I hope that everyone has had the opportunity to take some time off over the summer period to spend with family and friends, and have some rest and recuperation.
The tragic murder of three young children in Southport will have impacted many of us – you may have children, or helped provide mutual aid to Merseyside and within GMP, as we managed the disorder that followed. Thank you for your efforts during that period.
A 17-year-old juvenile was charged with those murders – whether he was known to services, only time will tell, but it does make me reflect on our safeguarding obligations to vulnerable people.
Recognising and responding to vulnerability is one of our core roles –domestic abuse and care plans are completed to help provide support to vulnerable people. Since September ‘23, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) have reviewed and actioned 13,835 DABS and CAPS. Well done team!
Under the district operating model (DOM), the MASH will change their name to the District Safeguarding Team (DST), but they will continue to provide the same function, working closely with partner agencies such as children’s social care, health services, and other agencies. The information you provide helps the multiagency team make decisions about what might reduce risks and provide support to vulnerable people.
If you need any support on responding to, or recognising vulnerability, please seek advice from your colleagues based in the DST – they can be found on the top floor opposite the canteen, and we also have a small team based directly with partners in the Spindles.
Using your professional curiosity, submitting timely, and good quality information help the team make effective decisions on how to safeguard children and adults – your actions can genuinely make a difference to someone’s life.
DCI Lindsay Booth
PCSO Cat McAvady nominated for Chief Constable’s Award
PCSO Cat McAvady has been shortlisted for a Chief Constable’s Award for going above and beyond in her role supporting the local community, where she has built strong bonds with both residents and partners.
In her nomination citation, Sergeant Pete Heslop wrote: “PCSO Cat McAvady has once again this year displayed her unwavering dedication and passion to supporting the community of Westwood and Coldhurst. Her levels of engagement with the community and partners have gone from strength to strength and showed great results in all areas of neighbourhood policing.
“With staff movements Cat had been patrolling on her beat alone as a PCSO but this has not deterred her from patrolling the area constantly and extensively throughout the cold winter months, being a high visibility presence that the community have grown to love and take great reassurance from.”
He continued: “Cat’s community focus is second to none, she has worked
tirelessly to design and deliver school inputs to all the varied age groups at local schools and youth groups. She is committed to working with the young to steer them on a more positive pass and reduce violent crime.
“Cat works extremely well with her NBO’s sharing intel to target patrols and assisting with primary investigations. Her level of investigation and evidence gathering never ceases to impress and takes so much pressure from them and frees them up to concentrate on proactive policing.
“PCSO McAvady is everything we look for in a Community Support Officer and it is only right she is recognised for her hard work and professionalism.”
On being nominated, PCSO McAvady said: “Honestly, I was really surprised to have been nominated at Oldham. It was a massive honour, and now to be shortlisted is amazing. I’m so proud to have achieved this nomination. It’s very humbling to know that my sergeant and inspector appreciate the work I do.”
Good luck, PCSO McAvady!
Meet the media office: your communications team
The Corporate Communications branch is the bridge between the force, it’s employees and the public.
The branch deals with all internal and external communication with employees and the media. Our main goal is to support operational policing and to enhance public confidence. The branch is located on the ground floor at Greater Manchester Police Force Headquarters (GMPFHQ). Their mission is to keep the public informed, safe, and engaged while also supporting our officers and staff.
In today’s fast-paced world, effective communication is essential for public safety. The media office provides proactive and reactive communications and media support to officers and staff of all ranks.
The team is made up of a media manager, two team leaders, a number
of media officers, two social media support officers and a public relations and communications apprentice.
The media office takes on a variety of initiatives to increase public safety and enhance communication. For example, we warn and inform the public in response to incidents and emergencies.
The team also produce multi-media content to help with reduction and prevention of crime, harm and antisocial behaviour, while also publicising delivery of good work to build public trust and confidence.
In addition, they provide training and support to officers of all ranks, helping them navigate media interactions.
Finally, they facilitate media opportunities proactively and reactively across incidents and portfolio areas, as well as requests for filming and documentaries, ensuring that all
enquires are managed through the media office.
Following the tensions throughout the UK, they focused on ensuring that communities within Greater Manchester felt safe and supported by:
• Providing messaging to build community reassurance and confidence in policing
• Showing a visible police presence in media for public reassurance.
• Promoting the sentencing and charges of people involved in the riots.
The media office office hours are Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 7pm and on weekends from 8am to 4pm. For any enquiries, please contact the team at ext 62230 during weekday office hours or via email at press.office@gmp.police.uk.
Officer restores resident’s faith in GMP
‘I won’t forget his kindness at such a dark moment’ – these are the words of an Oldham resident who previously had ‘little faith’ in GMP’s Oldham division.
But the resident changed his opinion because of the efforts of an officer known only as ‘Mike’ (no other details provided), who assisted him when a call was logged in August over concern for his welfare.
The man explained: “From the minute Mike arrived, he treated me as a respected human who mattered. He provided professional reassurance and worked with me. He attended with two other female officers. Due to how Mike was engaging with me I felt ok to continue with him.
“Mike got in the car and listened to me without interruption. He wanted me to go to A&E, which I didn’t want
to do. Mike listened to my reasons as to why, and we agreed to contact the mental health practitioner (Sue) over the phone. Sue was very kind and respectful, she listened to my worries and provided reassurance.
“Mike and Sue were satisfied I was not presenting as a risk to myself or anyone else. I had initially left the house to go for a drive and clear my head. Mike asked if I would be comfortable returning home. He advised he would follow me home if that was ok, to take details and ensure I was safe.
“Mike listened to everything I had to say, and I felt really supported by his kindness and professionalism.
“Previously I’ve been vocal when I feel GMP have let me down, so it’s only right to praise hard-working officers such as Mike who have
supported me. I won’t forget his kindness at such a dark moment. The actions and good conduct Mike has shown me has helped to rebuild some of the damage previously caused.
“Mike, I can’t thank you enough for the time, compassion, empathy, and kindness you showed to me at such a difficult dark time. This isn’t something I’ll forget, and I will pass that kindness on to the next person who needs it.
“You didn’t just do your job that day, you showed real compassion for another human being.”
It’s often the unseen work many officers do building bridges with their communities and gaining the trust of local residents that can help make a real difference to peoples’ lives.
Oldham is one of the largest towns within the Greater Manchester region and it is renowned for its vibrant multicultural community, celebrating the diversity and traditions of its residents.
However, it is also known to be one of the most deprived areas of the region, according to the 2021 Census. The district tackles issues such as organised crime groups, ASB and retail crime.
One of the teams dedicated to protecting and safeguarding community is the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT). The team works closely with local authorities, community leaders and residents to decide on policing priorities for the area. These initiatives allow them to find useful, long-term solutions to local problems, while maintaining a wider focus on the basics: to fight, prevent and reduce crime, whilst keeping people safe and caring for victims.
We had the opportunity to speak with Sergeant Graham Craven from the Oldham NPT.
Retail crime:
Sgt Craven said: “One of the main issues of the Oldham City Centre area is retail crime. A new communications system funded by the council was introduced a few years ago which allows the neighbourhood team to contact partners and retail shops directly via radio. The initiative has allowed officers to respond to incidents quicker and prevent issues from escalating any
further.
“The team has just taken custody of two more radios that they encourage student officers to take out with them whilst they are being tutored on the town centre.
“This new internal radio messaging system has received very positive feedback from retail shops and members. Among others, security staff have directly thanked the team for the work they do and how the direct contact is valuable for them.”
Knife crime:
Sgt Craven said: “The area experienced a noticeable increase in knife-point robberies recently. The team delivered inputs on knife crime to students in several schools in the area and partnership work with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) around tram stops in the city centre.
“Using analysis and problem-solving initiatives to combat knife crime, the area has seen a 90% decrease in these types of robberies. The community has openly shared positive feedback of the work done by the team. Students of the Oldham Sixth Form college have openly expressed their appreciation, as one of their main concerns was the presence of knifes in the area.”
Violence against women and girls (VAWG):
Sgt Craven said: “VAWG is a concern for our community. The night time economy is no stranger to these types of incidents, with most incidents happening during Friday and Saturday nights. The area has an allocated team, formed by one Sergeant and four police officers, to tackle the issue during peak times.
“The district’s Prevention hub has shared with the team the positive impact on that initiative, which only started last December.”
E-bikes:
Sgt Craven said: “The St. Mary’s area experiences a large number of incidents of organised crime and ASB nature, the
latter including the use of illegal e-bikes.
“The neighbourhood team in the area assists during Op Lune, a coordinated response to tackle and reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB) on motorbikes, e-bikes and quadbikes. As a result, the neighbourhood team at St. Mary’s, alongside the Derker neighbourhood team, has successfully removed a handful of illegal e-bikes off the streets of Oldham.”
Community engagement:
Aside from tackling crime, Oldham NPT also speaks to members of the local community and help build trust and confidence.
Neighbourhood officers in the Oldham district carry out regular PACT meetings and surgeries in different places across the district to engage with the community. For instance, the team at St. Mary’s will hold some surgeries at a couple of local schools, where parents can go share their worries and concerns. This is also very effective in gathering intelligence.
The role of an neighbourhood officer is very varied and challenging at times but is also a rewarding one. Sgt Craven, who joined the force 23 years ago and been part of the NPT for five years, added: “The most rewarding part of the role is helping people, getting justice for vulnerable victims of crime and making our communities feel safe.
“We have a good team who are very proactive and committed to their role.”
