Wigan edition of The Brief – October 2023

WIGAN’S NEW ORGANISED CRIME STRATEGY

Hi all, darker nights have now set in, which also means our bills will be rising with the overall cost of living.

If you are struggling please speak to your supervisor, Federation or Union as there is support out there.

We will see an increase in certain crime types at this time of yearincluding ASB, burglaries, vehicle theft and robberies. We will be running Op Acquire ‘pulse days of action’ at the end of November and December.

I would urge you to join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and encourage the public to do the same.

The new District Operations and Force Crime Management Unit recently launched and was quite the change for us, but I was really pleased to see that Wigan settled down quite quickly and found our stride, albeit with a few niggles! A big thank you for just getting on with it, especially as our demand was really high.

Over the last four months, we have seen our demand rise which has been hard to keep up with. It has been a real team effort with all departments chipping in and taking jobs out of the queues. There are some priority areas that we need to focus on as a district:

• Grade 2 attendance – In July we had 1340 Grade 2 incidents and 1264 Grade 1s. Our Grade 2 attendance within an hour was 36.3% - the lowest in force.

• Our DA arrests have dropped off as we aren’t getting to our grade 2s – domestic abuse calls are a force priority.

• ARDs need to be attached to the crime and the main area we failed on (only 10% from a dip sample) is the initial Sergeants assessment.

Everybody works hard on our district and we have had a busy couple of months. Keep up the hard work.

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham

Helping communities feel safer

In September, the district launched the ‘Place and Community Safety’ partnership as part of a new organised crime strategy for Wigan.

This multi-agency group is made up of key partners including Wigan Council, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, Department for Work and Pensions, National Probation Service, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and local charities.

This operation works alongside partners to build safer communities by tackling every element of criminality, from evicting nuisance tenants, exposing benefit fraud and money laundering, or clamping down illegal dog breeding and drug supply. By developing innovative and preventative measures, police and partners can disrupt the organised criminal networks and improve community safety.

Following the launch, warrants were executed in response to community concerns regarding county lines drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, and concerns of exploitation of teenagers. This resulted in 31 arrests for offences linked to organised crime, seven safeguarding referrals, the siezure of large amounts of crack cocaine and heroin, and 38 nuisance properties being shut down – a record amount of closure

orders across Greater Manchester.

Officers also supported Wigan council in conducting a range of sessions to help educate local communities on how to spot the signs of exploitation.

This new multi-agency operation will see partners meet monthly to discuss local concerns, fill intelligence gaps, and ensure a robust plan is in place to tackle the identified threat and implement successful prevention methods.

Detective Inspector Patrick Wood from GMP’s Wigan district highlighted the importance of the new partnership:

“Police can execute a warrant and close drug lines down, but optimal success is achieved by collaborating with partners, sharing our information and resources, to tackle organised crime from every angle.

“Wigan’s new strategy aims to level the playing field on crime through more intelligence, resources, and powers to remove criminals from our communities.

“Our mission is to ensure communities in Wigan and Leigh feel safer.”

A trip down memory lane

The very first intake at Hough End returns

Over 45 years ago, in 1976, the centre at Hough End first opened its doors to the Greater Manchester Police mounted unit, where more than 40 horses were stabled.

The site was bustling with activity and provided guided tours for eager members of the public who wanted to see what went on behind the scenes.

Mounted officers would perform all the equestrian duties needed to take care of their steeds, including all mucking out, grooming and preparing for show days, on top of actively patrolling across all the communities in Greater Manchester.

It was a busy time, and the first three officers to lead the charge into this new era were Police Constables Steve Lee, John Dursley and David Hunt.

They arrived as fresh-faced mounted officers into the open arms of GMP, where they commenced their first 12-week course.

Back then, new recruits to the unit would be expected to complete the first course before going back to their district and then returning for a more advanced 12-week riding course. Very few who were in the branch left their roles, so they were highly coveted.

Fast forward to today and the three stooges returned to Hough End for a trip down memory lane, and they found that very little of the structural aspects have changed.

The unit has been drastically reduced though, and there are less than half the horses on-site than when the PCs were working there.

Plus, the canteen has vanished, which was duly noted by PC Dursley!

“There was great camaraderie during our time there, and we have fond memories from when we were there,” says PC Hurst.

“The stable block has changed slightly, to allow for more room for the horses to be stabled, and we never had grooms when we were around – we had to do it all ourselves.

“We all had a six-pack back then, whereas now we’re not anywhere near as fit.

“It was a hugely active role. When we arrived, the tradition was started to name all the horses after Charles Dickens characters, and there are many there today that have the same names as ours did.

“It’s great to see that tradition continuing.”

PC Hurst said: “It’s also great to see things like the original forge (where the farrier shoes the horses) still there, and it brings back lots of memories of working with the farrier.

“The farrier was a huge part of the team (and still is to this day) and was very protective of all the horses.

“I remember one instance where I brought over one of my horses, who had split his leg open and had a gaping wound.

“Well, I got hollered at and went away with ‘take more care of my horses’ ringing in my ears.

“You did everything you could for them, but it was also a lot of fun and everyone looked out for each other. It was a great place to be.”

PC Lee reminisced about the role of mounted officers back then.

He said: “There were mainly grey and bay coloured horses when we were there, and then the chestnuts started to appear.

“The main reason for this was them all needing to look fairly similar for when we did our displays, which were always a massive hit at the Manchester Show.

“It’s a shame they don’t take place anymore, as it was always a crowd pleaser that people would look forward to.

“Having a proactive public relations role was a huge part of our daily job, and we would often ride for 10 hours in the saddle across different districts.

“Football matches were our most common call out for duty, and instead of transporting the horses there in a lorry, we would ride them to the ground, escorting the fans on the way.”

September Search Month has just finished, with the focus having been on how officers conduct a search of a person, property or vehicle.

The Organisational Learning Hub wanted to highlight the issue, as the team are regularly made aware of instances of ineffective searches resulting in blades and firearms not being discovered – and therefore people being put in danger.

Several issues were raised during September to stress the importance of completing a thorough search.

Ineffective searches can lead to weapons not being found in the initial search, resulting in a dangerous situation for officers and detainees.

The risk is real. Only a few years ago, Metropolitan Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana was shot and killed in a custody suite by a weapon that was concealed by a detainee.

The aim of the month-long focus was to improve standards both on the streets and in custody.

The message to officers was, and remains, ‘if you take extra time, check all areas and follow the process, you can avoid a serious incident from occurring’.

It is also important to report any ‘near misses’ to Health and Safety. These are incidents which had the potential to cause injury to people or loss or damage to equipment or property.

Each near miss must be reported to H&S to help prevent future incidents from occurring and to keep people, equipment and property safe.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, our local policing lead, said: “The safety of our staff and the public is our number one priority, and completing a thorough search of a person is key to upholding that aim.

“Near miss incidents are a real threat to yourself and others, and we need to improve. They can put people in real danger.

“Effective searches not only reduce the risk of harm but also assist the force

in fighting, preventing and reducing crime by ensuring that evidence is recovered and forensic opportunities are maximised.”

Are you sure you have completed a thorough search?

The importance of a thorough search Enabling people to ‘Bee in the Loop’

More than 15,000 people have signed up to Bee in the Loop since our community messaging system went live in March.

Bee in the Loop gives the communities we serve the opportunity to choose what information they would like to know about, including crime and incidents in their local area.

It is also an invaluable investigative tool, enabling us to appeal for information or intelligence directly to the public to help us solve crimes.

All members of the force are encouraged to sign up to Bee in the Loop, whether they live in Greater Manchester or not. To do so, visit www.beeintheloop.co.uk/#SignUp

We currently have over 400 users trained up to send Bee in the Loop messages across our districts.

Thank you to everyone who has been actively using it to send messages to your communities and replying to people who have aired concerns.

Special thanks go to our top 10 users so far, who are:

• Andrew Hall

• Ryan Chadwick

• Mollie Gibson

• Claire Lucas

• Jonny Cross

• Phillip Jones

• Holly Douglas

• Matthew Honey

• Meena Yasin

• Gareth Edwards.

We would especially like to say a huge thank you to the team across Stockport, who over the past month have increased the number of members they have signed up by almost 30 per cent.

Almost 360 new members have signed up in Stockport, which is a fantastic achievement.

SPoCs continue to be sent business cards which can be given to members of the community during police surgeries, PACT meetings and out on patrol for them to sign up for Bee in the Loop.

We also have posters which can be displayed within community buildings.

With Bee in the Loop being a relatively new service, we are keen to get your feedback on it – what it is like to use, how communities are responding to it and if you have any suggestions on how it can be improved.

To provide feedback, or for support with content or requests for posters for communities, please get in touch with Georgia Holland via georgia.holland@ gmp.police.uk or Jess Allen-Millbank via Jessica.allen-millbank@gmp.police.uk

If you have any questions regarding access to Bee in the Loop, contact Rash Siddiquee via rashed.siddiquee@ gmp.police.uk

Remembering our fallen colleagues

Officers and staff members who died in the line of duty were remembered at the National Police Memorial Day event on Sunday 24 September.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods attended the ceremony at the New Theatre in Cardiff on behalf of GMP.

Police Constable Alan Ryder was selected as GMP’s standard bearer for the event as officers, staff and families from forces across the UK honoured fallen colleagues.

DCC Woods said: “The National Police Memorial is an important event to ensure that those who have made the ultimate sacrifice are remembered.

“Their self-sacrifice, bravery and dedication to duty, community and country should never be forgotten.”

PC Ryder added: “It was an honour to be GMP’s standard bearer for the ceremony.

“Being able to honour fallen officers and staff in that way was a privilege on what was an emotional day.”

The names of officers who lost their lives over the past year were read out at the event. They are:

• Sussex Police Sergeant Steven Creal, who died on 21 December 2022 at the age of 42

• Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary PCSO Daniel Gower, who died on 23 November 2022 at the age of 20

• Lancashire Constabulary PC Richard James Joseph Kemp, who died on 27 December 2022 at the age of 47

• Hertfordshire Constabulary PC Bruce Lister, who died on 30 January 2023 at the age of 57

• Northumbria Police PC Neil Pattinson, who died on 27 February 2023 at the age of 47

• West Mercia Police PC Andrew Boardman, who died on 11 April 2023 at the age of 43

• Dyfed Powys Police Inspector Gareth Earp, who died on 29 June 2023 at the age of 43

• Nottinghamshire Police Sergeant Graham Saville, who died on 29 August 2023 at the age of 46.

During the service, candles were lit by relatives in remembrance of those who have lost their lives across the UK.

The candles – one from each of the four nations of the UK – serve as a reminder of the undying flame of devotion and commitment, exemplified by those who were remembered during the service.

The newsletter for the event included ‘The Thin Blue Line’ poem, which was written by Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE in memory of GMP Inspector Raymond Codling, who was killed on duty on 14 September 1989.

Anyone needing help can get support from our staff support networks, Wellbeing Team and services and Force Chaplain Father Barry Lomax.

You can also call Health Assured on 0800 028 0199 or the GMP Federation Group Insurance Counselling Line on 0800 177 7894.

Chief hails major changes New District Operations teams and us become best performing force

Chief Constable Stephen Watson says that we are on a path to becoming the best performing force in the country after two major changes were implemented to improve the way we operate.

Our new District Operations teams – made up of Response and District Investigations Teams (DITs) – and the Force Crime Management Unit (FCMU) went live in the first week of September to enable us to better respond to the needs of the public, investigate all crimes and improve the standards of investigations and crime recording.

As part of these changes, the force has implemented important improvements to GMP’s crime management processes.

Extensive work has been done across the force to achieve these goals, both in the lead up to the implementation of the changes and since they went live last month.

CC Watson thanked all the teams and individuals for this work when he and Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor Kate Green visited the FCMU once it was up and running with all its teams in place.

He stated to the FCMU staff and the Response and DIT officers from across the force who attended the event that the changes which have been made are ‘hugely exciting’ for the future of GMP and will pave the way for the force to become ‘genuinely outstanding’.

“We’re going to be the best performing force in this country –that’s a realistic aspiration, and we’ll do it in the next couple of years,” CC Watson said during a speech he made at the FCMU, which is based at Unit A opposite FHQ.

“We’ll do it by taking these models and grasping the new insights that they throw up with an open mind, and by being grateful that we are seeing the opportunity to fix things.”

The Deputy Mayor added: “It’s great that these changes have been made to deliver a better service to people in Greater Manchester.

“To do something on the scale that this has been done, and to bring it in so smoothly, is a tremendous achievement. Congratulations to everybody, and thank you very much.”

As with all major changes, a few teething problems have been

encountered. These are being tackled head on, and those leading the new District Operations teams and FCMU are pleased with how the first month has gone and are convinced that the new ways of working will prove to be highly beneficial for both the force and the communities we serve once they are fully embedded and their teams are at full capacity.

Chief Superintendent Chris Goodman-Bowen, the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the District Operations teams, said: “Team GMP have rallied around and implemented this transformational change with a supportive can-do attitude.

“There have been a couple of bumps in the road, but with your continued feedback we will mould this model to deliver the best possible service for the communities of Greater Manchester.”

Detective Superintendent Natalie Dalby, who leads the FCMU teams based at Unit A, said: “We have welcomed over 200 police officers into the branch, and in spite of the significant changes for many in terms of their role, location and new teams, everyone has been really optimistic and engaged.

“We still have to refine our processes and align with wider force governance, but overall it has been a really positive start for us. Thank you much to everyone involved for all your hard work.”

changes made in September and FCMU to help in the country

DISTRICT OPERATIONS

District Operations, which is part of the development of a consistent wider District Operating Model, sees each district having both a dedicated Response Team to respond timely to incidents and a dedicated investigations team (DIT) to improve service and outcomes to victims of crime.

This change has been made to allow us to better focus on responding to incidents while providing care for victims.

FORCE CRIME MANAGEMENT UNIT

The new FCMU is a dedicated central function to consistently record, investigate and finalise crimes.

It has been formed to record more crime at the earliest opportunity; investigate more crime from a desk-based position, to reduce the overall investigative demand on the frontline and districts; improve levels of victim service; and apply consistent and correct outcomes to investigations.

The FCMU is made up of four distinct teams – the Initial Investigation Unit (IIU), Crime Finalisation and Incident Quality Assurance based at Unit A and the Crime Recording and Resolution Unit based at FHQ.

For more information about the two major changes, check out the ‘Force Crime Management Unit and Response Policing’ section of the intranet.

A view from someone working in the new FCMU

Initial Investigation Unit (IIU) Police Constable John Sharp has worked in the Force Crime Management Unit since it went live on Monday 4 September.

He is part of the new team at Unit A who are centrally dealing with the high volume of investigations that are not time critical, have no named suspect and no immediate risk.

PC Sharp (pictured above) was previously a member of the Bury District Investigation Team and was predominately dealing with prisoners, domestic abuse cases and court files.

He said: “Working in the FCMU is very different from my previous role.

“The team, including the supervision, have been very welcoming, and I am enjoying the job and can see how much it will benefit the whole force and the communities we serve moving forward.

“It makes sense for a central team to deal with the initial investigations of the large amount of low-risk crimes that have built up at GMP.

“We rightly have to follow all lines of enquiry for such crimes, which are predominantly criminal damage and theft cases.

“By us doing that centrally at Unit A before passing all the evidence we have gathered to the relevant district, it saves those districts a significant amount of time and resources.

“We have systems in place in the FCMU that enables us to obtain evidence in a quicker and more efficient way, and from speaking to victims of these low-risk crimes as part of our investigations it is clear that the new process is increasing the public’s confidence in policing at GMP.

“Many of the victims I have spoken to were not expecting follow up police contact.

“They are extremely grateful for the work we are doing to solve the crimes they have been subjected to, and when we are simply unable to do that due to a lack of evidence, they appreciate being told that by us over the phone.

“Managing expectations is a big part of an important job that will ensure GMP solves more crimes and brings more offenders to justice.”

GMP Museum welcomes more than 6,000 visitors

The GMP Museum was busier than ever over the school summer holidays, with more than 6,000 people visiting to learn all about policing in Greater Manchester.

The visitors could dress up in officers’ uniform, learn about infamous criminal masterminds across Greater Manchester and take part in a mock trial to determine whether the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ was guilty of blowing the three little pigs’ houses down. Museum Education and Engagement Officer Helen Mallinson said: “It has been lovely to see the museum so busy and full of families learning about policing and having lots of fun at the same time!”

Founded in 1981, the GMP Museum is situated in the middle of Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter.

The Grade II listed building used to be home to Newton Station Police Station, which opened in 1879.

Now, the building not only collects and preserves archive material and objects relating to the history of policing in the Greater Manchester area, it also acts as an important resource for community engagement – visitors can talk to the staff and volunteers about policing.

Following their visit, some people left reviews, with one stating ‘all volunteers made everybody welcome and had some great stories to tell’.

Another wrote: “Ohh we loved it! My five-year-old was sooo happy there. The court case was amazingly fun! I recommend it to everyone!”

The museum at 57A Newton Street, Manchester, is open every Tuesday.

It is also open on Thursdays during school holidays.

Webbs will continue to catch criminals after legend’s retirement

One of the longest serving members of the force retired on Friday 29 September – and his two children who followed him into the GMP family could not be more proud of him for the 47 years of service he has given.

Tony Webb joined the force as an officer in February 1976 and spent 26 of his initial 30 years’ service as a dog handler.

After retiring as a Police Constable in 2006, he rejoined GMP in the same year as an Enquiry Counter Officer based at Tameside, where he remained until his well-earned permanent retirement.

Tony’s two children, PCs Claire and Robert Webb, are the only siblings in our Tactical Firearms Unit.

And Tony’s late dad Roy Webb was also a long-standing member of GMP.

In fact, former Chief Inspector Roy was Tony’s boss when he worked at Oldham’s Q Division.

Claire and Robert, who both joined the force in 2006 and are pictured with Tony above, said: “We are extremely proud of Dad’s achievements and dedicated service to GMP.

“He is a role model and a legend in our eyes and in the eyes of his six grandchildren, who all endure his tales of woe from his policing career.

“They don’t make them like him anymore, but Mum should also get a mention for putting up with him and all

his dogs over the years, as they would retire as pets and, much to her dismay, come to live with us indoors.”

Tony, 66, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my 47 years in the force and would like to thank all my former colleagues for making the experience so special.

“I am very proud to be part of three generations of Webbs to have served GMP, and the family name at the force is being left in very good hands with my two beloved children.”

Tony’s final boss at GMP, Tameside Chief Inspector Claire Galt, said: “Tony is a legend and has served the community at Tameside for 47 years, which is amazing.

“I worked alongside Tony when he was a dog handler at Stalybridge and saw first-hand his dedication and commitment to policing and locking up those who commit crime on our district.

“I wish him a long and happy retirement, albeit he will be sorely missed!”

Tony was just 19 when he joined the force. After his two years’ probation, he did six months in CID at Oldham and then 18 months in plain clothes.

He joined the dog section in 1980 and went on to become one of the longest serving dog handlers in GMP’s history.

Tony covered some historic events as a dog handler, including the miners’ strikes in the 1980s, the Wigan,

Nottinghamshire, Moss Side and Oldham riots, the Strangeways Prison riot and the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Tony loved all his police dogs and achieved legendary status at GMP with the work he did with them.

His daughter Claire says: “After speaking with many dog handlers over the years and officers who Dad worked with on Oldham’s G Division, they remember him as an officer who would always back them up.

“They all say ‘we always knew that we would be okay when Webby turned up with his dog’.”

Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police

New home for wellbeing

Many of you may have noticed that ‘Wellbeing’ has been added to the top banner of the intranet homepage.

This makes it easier for everyone to access the Wellbeing pages and the help and support that is available.

The Wellbeing pages have recently had a revamp, making them more user friendly and accessible for all.

All internal and external support is now easier to find and access, as is the new Wellbeing Strategy and details of the Wellbeing Calendar.

for the course, search for ‘Empowered Conversations, dementia’ on the internet.

WellFest Virtual Wellbeing Festival

Devon and Cornwall Police has opened its WellFest Virtual Wellbeing Festival up to GMP and all other forces across the country this year.

You can choose from more than 60 virtual sessions covering all areas of wellbeing.

Running from Monday 9 October to Friday 20 October, the festival includes a virtual trip to the zoo, talks on resilience and determination and live cookery classes, as well as dedicated sessions on the menopause on World Menopause Day (Wednesday 18 October).

Federation Maternity Open Day

The Greater Manchester Police Federation Maternity Open Day was held at Progress House in Stockport in September.

As always, the event was a big success.

If you have not taken the opportunity to attend one of these days, they are very informative, not just for officers and staff who are about to embark on maternity leave but for line managers too.

Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinator

Rhian Hurst (pictured above), who has recently returned to work after maternity leave, brought her son with her to the open day to help promote the wellbeing services available.

She also shared her experience of maternity leave at the event.

Empowered Conversations

There is a free course launching for family caregivers of people with dementia in Greater Manchester.

It aims to encourage people to have meaningful conversations around dementia and increase their confidence in how to do this.

The course also provides advice on self-care.

An hour-long Empowered Conversations introductory session will be held from 3pm on Thursday 5 October.

The course lasts for six weeks, with each of the main sessions taking place between 7pm and 9pm from Thursday 2 November.

For more information, or to sign up

Visit the Oscar Kilo website for details of how to register for any of the sessions being held over Microsoft Teams.

Awareness in October

October is National Cholesterol Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Sunday 1 October also marks the start of Go Sober for October.

The month also sees a number of awareness days and weeks, including:

• Dyslexia Awareness Week:

Monday 2 October to Sunday

8 October

• Baby Loss Awareness Week:

Monday 9 October to Sunday

15 October

• World Menopause Day:

Wednesday 18 October

Supporting our armed forces community

The fourth Supporting Our Armed Forces Recognition Event was held at FHQ in September.

Hosted by Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes, the strategic lead for GMP’s Armed Forces Network, the annual event shines a light on the work done nationally to support our armed forces.

It also reflects on GMP’s local involvement and celebrates those who have gone above and beyond to support the armed forces community and individual veterans.

The all-day event was attended by Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, who thanked all the police forces that were represented for their continued armed forces support and stated that it is a ‘source of pride’ that GMP remains a Gold standard organisation as part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

The afternoon saw recognition awards presented to key individuals within GMP’s Armed Forces Network.

The recognition awards and the winners were:

• Selfless Commitment (ensuring vulnerable veterans get support): Pauline MaCinnes and Police Constable Gary Manville.

• Creating and Delivering Veterans Crisis Training: Detective Sergeant Craig Morgan.

• Commitment to Raising Awareness and Support for our Veteran and Reservist Student Officers: Frank Rutter.

• Dedication to Supporting our Veterans and Reservists: Emma Richards.

• Going Above and Beyond: PC Warren Yates.

• Locating a High-Risk Missing Veteran at Risk of Suicide: PCs Ben Southern and Helen Barnes.

For more details and photographs of the event, check out the ‘Supporting our armed forces’ article on the intranet.

Behind bars for prolific Wigan burglary offender

A Wigan man, who broke into a home and attempted to enter several others, has been jailed for 38 months.

In May 2023, David Keith Simpson (26/08/1979), of Kendal Road, Ince, carried out a short crime spree, during which he attempted to enter several homes by trying handles to check if doors were locked, smashing the window of a property, and entering the garden of another property.

Despite being thwarted, chased off by an occupant and barked at by a dog, Simpson persisted with his attempts, and managed to gain entry into a property on Green Lane, Ince.

Simpson made off with the occupants’ bank cards – who were later notified of

their cards being used at various shops in the local area.

Upon reviewing footage from the stores’ CCTV and doorbell footage from the morning of the incident, officers quickly identified Simpson, resulting in an arrest and subsequent charge.

Appearing at Bolton Crown Court on Friday 11 August 2023, Simpson received 48 months imprisonment for one count of burglary, five attempted burglaries and two frauds.

This was subsequently reduced to 38 months after entering an early guilty plea.

Detective Sergeant Nigel Rigby from Wigan District Neighbourhood Crime Team said: “As burglary is a force

priority, we always investigate reports of this instance and do our best to secure arrests, charges, and sentencings.

“Ultimately, burglary is a crime which can often leave people feeling unsafe and scared in their own homes. No one should be made to feel this way, and therefore, we hope that this result provided a measure of comfort to those affected.

“This is why we support our communities – through the hours we log to get people such as David Simpson off the streets and continue our commitment to keeping communities safe from harm.

“A fantastic outcome with Simpson now having plenty of time to think about his actions behind bars.”

Driving change with DA response cars

A new approach to tackling domestic abuse (DA) has been created in Wigan - spearheaded by Chief Inspector Clare Anderson and Wigan Council’s Domestic Abuse Operational Manager, Lindsey Saunders.

The partnership has been working together to secure funding for a specific DA car to be out on patrol to attend domestic incidents as they are reported. The DA cars include a GMP Police Officer accompanied by Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and is funded by Wigan Council in partnership with the NHS. The cars have three simple aims; to respond to domestic incidents effectively and quickly, provide a well-rounded approach to safeguarding victims, and tackle perpetrators of DA immediately.

As of July 2023, the cars are now working at full speed, enabling officers and IDVAs to promptly respond to domestic incidents, visit victims, and offer enhanced support in a comprehensive manner.

Working together as a team, the IDVA and officer ensure the safety of victims and their loved ones and ensure perpetrators are dealt with proportionately and swiftly.

This collaboration between partners and GMP hopes to empower victims to choose their next steps, including pursuing legal action or opting for

evidence-based prosecution. This approach instils confidence that victims will receive unwavering support throughout the legal process from the police and support services, further reinforcing the role of the police as protectors and advocates.

Chief Inspector Clare Anderson of GMP’s Wigan District said: “In Wigan, we are always looking at new and innovative ways that we can work together across the district, the force and with our partners, and a lot of our initiatives would not have been possible without them.

“In the past, we have introduced similar strategies, exemplified by the mental health car pairing officers with mental health specialists. Its successful trial here led to its adoption across the force, and I sincerely hope that

this DA car will receive lots of positive outcomes and interventions resulting in a forcewide adoption in the future.

“The DA cars are now in action and having that balance of both a police officer and an IDVA responding to DA incidents is working extremely well, resulting in some fantastic outcomes and interventions in our communities.

“This ongoing partnership is dedicated to enhancing lives in Wigan, but also developing our officers; getting them to engage further with other agencies and partners to foster knowledge-sharing, skill growth, and build positive and invaluable working relationships.

“I genuinely hope that the impact of these DA cars will persist in helping vulnerable individuals across the whole borough of Wigan.”

Letter of thanks from victim of burglary

Officers recently came to the aid of a burglary victim from Orrell, who had returned home for the evening, only to discover that she had been burgled.

The offender had entered the property via an open window and had made off with jewellery that held great sentimental value to the victim.

She acted swiftly, immediately reporting the incident to the police and was subsequently informed that an officer would be in touch to arrange a visit the following day. However, within just two hours of making the call, two officers were deployed to the scene.

When recounting the experience, the victim said: “The two officers that initially attended, were very kind and helpful. They took the time to explain to me that they thought the crime could be connected to another attempted burglary at a neighbour’s property. Whilst they were with me, another officer arrivedfollowing an interview with my neighbour - and showed me CCTV footage of the suspect.

“Around an hour and a half after the officers left, I received a call to inform me that officer Tom Rigby would be paying a visit the following day to take a statement. However, on the morning of the visit, Tom called me to ask if he could come along earlier as officers believed that they had identified the suspect and wanted to act quickly. Tom was in attendance for well over an hour; taking my statement, explaining what might happen and making sure I was aware of the support that was available, should I need it.

“That same afternoon, officer John Caunce called and explained that a male had been arrested and as a result, a number of items had been recovered that were believed to be mine. I met John at the station that evening to identify the retrieved items. He explained the process to me and that he hoped some more of my jewellery could be recovered the following day from a pawn brokers.

“Just two days after the incident took place, officers Gemma Woodward and

Carl Beck arrived at my home to return both mine and my mother’s wedding rings, and some other treasured items.

“Much of my ‘stuff’ is still missing, but the positive experience has almost made up for that. I am so grateful and impressed with the officers and their team. In just two days,I had contact with seven officers who were very professional, but also reassuring, and happy to have a chat and a laugh – in other words – ready to engage with people.

“If this is a sign of things to come with these talented officers solving low-level crime and engaging with the wider community in the same manner in which they did with myself, much goodwill and trust will be rebuilt between the police and the public.

“I was a Magistrate in the 80s and 90s, so I have some idea of the pressure and enormity of the job, but quite honestly, I am filled with both gratitude and hope following my experience with your officers.”

Great work by the Wigan team!

Personal training sessions come to Wigan

Wigan Sports & Social had raised points around wellbeing and improving the fitness facilities on the Wigan division, and have since started offering sessions with a personal trainer.

Sports and Social invested into the gym, which now has some state-of-theart equipment.

Emma Rossall said “After recruiting more members and increasing funds, we listened to what our members wanted, and went on the hunt for a PT who was a good fit for us.

“We found Chris at C42 Fitness, who has 9 years’ military experience, and is a physical training instructor with 17 years’ experience training people. Chris is currently studying level 4 strength and conditioning, alongside being an Olympic weightlifting coach, and undertaking a training specialist course. He adapts the sessions to everyone’s ability, and staff are coming back to follow the programme he’s delivering.”

Chris is currently holding sessions at Wigan twice a month funded by

Sports and Social, where members can attend for free, with the option for nonmembers to join for £5 a session. To attend, please contact Emma Rossall via email on 65320@gmp.police.uk.

Members can book on via their QR code, which they all have access to and can be found below, or contact Chris about his sessions directly by emailing info@C42fitness.co.uk