer who has a concern for a child

appropriate language around children and victim blaming and to follow the guidance that has been supplied following a national review into CSE – search for ‘Appropriate language for professionals’ on the intranet.”

For assistance with CSE and CCE cases, contact your district Complex Safeguarding Team SPoC. The SPoCs are:

they believe may be being exploited to contact their district safeguarding team for advice and support.

“We are very good at identifying sexual exploitation, but we have seen a massive increase in online exploitation and it is imperative that you retain all potential evidence to support investigations.

“In respect of criminal exploitation, this is something we have made great improvements on, and the Complex Safeguarding Teams are doing some amazing work in protecting these vulnerable children from adults who are clearly exploiting them.

“We still need to be mindful, however, that some children in our communities are being arrested for drug supply offences when there is a possibility that they are being exploited by an adult.

Again, when this occurs it is important that you seize all relevant evidence, such as phones, and make contact with the force’s safeguarding teams so that we can identify if there is any exploitation taking place.

“I also ask all officers to be mindful of

• Bolton: DS Andrew Jameson, extension 65645, boltoncpiu-cst@gmp.police.uk • Bury: DS Damian Reed, ext 69694, bury.csh@gmp.police.uk • City of Manchester: DS Jinnett Lunt, ext 66020, com.csh@gmp.police.uk • Oldham: DS Andy Barrett, ext 63182, oldham.csh@gmp.police.uk • Rochdale: DS David Read, ext 68487, rochdale.csh@gmp.police.uk • Salford: DS Vickie Ford, ext 65186, salford.csh@gmp.police.uk • Stockport: DS Kat Moriarty, ext 63188, stockport.csh@gmp.police.uk • Tameside: DS Michelle Davies, ext 69421, tameside.csh@gmp.police.uk • Trafford: DS Kate Southern, ext 63394, trafford.csh@gmp.police.uk • Wigan: DS Nicola Wood, ext 63614; and DC Louise Dunne, ext 61835; wigan.csh@gmp.police.uk

Right Care Right Person coming soon Later this year GMP will be adopting Right Care Right Person (RCRP), a nationwide initiative which helps to identify when 999 or 101 calls require a police response and when a different agency would be better placed to assist.

Full training and support resources will be made available to everyone who needs them before the programme goes live.

In recent years calls for mental health and social care incidents – including concerns for welfare, patients

leaving care settings and falls and injuries – have increasingly been routed inappropriately to the police.

Our officers currently spend a significant amount of time dealing with incidents and issues which fall outside their remit.

Not only does this impact the resources that we are able to direct to preventing and investigating crime, but the police are often not the best first response to support vulnerable, unwell or confused people.

Right Care Right Person will not

affect our existing legal and moral duties. It will not stop officers attending incidents where there is a threat to life or a risk of serious harm, a child is at risk or a crime or potential crime is involved.

Please be aware that RCRP has not yet gone live at GMP and no changes currently need to be made to the way we work.

For more information, please see the ‘Right Care Right Person’ hub in the Operational Support section of the intranet.

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Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police Join the GMP Simplyhealth Plan

Maintaining healthy relationships

Staying active and keeping a healthy focus on enjoying life can help you to cope with financial stress.

You can do this on a budget by taking advantage of the lifestyle discounts and offers on gym membership available through Simplyhealth.

There may be times when your finances overwhelm you emotionally and finding pleasure and staying active may not seem important, but taking time out will serve you and your family well in the long run.

As a GMP employee, you can get 25 per cent off selected gym membership with Simplyhealth.

You can also enjoy discounts from over 3,300 studios, sports clubs and gyms – including PureGym and David Lloyd Clubs – plus online workout programme subscriptions.

The GMP Simplyhealth Plan also provides cashback towards everyday health costs – such as dentists, opticians and physiotherapists – as well as access to body scans and health consultations.

Visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/GMP to find out more or to join the plan.

The theme for GMP’s Wellbeing Calendar this month is ‘maintaining healthy relationships’.

People with healthy, positive and supportive relationships are more likely to be happier and healthier.

Creating and maintaining good connections with others can also help to combat loneliness and improve mental health issues, such as stress and anxiety.

You can learn more about how to build and maintain healthy relationships, and deal with issues including stress and anxiety, via www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters.

February dates for the diary • Thursday 1 February: Time to Talk Day • Monday 5 to Sunday 11 February: Children’s Mental Health Week • Monday 5 to Sunday 11 February: National Apprenticeship Week • Tuesday 6 February: Safer Internet Day • Wednesday 7 February: Charles Dickens Day • Saturday 10 February: Chinese New Year • Saturday 17 February: Random Acts of Kindness Day Support is always available If you are struggling, there is always someone to talk to: • Peer support in GMP: Contact our Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinators to be put in contact with a colleague who has lived experience of a situation you are currently going through.

• Health Assured: You can call our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider’s free, confidential helpline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 0800 028 0199.

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

Chance to win £1,000 in free draw Police Mutual is giving all members of the force and their families the chance to win £1,000.

There will be two winners of the cash prize in Police Mutual’s free prize draw, which closes on Sunday 31 March 2024, with the draw taking place on Tuesday 9 April 2024.

You must be eligible for Police Mutual products, and terms and conditions apply for the prize draw.

For the full details of the prize draw, including how to enter, visit https://rb.gy/llw644

Send targeted alerts and crime prevention advice Provide reassurance following incidents and emergencies Reply to messages and involve the public in shaping local priorities

Members of the public must sign up to receive free email or text alerts www.beeintheloop.co.uk

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Support for officers from recruitment into retirement Did you know that GMP officers can have full access to The Ben Fund, even into retirement?

The independent charity is dedicated to supporting and caring for police officers from recruitment into retirement.

With a monthly donation of £8.40 (subject to ‘Payroll Giving’), you can access all that the charity offers, from respite and recovery, physiotherapy, mental health support and wellbeing breaks to financial assistance during times of hardship and ‘in-service’ death grants awarded to dependants.

The Ben Fund also has its own stateof-the-art treatment centre, St Michael’s Lodge in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, which offers members a short break away from regular life, from £120 for a two-night bed and breakfast stay.

The charity has provided invaluable support to officers across the North West and the Midlands, and currently has over 16,500 members.

The wife of a retired officer has thanked the charity for the support it provided when her husband became seriously ill and required round-the-clock care.

Thanks to the financial support and rehabilitation therapy provided by The Ben Fund, a very scary situation became more manageable.

She said: “There’s been such a financial worry, and it’s been really helpful to know that we can fall back on The Ben Fund and that we haven’t been

left in the lurch. I am so pleased that Derek paid into The Ben Fund his whole career, and still does now out of his police pensions, as now we have that support when we really need it.

“We were fortunate enough to not need The Ben Fund when Derek was serving in the police, but we did when he retired.

“The charity has been absolutely marvellous.

“Whenever Derek has wanted or needed something, The Ben Fund has helped him.

“The charity is always there, whenever we ask for help or support.”

Visit www.thebenfund.co.uk, email enquiries@nwpbf.org or call 01254 244980 for more information about The Ben Fund, including how to become a member.

Once you have joined you should see a deduction on your pay or pension slip titled ‘Benevolent Fund’.

WWI art finds a home at Sedgley Matt O’Hara-Lythgoe, a former contracts and compliance manager for the BBC, has donated a picture to GMP to thank us for our support in setting up the corporation’s Veterans Network.

Titled ‘The Burial of the Unknown Warrior’, the picture was commissioned

by His Majesty King George V following the end of the First World War and symbolises all those who died in the conflict.

The picture was authorised by the King to be displayed in every police station around the country.

Unfortunately, the picture has disappeared from most buildings over the years. However, by chance, Matt and his father managed to pick one up at a recent auction.

Having had it restored and mounted, Matt wished for it to be put back on display in a police building.

Following GMP’s support in setting up the Veterans Network at the BBC, where he was the veterans lead, Matt wanted the commissioned artwork to be proudly displayed within our force.

The picture was handed over to

Inspector Jim Jones, Frank Rutter and John Thompson from the force’s Armed Forces Network and has been put up on display at Sedgley Park.

Insp Jones said: “When Matt offered to donate the picture to us, we were

naturally delighted to accept it.

“Having it hanging in the iconic ‘Library Corridor’ at Sedgley Park means it is rightly in full view of everyone as King George V would have intended.”

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Wigan Council is first local authority to use GMP’s Digital Evidence Management System Wigan Council has become the first local authority in Greater Manchester to use GMP’s Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) to share images from the borough’s 700 CCTV cameras. . Working closely with Wigan Council’s Risk Management and CCTV Project Manager Keith Hargreaves, Inspector Mark Ainscough from the Digital Policing Programme is pleased to announce that officers and staff will no longer be required to travel to the Wigan CCTV control room as footage can now be provided remotely, via the Community Request feature on Evidence.com.

This is a huge benefit to operational officers from Wigan district, staff from the local authority and also victims of crime.

Digital evidence can be recovered, accessed instantaneously, and stored securely within Evidence.com.

The system allows it to be easily shared internally and with partners such as the CPS straight away.

Using Community Request will save hundreds of hours of officer and staff time, reduce the need for travel, saving fuel and reducing the wear and tear on vehicles. There is also no need to book the evidence into the property management system (ePMS).

Since 11 December 2023 Wigan Council has already responded to over 70 Community Requests from GMP, equating to significant time savings for operational officers.

Since the introduction of DEMS there has been a huge increase in the use of Community Requests, with over 4,000 now being sent to victims or witnesses each month. Wigan Council are the latest partner to join GMP’s digital journey along with NWAS, who started in November.

The DEMS Team are working closely with all Local Authorities, with Bury Local Authority due to start using DEMS Community Request in February 2024.

Granting Christmas wishes for our communities Whilst investigating crimes and keeping our communities safe, we often forget to celebrate our achievements and the fantastic work that our officers and staff do everything single day.

One little boy who is helping the team at Atherton Police Station to do just that is Luke who visits all the police stations in his local area each year and uses his pocket money to buy chocolates and biscuits every Christmas.

Luke absolutely loves the police and to thank him for the support he gives, Police Constable Simon Kiernan and his team showed Luke around the station and also accompanied him as he visited the National Police Air Service (NPAS).

As you will see, Luke had the best day and maybe one day we’ll see Luke joining the ranks.

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Targeting high demand areas in Wigan As part of the ongoing fight against criminals operating across the Wigan borough, warrants have been executed in the Platt Bridge area over the past few months, targeting drugs and stolen property.

These were carried out following concerns raised by the community regarding anti-social behaviour.

The district Neighbourhood Crime Team worked closely with local neighbourhood officers and partners to collect and develop intelligence.

As a result of the subsequent warrants and increased police presence in the area, there has been a decrease in serious acquisitive crime, notably burglary, theft and vehicle crime.

So far, officers have recovered several stolen motorbikes, quad bikes, cars, caravans, power tools and gardening equipment, and work is now ongoing to reunite them with their rightful owners.

Cash, drugs and a firearm have also been seized as a result of the warrants, and nine arrests were made in the most recent series of activity.

However, work from the team does not stop here with officers gathering further intelligence on suspects in the area.

Partners from Wigan Council were also in attendance, which ensured the team could target offenders from every angle – utilising all powers available to tackle criminality and ensure it doesn’t continue.

Wigan District Inspector Michael Crosthwaite said: “This activity was carried out before Christmas because we understand the sentimental value these items can hold, and how intrusive it can feel to be a victim of burglary.

“We heard from partners and members of the community that they had serious concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area, and this action is in response to that.”

Councillor Martyn Smethurst said: “Thank you to you and all your team for these positive signs of progress, and what you continue to do for our communities.”

Joint ASB patrols see increased partnerships with council services The first joint patrols between Leigh’s neighbourhood team and the local council’s services took place this week, as officers continue to crackdown on crime in the town centre.

Following the renewal of a public space protection order towards the end of last year, officers have been regularly patrolling hotspots around Leigh, securing arrests, charges and banning orders for a range of antisocial criminality.

The first one happened in January where neighbourhood officers joined the council’s homeless outreach team and ASB enforcement to patrol across Leigh’s town centre. During the day, officers spoke to numerous people – from those currently sleeping on the streets to people asking for advice on all manner of topics.

The purpose of the patrols are to provide an array of services to the local community – between them, the teams have a great depth of knowledge on preventing crime, issuing the appropriate fines or penalties, and aiding those in need. Both GMP and the local council are committed to ensuring that Leigh is a safe and welcoming space for all.

During the first patrol – which will happen across both Leigh and Wigan each month – the team spoke to homeless people, signposting to the appropriate services which can help provide them with a place to stay.

They checked on vulnerable people, spoke to the public, and chatted to stores and business owners about recent incidents.

Sergeant Shane Prescott, from Leigh’s Neighbourhood Team, said: “The renewal of the public space protection order and dedicated December operation were just two components of our plan to tackle ASB and criminality in Leigh town centre.

“By working closely with partners in the community, we have ensured that we are providing a range of services for people, meaning that we have multiple resources to utilise during our patrols.”