Oldham District Brief - March 2024

TACKLING COUNTERFEIT OPERATIONS ACROSS OLDHAM

Dear colleagues, I hope that reading the latest addition of the Oldham Brief makes you proud of the continued excellent work being done daily in the district.

What I have noticed is that Oldham staff really are happiest group of people I’ve met. There is such a good feel about the place and this reflects in the excellent work you continue to do. Of course, as everywhere, it doesn’t come without its challenges, but I’m confident from what I’ve seen that we have a good, passionate, hardworking team and I genuinely believe that working together, there will be nothing we can’t overcome.

Since arriving in district, I have been asked about my top three priorities for the District, they are;

1. Make Oldham an exciting career prospect – the place that people ask to come and work.

2. Protect our communities by preventing crime and safeguarding our most vulnerable.

3. Pursue our offenders by exploiting all opportunities open to us.

These will be discussed further in a round of staff meetings.

In other news, as we move towards spring the refurbishment of the station is due to restart, and we will see the arrival of CSI in the coming weeks, they will greatly enhance the service we deliver to the public. There have been a few office moves and these will continue over the coming weeks to allow the decorating team access.

I’m also pleased to inform you that we will shortly be getting a number of newly promoted sergeants and some experienced police officers from other districts. The sergeants are part of the force promotion process, and the police constables as part of the a forcewide project balancing response resources. We are one of three districts being allocated staff.

Finally, you’ll be aware of a few portfolio moves in district. Andy Fink is going to take over the Response Portfolio and Ian Partington moving to cover neighbourhoods as Abi Cronin assists with a force project for a short period of time.

Thank you as always for your support,

Chief Superintendent Estelle Mathieson

Collaborative working to tackle criminality

Officers from Oldham’s Neighbourhood Team alongside officers from Operation Vulcan, made two arrests and seized a significant amount of counterfeit footwear and accessories at a commercial premises in Chadderton at the end of February.

Officers sawed off the shutters and smashed through doors before finding a number of suspected counterfeit footwear and accessories inside the premises which have all been seized.

Oldham’s neighbourhood team drafted in support from officers in Operation Vulcan, who are utilised across the force to stamp out counterfeit operations where they emerge, and assisted officers with the entry and search of the premises on hand to share their expertise and tactics in dealing with counterfeit trade.

Alongside police, partners from Immigration Enforcement worked together to tackle counterfeit establishments in Oldham.

Two men aged 32 and 33 were arrested on suspicion of trademark offences and money laundering at a nearby property.

Superintendent Phil Hutchinson of GMP’s Oldham district, said: “This

operation was a fantastic result for Oldham, during which huge numbers of suspected counterfeit products were seized.

“The power of collaborative working should not be underestimated in GMP and by sharing intelligence with partners we are in a strong place to act on any information passed to us.

“Operations such as these help to reassure the public and show that the counterfeit trade is not a victimless crime, and it often funds much more serious crime and violence in our communities.

“I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in this operation Our teams work tirelessly to do everything in their power to thwart criminals through resilient action to shut down their illicit enterprises.”

GMP recruitment spot hits national TV

A video advertisement recruiting for GMP’s Special constabulary is now showing on Sky.

The 30-second spot, which launched on 19 February, was created by Geoff Lingard of the Creative and Media Imaging (CMI) team, drawing on material from a wider ongoing recruitment campaign. It is expected to reach nearly 150,000 viewers.

The advert was suggested by Ch Supt Chris Hill as part of a broader campaign to boost GMP’s Special officer numbers. One concern was that, as the Special constabulary has historically been seen as a route into more traditional policing, a relatively high proportion of applicants would approach joining the Specials as a temporary ‘stepping stone’.

The team behind the campaign decided to address this by aiming its messaging in particular towards a more diverse audience, including older people who are already well established in their current career and want to give back to the community.

With the help of Ch Supt Hill and SCI Phil Hayes, Sedgley Park’s lead training coordinator for special officers, Geoff and the CMI team engaged with Specials to get footage of them at work.

Special officers were filmed in Ashton, Bolton and Bury performing a wide range of tasks, including using a speed camera, patrolling local neighbourhoods, setting up a crime scene and engaging with the night-time economy initiative Operation Custodian.

“We witnessed first-hand the expectations placed on Specials, including the need to deal with conflict,” Geoff explained. “We wanted to make sure we got different and varied footage of the diverse work Specials do, and we’re very grateful to the officers who volunteered to take part.”

Combining this new material with existing video footage, the team produced a minute-long video which was used throughout 2023 in various campaigns, events and the Specials recruitment roadshow.

Following the success of their video, the team was asked to condense the content into around 30 seconds for an external advertisement.

A voiceover was provided by Sgt David Lawrenson, who has previously provided voice work for GMP’s video and radio spots.

Geoff commented: “We have to appreciate that people’s time

is precious now and it takes a very special person to volunteer their time in this way, doing a full day’s work and then putting on the uniform to go back out on a job – putting a uniform on as a regular cop is a difficult enough task, and they get paid for it

“There wasn’t always a great deal of respect for the Special constabulary within the police, but that attitude has evolved and they are now very much appreciated as a resource. Special officers are fully trained, issued with full kit, and have the same powers of arrest as conventional officers.”

In December 2023 alone, GMP Specials volunteered over 4,200 hours to policing duties, assisting in the arrests of 195 suspects, carrying out 314 community engagement events, attending 518 emergency 999 calls and stopping 504 vehicles for traffic offences.

The force is still looking to recruit more Special officers.

Anyone who would like to volunteer as a Special can email cip-recruitment@gmp.police.uk

Volunteer vacancies are advertised in the Careers section of GMP’s website, or interested candidates can discover more about the role by visiting the force’s upcoming recruitment events on the following dates:

• Monday 25 March: Royton and Crompton Academy, Oldham

• Monday 29 April: The Co-op Academy, Plant Hill Road, Higher Blackley, City of Manchester

Book your place for Chief Constable’s Roadshow

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.

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.”

Eight roadshow sessions to choose from

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:

• 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. Please note that the morning slot on Friday 3 May is now full.

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.”

Operation Protector pins raise over £800 for charity

Pins sold to commemorate GMP’s 2023 Operation Protector, policing the Conservative party conference at Manchester Central, have raised £823.63 for The Christie Charity. Investigative assistant Michael Almond, who served as a logistics officer during Op Protector and oversaw the development and distribution of the commemorative pins, commented: “The

policing operation was a great success from start to finish. After months of planning it was fantastic to see GMP and partners come together to deliver the most successful OP Protector yet.

“I would also like to thank my colleagues across the force who acted as SPOCS to ensure that everyone who wanted to would be able to purchase a pin badge. I was blown away by everyone’s generosity – sadly a lot of people will know someone who has been affected by cancer, so it’s fantastic that The Christie Charity will benefit from the sale of the pin badges.

“I managed to present a pin badge to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who took the time to talk to me and my colleagues about the charity and thank us for our work over the past few months.”

Op Protector ran from Sunday 1 October to Wednesday 4 October 2023, the full length of the conference, during

which more than 10,000 delegates and visitors descended on the city.

The multi-agency security operation, one of the largest of its kind in the UK, allowed the event to go ahead without incident.

Operation Protector takes place every other year, as the Conservative conference alternates between Manchester and Birmingham. The pins are sold for each iteration of the operation, with the proceeds donated to The Christie.

Engagement and Improvement Panel

Last month saw the launch of our forcewide Engagement and Improvement Panel, made up of representatives from every branch and district who will ensure your needs, concerns and issues are streamlined and met.

The primary function of this panel is to convene quarterly and engage in discussion on the overarching themes initially identified in the GMP Staff Survey.

The first wave of engagement saw us focus on individual elements of the Staff Survey results.

Each branch and district highlighted different areas of concern, and therefore a set of tailored questions were created based on where each district and branch scored the highest.

These questions were created to enable your panel representative and the Staff Engagement Team to gain a further in-depth understanding of why your district or branch flagged specific areas as a key concern.

What next?

With the feedback form now closed, the next stage will involve your dedicated SPOCs offering a drop-in session or focus group. These are completely

optional to attend and are just an additional way to enable you to share your feedback. The results of the drop-in or focus group will be fed back anonymously to the Staff Engagement team. Please speak to your SPOC to find out when your session will be taking place.

While these sessions are taking place, the Staff Engagement team will have gathered all your responses, separated them into ‘quick wins’ and longer-term issues, and shared them with your SLT. Throughout this process the responses remain anonymous, with any potential identifiable elements removed from the summary.

What’s the difference between quick wins and longer-term issues?

Quick wins refer to the everyday gripes and concerns that can be swiftly addressed to enhance the overall work experience, whilst the longer-term issues are being assessed for future planning and long-term solutions. Most feedback can be characterised under one of these themes.

What now?

With all the feedback now gathered and shared with your SLT, the Staff

Engagement Team will be informing you over the next couple of weeks of upcoming changes, actions taken and any further explanations following your input. Please look out for an email from staffengagement@gmp.police.uk.

The next wave of questions will launch later on in the year; these will draw on the second issue raised by your district or branch and will once again feature tailored questions based on how your team scored in the 2023 GMP Staff Survey.

Scan the QR to complete the feedback form.

Branch and District Awards 2024

Entries are now open for GMP’s 2024 branch and district awards.

Every year each of the districts and branches which make up GMP hold their own recognition events, with the winners put forward for the Chief Constable’s annual awards.

The awards, which are open to all members of the GMP family, provide an opportunity to recognise and celebrate outstanding effort and achievements on the part of officers, staff members, volunteers and apprentices.

This year’s award categories are:

• Police officer of the year: someone we can hold up as an example of the best that Manchester policing has to offer

• Special officer of the year: someone who goes above and beyond what is expected of them to serve the force and their community

• Student officer of the year: the future of the force

• Police staff member of the year: someone who consistently produces excellent work, helps others and contributes to the smooth running of the force

• Apprentice of the year: an asset to their team – someone who is industrious, professional and willing to learn

• Volunteer of the year: someone whose unpaid work benefits the force, the wider community or both

• PCSO of the year: someone passionate and dedicated, who

puts their knowledge of their neighbourhoods or communities to use in their day-to-day policing

• Team of the year: the team can be any size and could comprise staff, officers or a combination of the two – what’s important is their innovative and collaborative approach

• Problem-solving: entries should have identified a significant issue affecting some aspect of GMP and devised a novel means of addressing it

• Innovation: applying new or unconventional approaches and making maximum use of the resources and technology available

• Reactive criminal investigation of the year: launched following a report that a crime has taken place

• Proactive criminal investigation of the year: intelligence-led and often wide-ranging

• Unsung hero: the behind-the-scenes stars of GMP who make our lives better in a multitude of small ways

• Bravery: celebrating outstanding bravery, from performing lifesaving first aid to putting themselves at risk to protect others

If you’d like to nominate a colleague or team for an award, you can complete the form at https://forms.office.com/e/ GpXxxKRFUM or visit the 2024 Awards hub on the GMP intranet.

Firearms Training Unit terrorist incident exercises

Training exercises at airport and Bolton University

2023 saw GMP’s Firearms Training Unit (FTU) successfully conduct a series of large-scale training exercises assessing the response to a marauding terrorist attack (MTA).

Over the summer, GMP collaborated with Bolton University and the tri-services training departments from the police, fire and ambulance services on an exercise evaluating responses to a potential MTA-type attack, taking into account Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) guidance regarding attack methodologies.

The event, developed with PS David Robinson and PC Waterworth and directed by Firearms Training Manager Ch Insp Liam Wareing, was designed and executed by a specialised team led by PS Nick Joynt. The scenario transitioned from a simple disturbance to a complex situation, declaring a major incident and escalating to ‘Op Plato’ for a full firearms response.

The primary goal was to test and develop elements ensuring GMP’s optimal response and addressing recommendations from the public inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. These exercises aimed to foster learning across services and enhance joint capabilities.

The Op Plato Tasking and Development Group, chaired by Supt JP Ruffle alongside senior tri-services representatives, is actively addressing the highlighted learning points supported by Insp Warren Noblett and PS Christian Carr from the Firearms Command Training team.

The training highlighted the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP), which emphasise the need for clear, robust communication and effective coordination between organisations, to ensure a synchronised response. Close collaboration with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) was integral.

Around 80 students served as role actors for each event alongside police volunteers, cadets and Specials; the university’s Special Effects department simulated realistic injuries.

The event was observed by university lecturers and Northwest Ambulance Service (NWAS) instructors, who watched the Armed Response Vehicle (ARV) officers’ use of enhanced first aid skills to provide trauma care while dealing with suspects.

Michelle Powell, the university’s Head of School for Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, commented: “This has been such a valuable exercise for all involved.”

Over 900 participants, including observers, role actors, first and specialist responders, commanders and training staff, engaged in the exercises, establishing a solid foundation for ongoing development. Plans are underway for the next round

of exercises later this year.

Shaun Walton of GMFRS said: “Congratulations on such a well-planned and delivered exercise. I have had excellent feedback from some of our senior officers saying from a multiagency perspective it was the best MTA exercise they have attended, in terms of responder challenges, dynamics and tasks that responders constantly had to manage.”

DCC Terry Woods described the event as “A well planned exercise – the best I’ve seen delivered by a firearms training team.”

Later in 2023, the FTU staged five large-scale exercises at Manchester Airport to test the ARV response to an MTA involving the use of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CRBN) agent. The scenario was designed by a delivery team led by Sgt Chris Bullock and PC Steve Bennett.

A senior leader at Manchester Airport Group (MAG) said: “The night-time exercises provided the opportunity for armed officers from across GMP to work with unarmed colleagues based at the airport, to respond to an MTA.

“I was very impressed with the officers’ professionalism; it was good to see the armed officers in action.”

One key requirement of the exercise was to test the officers on providing trauma care. GMP’s lead first aid and trauma training provider, ATACC Group, supplied instructors each week to best replicate the varying levels of injuries likely seen during such an event.

The ATACC team supplied makeup and prosthetic injuries for role actors, including Bolton University students, Special Constables and members of MAG. Some exercises used more than 100 role actors, managed by the Airport Events Planning Unit.

The scenario began with a reported road traffic collision, later identified as a vehicle attack. It continued with four active shooters moving through Terminal 1 and culminated with a CBRN attack. ARV officers from Manchester Airport provided the initial response, with further support arriving from the Tactical Firearms Unit.

ATACC instructors and subject matter experts from the CBRN training unit gave feedback on the teams’ responses.

Ch Insp Gayle Brister commented: “The MTA exercise has been the first important step in the development of our testing of a planned response at the airport. Early 2024 will see further arranged training for armed and unarmed responders to test the tactical command functions of the ground response plan, testing the operational firearms commanders’ actions to secure a containment of an aircraft and wider objectives.”

Both exercise events provided all officers taking part with valuable learning and the opportunity to consolidate existingskills.

Unit in large-scale exercises

University test MTA response

The Tactical Firearms unit will be recruiting later this year – if you are interested in becoming a firearms officer or would like to know more about what the role entails, please contact Deputy Firearms Training Manager Sgt Gary Homa (Gary.Homa@gmp.police. uk). The department values and is committed to promoting a diverse workforce and encourages applications from officers from underrepresented groups.

GMP hits 50

This year we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Greater Manchester Police, which officially came into being as a force on 1 April 1974.

Over the course of our anniversary year, we will be looking back on the last 50 years and preparing for the next 50 with an array of articles, events, photos and videos celebrating the origins, evolution and potential of GMP.

How has GMP changed since you joined the force? How do you think policing will change in the next few decades? Do you have any interesting, funny, weird or touching memories of working with GMP you’d like to share?

You can contribute your own memories of GMP directly to staff. engagement@gmp.police.uk.

Ethical Policing Principles

The Code of Ethics sits at the heart of everything we do. It sets out how we work together in policing and with the public to keep people safe.

Ethical policing principles are a series of guiding statements that should be used to help people in policing do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons.

A podium finish for GMP’s equestrian team

GMP’s equestrian team finished in third place at its most recent outing at Croft Top Equestrian Centre in Haslingden.

The dressage team, which consisted of four riders, competed against six other teams, riding in front of two judges who assessed both their riding ability and the capability of their horses. The team had to complete two dressage tests during the day.

Ch Supt Estelle Mathieson, who chairs the equestrian team, said: “We started the equestrian team a couple of years ago when we realised other forces were out there competing and representing their own force.

“There is a large equestrian community within GMP, and we wanted to bring everyone together so we could pull a team together. In the last couple of months, we have managed to successfully turn out both a show jumping and dressage team.

“This podium finish is a real high point for us and has encouraged more members to join. The team spirit is clear to see – it’s so much more fun competing as a team compared to being an individual.”

Our four riders achieved some brilliant scores and their combined totals saw them placed in third position. This is the first time a team from GMP has gained a podium finish at an equestrian event.

For those who are not familiar with dressage, scores are recorded as percentages: the higher the score, the better, and the team with the highest overall score wins.

GMP’s team scores were as follows:

Test 1

Cara Bancroft on Indiana Boy – 66.72%

Jade Stott on Smooth Apache Warrior – 68.96%

Rebecca Atkinson on Moonlight Vision – 73.79%

Katie Gilroy on Fortane Village Snow – 66.20%

Total – 275.67%

Test 2

Cara Bancroft on Indiana Boy – 60.96%

Jade Stott on Smooth Apache Warrior – 68.07%

Rebecca Atkinson on Moonlight Vision – 70.38%

Katie Gilroy on Fortane Village Snow – 62.69%

Total – 262.10%

PC Cara Bancroft was part of the team and explains how she felt to be there: “It was awesome representing GMP Equestrian team and even better that we managed to achieve a podium placing. I got my first ever sash!”

The future is looking bright for the force’s equestrian team and the committee has high hopes for 2024. “We have a British dressage team representing us for the rest of the season and we are hoping to make some big finals,” explains Insp Bree Lanyon.

“We’re also exploring the possibility of competing at the UK Armed Forces Equestrian Association, which is a national competition taking place in October. There are lots of other events planned throughout the year, and both riders and nonriders are welcome. We can always use a spare pair of hands, so if you fancy a day out to watch the team, then let us know.”

Neurodiversity Celebration Week – 18th to 24th March 2024

What is Neurodiversity Celebration Week?

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative which challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences.

GMP is hosting its own local online event via Teams on Tuesday 19 March 2024 from 10am, which will include:

• Guest speakers

• Information on policies, procedures and reasonable adjustments

• Lived experiences

• Awareness

Updates on the event will be published on the Latest News section of the intranet – please look out for this!

If you are struggling, there is always someone to talk to:

• Peer support in GMP – contact the wellbeing volunteer coordinators to be put in contact with an individual who has lived experience of the situation you are currently going through.

• Health Assured – you can call their free, confidential helpline 24/7/365 on 0800 028 0199

• Samaritans – a listening ear is always available on 123 116

Focus on Oldham CID

This month district brief places a focus on the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the fantastic work that they achieve across districts. Within Oldham, Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Walker has focused on key jobs over the past few months:

A lot has been going on these last few months and the office feels to have a real buzz about it.

Starting at the back end of 2023, an investigation held by the department made international news with the safe return of missing child, Alex Batty. Alex had been missing for six years and was taken from his grandmother who had parental responsibility, by his mother and grandfather to Spain. The news that Alex had been found in France landed at the back end of the ‘working week’. But Oldham CID wasted no time in getting a grip of the situation. Liaising with the NCA, the Foreign office, the French Consulate, the local authority and many

other parties, officers set actions and nominated two of our local detectives to jump on a plane and fly out to France. Alex was safely returned to his grandmother the day after and a small dedicated team set up under the districts lead SIO. The investigation into Alex’s abduction continues as Operation Builder and has a dedicated CPS lawyer from their complex department and a recently appointed nationally renowned KC.

But ‘big jobs’ are not an uncommon sight in Oldham. In February, a dedicated team from within the CID has been set up for Operation Hollow. This operation is an investigation into a sex trafficking OCG where Eastern European females have been forced into the sex industry within Oldham. The Operation has already seen the safe return of one victim to her family in France and several OCG members charged and remanded for trafficking offences. The team continues hot on the trail of the rest of the OCG which it is identifying, arresting

and charging as they go using ‘high level’ investigative tactics.

Oldham is also well known across the force to be the oldest divisional headquarters building and it is fair to say, the age of the building can be noticed on occasion. Detectives wanted to have an office which matches the professionalness of the department with many volunteering their own time after shift or on their day off to come into the office and physically move furniture, vac, clean and rearrange their working space. As a result with their own hardwork and dedication officers have made themselves their own working environment to be proud of.

Oldham CID has become a place staff want to work. In a recent NIE process Oldham bagged itself over a third of the whole forces NIE candidates and the interest continues to grow.

If you are interested in becoming part of the team, come and have a look or speak to the departments staff.

Right Care, Right Personcoming soon

Towards summer 2024, GMP will be adopting Right Care, Right Person (RCRP): a nationwide initiative which helps to identify when concern for welfare (G15) calls require a police response and when a different agency would be better placed to assist.

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

Please be aware that Right Care, Right Person has not yet gone live and RCRP principles must not be adopted before the official launch. Please make sure that you pass on this message to your colleagues, peers and team.

Police officers currently spend a significant amount of time dealing with incidents or issues which fall outside of their remit, and this has an impact on our resources. Under Right Care,

Right Person, when a concern for welfare is reported, GMP will identify the nature of the concern and where suitable, signpost the caller to the most appropriate agency to meet their needs.

Right Care, Right Person will not affect our existing duties under the

law. It will not stop the police attending incidents where there is a real and immediate risk to life or of serious harm, a significant risk to a child, or where a crime or potential crime is involved.

Engaging with you to improve district life

The force has recently introduced an Engagement and Improvement Panel, to help ensure staff needs, concerns, and issues are streamlined and met across all the districts and branches.

Our district SPOC here in Oldham, DCI Matthew Walker, will be representing us on the panel which will meet every few months to discuss key themes from the recent staff survey, with the goal of boosting employee wellbeing and to drive continuous improvement.

By way of introduction, we’ve been getting to know DCI Walker a little better – from staff wellbeing to heavy metal – so without further ado, let’s meet our Oldham E&I Panel SPOC…

Why you did you put yourself forward to be on the Panel?

I put myself forward to be on the

panel because I believe people are our greatest asset. Therefore, it is important we do all we can to understand what will help make them happier in the working environment and subsequently more effective and efficient as a result.

What kind of positive change are you hoping to bring to the district?

I am open to what comes out of a collective process. But ultimately fewer people being off sick due to feeling they can’t cope with work related stress or suffering in silence whilst staying in work with work related stress.

What’s the first improvement you’d like to make?

The first improvement I’d like to make is help to introduce a process where those exposed to the most horrific of events such as child death and road

collisions have world class support around their mental health.

What’s one interesting fact colleagues on the district may not know about you?

One thing the district may not know is that I play drums in a heavy metal band. How do you like to relax outside of work?

I play drums in a heavy metal band!

DCI Walker will be representing the Oldham district on the Engagement and Improvement Panel.

He will be raising your concerns when the panel meets every few months, which will include issues raised in the staff survey and the more recent E&I Panel feedback form.

More details on how to raise matters with your SPOCs will be provided by the Staff Engagement team in due course.

GMP Oldham lead the way seizing criminal assets

February saw officers from Oldham, City of Manchester, and Bury, execute several simultaneous warrants across Greater Manchester which resulted in over £350k worth of suspected criminal assets being seized under Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

These warrants were in connection with the million-pound cannabis farm bust at Mill Street, Oldham, late last year, but intelligence suggests these cannabis farms may be connected to several other criminal enterprises across the Greater Manchester.

Police remained at various scenes throughout the week conducting thorough searches of the properties. As the week drew to an end, the amount seized is believed to amount to over £350,000.

A 36 year old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to produce cannabis, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, production of cannabis and modern day slavery offences.

A 37 year old woman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering, possession with intent to supply.

A 52 year old man arrested on

suspicion of conspiracy to produce cannabis and modern day slavery offences.

They have since been bailed pending further enquiries.

Superintendent Phil Hutchinson from GMP Oldham district said: “I understand that our communities may see cannabis farms as a victimless crime, but this trade is built upon exploitation of vulnerable people and attracts further criminality and violence to our communities through gang violence and addiction.

“People can make monumental profits from exploitative human labour and organised crime, and being able to seize these assets and reinvest it back into our communities is something we will continue to do.

“A huge thank you to the teams that were a part of this recovery, both in February and back in October 2023 at Mill Street.

“We will also thank the public for their continued support in assisting our work by reporting and sharing information.”

ARIS funding can be used to support the force’s objectives to fight, prevent and reduce crime, keep

people safe and care for victims.

Community-based non-profits can apply for a maximum of £20,000 to fund 12 months’ of activitiy. If you know of an organisation that may benefit from funding then please signpost them to our website for further details.