This month’s focus is response policing and the incredible work done by our response teams.
Often the first port of call for many emergencies across Greater Manchester, response teams are based across the districts to ensure our communities can be supported 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
They work tirelessly to maintain public safety and trust; and their commitment and professionalism is crucial in making sure that the public feel secure, knowing help is always just a call away.
The response policing role can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. The calls they receive can range from someone being seriously injured, to dealing with someone in distress or a report of a high-risk missing person.
In the past year alone, response teams have tackled hundreds of thousands of urgent incidents, however the work of response officers extends beyond just attending incidents. Often being the first on the scene, they play an important role when it comes to supporting communities who they often meet at a difficult point in their lives –being a victim of an incident, a witness or just needing support at a time of crisis.
Building community relationships and engaging with the public is a key part of being a response officer, with many beginning their careers in response roles due to the challenges and rewards it presents. This frontline experience is invaluable, shaping them into well-rounded professionals equipped to handle any situation.
The focus on next month’s message will be a look at our Major Investigation Teams (MIT) and the way that district officers can support in the first moments of an investigation.
As 2024 wraps up, Salford has seen significant developments in community safety, engagement, and policing efforts.
Salford had a fantastic year in 2023 for firearms recoveries with February’s edition focusing on this – over a quarter of recoveries across the force were thanks to the diligent work from officers in Salford. Challenger and neighbourhood teams working together produced a strong year of results, with several individuals being charged and remanded for the part they played in criminal activity across the district.
Operation Cavell launched in Salford in response to low-level crime committed against Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) and NHS staff. Designed to deliver restorative justice, acceptable behaviour agreements and simple/ conditional cautions – it launched in Salford with strong support from Salford Royal Hospital.
The investigation into the death of Stuart Everett was a huge focus for the district towards the beginning of the year, with a number of scenes on across Salford with neighbourhood officers positioned throughout the days and nights to preserve vital evidence to find out what happened to Stuart.
During the summer, officers from Irlam made a little boy’s birthday dream come true after his mum put a plea out on Facebook. Kian was about to turn five and as a huge fan of the police, his wish was to sit in a police panda car. PCSO Mark Fitzgerald spotted the post and arranged an unforgettable day for Kian. Not only did he get to fulfil his dream of sitting in a police car, but he got to ride in
one too, as well as trying on some GMP kit, visiting the police helicopter, and he even got to lock up his mum’s partner, Adam, in a cell van.
September saw the Salford district hold its awards ceremony, during which several officers and staff were awarded for going above and beyond to serve the public and keep them safe. Included among the worthy winners were a number of colleagues who saved a PCSOs life after he suffered two identical medical episodes resulting in him choking on food.
In advance of tougher laws coming in around zombie-style knives in October, the team across Little Hulton, Walkden and Worsley held their own knife surrender event in St Mary’s Park, Walkden. The event was declared a success by the neighbourhood team, with a number of knives and other items handed in, as well as members of the community having the opportunity to learn more about the new legislation.
In November we highlighted the quick thinking of Sergeant Phil Metcalfe, PC Sam Torr and Philippa Lewis who saved the life of a man who was attempting to climb over a bridge and into a river. While stuck in traffic, they noticed a man trying to jump over a wall by the canal. They managed to grab his leg just before he could fall, pulling him back to safety.
We finished off the year with the launch of a junior PCSO initiative in Salford to promote engagement and build on relationships with young people. The programme introduces children to the world of policing and breaks down barriers to establish a positive connection between the younger generation and local officers.
December also saw the arrest of a repeat and well-known offender in connection with the possession of a stolen Raptor quad bike and handling stolen goods. Knives, metal bats and sleeves of cigarettes were also discovered.
Operation Invigor at GMP
GMP’s Commercial Vehicle Unit has been running operations as part of the national Operation Invigor, which aims to crack down on organised immigration crime.
Over a series of dates in November and December 2024, the team patrolled the M62 corridor and Thornham island area, using thermal and telescopic cameras to search voids inside HGV and LVG trailers and detect heat sources which could indicate the presence of clandestine entrants into the United Kingdom..
In December, the team checked more than 60 HGVs
registered to foreign entities; where relevant, drivers were issued fines for vehicle defects and load offences, and one vehicle was seized after it was found to be uninsured. Op Invigor investigations detected two HGVs with holes cut in the roofs leading to voids large enough to conceal people: intelligence on these vehicles has been submitted.
Sgt Neil Dalley commented: “I’m very pleased with the action so far – and I have just had confirmation we can extend the operation until April 2025, committing to two operations per month on the M62 corridor and Manchester Airport.”
Calling all officers – your experience in mental health interactions matters
If you’re a police officer with more than one year’s experience, and you often encounter members of the public in severe mental health distress, we want to hear from you!
Police officers are frequently called upon to interact with individuals experiencing mental health crises, often doing so with minimal training in this area. These interviews aim to build a broader understanding of your knowledge, experiences and opinions on these interactions.
Interviews will be conducted through Microsoft Teams at a time that works best for you and should take around an hour, depending on how much you would like to share – rest assured, you won’t be asked to share details about specific incidents.
Your participation will contribute to better training and support for officers in the future. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Carolina at ccampodonico@uclan.ac.uk.
Right Care, Right Person: three months in
Phase 1 of GMP’s Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) initiative, which was introduced on 30 September for all concern for welfare calls, has now been fully implemented across Greater Manchester.
To support this transformational change across the force, several measures have been put in place to embed the approach successfully across the partnership, including:
• A strategic and tactical oversight group, chaired by Deputy Mayor Kate Green, to oversee implementation and identify areas of key learning.
• Subject matter experts and floorwalkers providing ongoing support to call handlers as they transition to the new assessment tool.
• Colleagues visiting from the Metropolitan Police and Humberside Police in the first two weeks of RCRP to share their knowledge and support call handlers. Ongoing best practice and learning continues across other force areas.
• Daily partner huddles in the first two weeks to ensure partners had a forum to share key themes, issues and impact on their services.
• Effective escalation processes in place to dispute deployment decisions.
While we are still in the early stages, GMP is already seeing a significant impact on our performance, resulting in an improved service to our residents. The introduction of RCRP has allowed the force to deliver its core policing duties more effectively, freeing up officer time to focus on fighting crime and protecting the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. In its first quarter in operation, the initiative has seen:
• An average reduction of 20% in concern for welfare deployments where callers have been signposted to a more appropriate service.
• A 59% reduction in Grade 1 and Grade 2 queues.
• GMP’s fastest Grade 1 and Grade 2 attendance in two years. The force has committed to redeploying the resulting efficiency savings to strengthen its neighbourhood policing
model. The additional capacity this offers will result in an increase in visibility, building community trust as well as enabling district teams to better tackle neighbourhood crime and the key priorities set by communities in their neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the force is closely monitoring its other service areas to build a holistic understanding of the impact of RCRP.
We have maintained close relationships with our partners and stakeholders throughout the development and rollout of RCRP; to date feedback has been positive, with no significant impact on partner services reported.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has reported a 61% decrease in calls from GMP relating to mental health incidents now that GMP call handlers have a more appropriate pathway to signpost those in crisis. While the NHS non-emergency 111 helpline service has reported an increase in calls from GMP, this was anticipated well in advance and the service has confirmed it has the necessary resources in place to respond to this increase.
Walking and talking for mental health
On Saturday 28 September officers from GMP and the Code 9 support group took part in a men’s mental health ‘walk and talk’ event with officers from the men’s health team at West Mercia Police.
The officers completed an eight-mile walk around the Carding Mill Valley area of Shropshire and talked about how their respective forces dealt with wellbeing. The walk finished at a local café, where a few good ideas were discussed and exchanged over coffee and cake.
In planning the event, the team knew they wanted it to take place outside; as spending time outdoors has been proven to reduce the risk of mental health problems developing. Walking is one activity that people can engage in to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing, and has been proven to boost
self esteem and regulate our emotions.
The event was a great success and GMP is looking to host West Mercia officers with a walk in the Greater Manchester area early in the new year.
Sgt Stu Charlesworth from Code 9 said: “It was great to meet up with like-minded officers from a different force to talk about wellbeing, and about how we can improve the welfare of officers. Everyone really enjoyed the day and despite the rain leading up to the event, the weather cleared on the day of the walk! We’re now planning to make this a regular event and if successful, in the future we’ll be inviting other forces to join us.”
If you’re interested in taking part in the next walk or would like further details, contact Stuart on 09351@gmp.police.uk or Tom Hall at 17202@gmp.police.uk.
Stem cell registration drive at FHQ
On Wednesday 20 November GMP force headquarters welcomed two amazing charities: representatives from DKMS, the UK’s largest stem cell donor register, were present for a donor registration drive to encourage people to join the lifesaving register; while The Christie, one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, promoted its fundraising endeavours and vital research into new techniques and treatments for cancer.
The charities were invited following DS Jay O’Connell’s story about his father Chris O’Connell’s experience as a recipient of a stem cell transplant and the extra years it gave him. Chris, who was a constable with Lancashire Police, sadly passed away in August 2024 after battling lymphoma cancer for many years. Chris received support from both DKMS and The Christie over the course of his illness and was determined to give back by fundraising and raising awareness of the important work they do; Jay is now continuing that legacy. A big thank you to DS Jay O’Connell and DS Dan Woods for organising this fantastic event, which resulted in 50 GMP employees registering on the stem cell donor register and
raising £394 for The Christie. The DKMS Donor Registration Drive is off to Nexus House next. If anyone else in GMP would like to host DKMS for a donor registration event, please get in touch via ctpnw. communications@gmp.police.uk.
GMP Male Voice
Choir
GMP Male Voice Choir (GMPMVC) was founded in June 1974 with little more than a dozen members. For the first two decades or so of its existence, the choir consisted solely of serving police officers, but as the years passed it began to open its ranks to members of the public who had been appropriately vetted.
At its largest, the choir had more than 40 active members; even now it still musters up to fifteen singers for concerts locally and elsewhere in the UK, as well as overseas. It still retains one original founding member, while a few others have clocked up over 40 years of service – but new members are always welcome!
The choir has made several recordings, beginning in 1979, including an LP with British folk pop duo Brian and Michael –best known for their hit single ‘Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (Lowry’s Song)’ – and another for the NSPCC titled ‘Coppers for Kids’. They were also delighted to accept an invitation from the late Queen Elizabeth II to sing on a CD in aid of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen (RNMDSF), of which she was the patron, and now claim to sing ‘by royal appointment’.
Continued success in concerts has led to appearances on BBC and Granada Television as well as local radio, while our choristers’ handsome faces have also been seen on TV screens in Sweden and Finland. They have performed alongside artists including Frank Carson, Roy Walker, the Houghton Weavers, the Band of the Royal Marines, the United States Army Band, the White Russian Army Band (formerly the Red Army Ensemble) and the Bolshoi Arts Company.
The choir has been honoured to take part in many prestigious occasions, such as the triennial concerts for Cancer Research UK at London’s Royal Albert Hall from 2006 through to 2018, when the concerts came to an end. In that final year, GMPMVC was joined by its friends from Gothenburg Police Male Voice Choir and Cantorums Manskor in Sweden for a concert that members still talk about with pride today. They also appeared at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls in 2012 to celebrate the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. All of these concerts were recorded live and are available on DVD.
The choir celebrated its 45th anniversary with a cruise to the Norwegian fjords and performed two concerts to packed
houses while on board. It has given concerts in Sweden, Finland and Germany, always singing at least one item in the native language; reciprocal visits have been made by police choirs from each of these countries.
Its repertoire is very varied, covering from Handel to the Beatles with a great deal of variety in between. There is something for everyone, whatever their age or taste in music, and the concerts always include some comedy and ad lib humour which helps the choristers to make friends from all walks of life wherever they go.
If you’re interested in joining the choir, want to know more or would like to book the choir for a concert, you can find GMPMVC on Facebook, visit its website at www.gmpmvc.com or email the secretary at fpgmpmvc@gmail.com.
A day in the life: DS Natalie Danger, GMP band saxophonist
Attendees at GMP’s annual carol concert were treated to performances by GMP’s house band of numbers including Merry Christmas Everyone, A Christmas Scrapbook, and Without Fear or Favour: a piece composed specially for the 50th anniversary of the force.
Ahead of the event we spoke with DS Natalie Danger, who plays saxophone with the band, about her experiences.
How long have you been with GMP, and what is your role?
I’m a detective sergeant in the CID at Central Park. I joined GMP in 2019 through a Detective Direct Entry Scheme.
How long have you been a member of the GMP band? I joined the band in 2020, shortly after landing on division.
What inspired you to start playing your instrument, and how long have you been playing it?
I started playing the piano at around five, but I wanted to be able to play in a band. When I was 13 I began learning on to play with the county wind band while I was still in school. At university I played in musical theatre bands – we performed hits from musicals such as 42nd Street and Legally Blonde.
Do you have a favourite Christmas song to perform? Why does this song hold special meaning for you?
My favourite Christmas songs to perform are Sleigh Ride and
Carol of the Bells. We tend to play these songs at the end of a concert, because they provide an uplifting ending and everyone goes out humming the tune.
What has been the most memorable experience you’ve had performing in a band?
The most memorable experiences are definitely the GMP Christmas Concert in Manchester Cathedral. The band start rehearsing for the concert in August, which is very early for most people to start listening to Christmas music! All the members in the band put a lot of effort into it and the audience love the occasion.
How do you feel performing in the GMP concert adds to the spirit of the season?
It’s a great opportunity to bring officers together with their families and to be given recognition for all their hard work over the year.
If you could perform a duet or collaborate with any musician (past or present) for a Christmas song, who would it be and why?
If I had to collaborate with just one person, which is a difficult choice, it would have to be [UK singer-singwriter] Raye. She has a powerful message, her voice is amazing and she would definitely bring some jazz to the Christmas spirit!
HMIC praise for child protection at GMP
Greater Manchester Police has received positive recognition in a recent independent inspection of its child protection arrangements, marking significant progress in how we safeguard vulnerable young people across our region.
The National Child Protection Inspection was conducted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) between July and August 2024. The resulting report, published in December 2024, rated GMP as ‘good’ or ‘adequate’ across all areas reviewed, in a testament to our ongoing commitment to putting victims at the heart of everything we do.
The inspection highlighted two areas where GMP is performing particularly well: our leadership of child protection arrangements and our work with safeguarding partners. Three other areas – responding to children at risk, assessing risk and making appropriate referrals, and investigating reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation – were rated as adequate.
The report noted the GMP’s strong oversight and understanding of performance, alongside our productive work with statutory safeguarding partners. It specifically praised our innovative approaches to protecting vulnerable children, including Operation Luka – which targets areas where children at risk of exploitation are known to gather – and our prevention work through Operation Addition, which has successfully reduced missing children reports by over 1,500 cases in a year.
The inspection recognised that today’s GMP has child protection as a clear priority, supported by a well-trained, talented and dedicated workforce specialising in this crucial area. Our complex safeguarding teams were highlighted for their effective daily information sharing and prompt action to protect children, while our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) arrangements were praised for facilitating quick and appropriate information sharing with partners.
Alongside the main report, HMICFRS also released interim findings from its inspection of Greater Manchester’s complex safeguarding peer review process, which sees GMP work alongside strategic safeguarding partners to reduce criminal and sexual exploitation of children. This review found six areas rated as ‘good’ and six as ‘adequate’, further underlining our progress.
Det Supt Alex Bacon, GMP’s force lead for child protection and missing, said: “I had to hit the ground running on arriving at GMP, as the team had only received notice of the inspection the week before. I’ve worked in child protection for the majority of my career, so this area of policing is a real passion of mine.
“The HMICFRS review has given us a really strong foundation to build upon as we continue to strive towards improving our approach to child protection. I am looking forward to the challenge of addressing the areas for improvement and we already have plans in development. We cannot stand still in matters of child protection – we will always need to keep working to enhance our services, and we must continue to demonstrate that we are a force that places child protection at the top of our priorities.
“The support from GMP’s districts and branches has been incredible, and we could not have demonstrated our effectiveness to our child protection response without this collaborative effort.”
This report represents another milestone in GMP’s improvement journey, demonstrating how renewed leadership
and dedication from our workforce is delivering better outcomes for the communities we serve. Most importantly, it shows that victims, survivors, and vulnerable people can have increasing confidence in our service when they need us most.
The full report is available on the HMICFRS website and will help inform our ongoing work to protect children and young people across Greater Manchester.
Operation Luka
Op Luka, the city centre’s overarching response to tackling child exploitation, is a concerted multi-agency effort which sees police, the local authority, children and adult social services, early help practitioners, NHS staff and other key partners co-locate to bring their experience and expertise together to safeguard young people, disrupt exploitation and investigate criminality. In 2024, Op Luka enabled safeguarding referrals for 173 children in Manchester city centre and arrests of 29 alleged perpetrators; nine suspects have been charged and are now awaiting trial.
GMP has also been making use of innovative civil orders such as sexual risk orders, slavery and trafficking risk orders and child abduction warning notices, which impose strict conditions on offenders to allow us to effectively manage their movements to minimise future offending.
This programme also includes Operation Makesafe, whereby our neighbourhood officers also deliver bespoke training packages to hoteliers aimed at supporting business owners and employees to identify potential victims of child exploitation and, where necessary, how to alert police officers so they can intervene before any young person comes to harm.
Officers will also regularly conduct test purchases at hotels to check if staff can spot the signs of child sexual exploitation and take action to safeguard young people; if they fail, further training sessions are offered. In recent months, we’ve seen a real success with this operation, with increased support from hoteliers who are challenging inappropriate behaviour and reporting concerns to police.
GMP has been recognised nationally as one of the forces leading the way with Operation Makesafe. Officers have extended this training in the city centre, and it is now available for taxi drivers, bus drivers and ticket inspectors – all people who will often come into contact with young people who are at risk, and who are best placed to identify predatory behaviour and report it to police. City of Manchester district commander Ch Supt David Meeney said: “In recent years, we’ve taken strides in our journey to improve our response to child sexual exploitation, and we welcome this acknowledgement in the recent HMICFRS report.
“Our journey so far has seen us put a real focus on effective partnership work, and Operation Luka is the embodiment of this coming together. By co-locating key individuals within our Complex Safeguarding Hub, we are able to maximise our joint capabilities and bring together a variety of subject matter experts to yield positive results. This partnership work also means we’re able to increase our chances of identifying children who may be at risk of exploitation – either sexually or criminally, at the earliest possible opportunity.
“We endeavour to reach as many people in our communities as possible. By delivering bespoke inputs, we aim to help them identify the different ways exploitation can present itself in children by increasing their awareness and empowering them to report concerns to us so that we can act.”
Axon Photobook
Axon’s new Photobook function is now available at www. evidence.com.
Photobook aims to improve the management of evidence by streamlining the sharing capability for photographic evidence in cases. It enables users to collate up to 100 photographic images into a single PDF document and share it as part of a case.
Users can select relevant images for inclusion in the document and choose the order in which they are presented. The PDF document is then exhibited by the officer creating it and can easily be shared with the CPS.
In order to ensure the process of creating a Photobook is as simple as possible, users should:
• Store all evidential digital images on evidence.com
• Use the crime number as the request ID when sending community requests
• Use the crime number as the ID for all digital evidence on evidence.com
• Enter the exhibit reference number as the title
• Ensure the description field is updated with a description of what the photograph is
Support on using Photobook can be obtained from your local criminal justice hub. A how-to video guide, a comprehensive training guide and a training document have been produced to support the use of Axon Photobook, and can be accessed on the intranet via Operational support > Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) > Axon Photobook.
The release of Axon Photobook is being coordinated by the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) project within the Digital Policing Programme (DPP), in co-ordination with the Criminal Justice and Custody branch. If you have any technical questions about Axon Photobook or DEMS, please contact the Digital Policing Programme at DPPCommunications@gmp. police.uk.
Domestic abuse protection orders
In December, in recognition of GMP securing its first domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs), the Minister for Safeguarding Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips MP wrote to Det Supt Toby Facey and DS Steven Gardner thanking them and the force as a whole for their hard work getting the pilot up and running, and acknowledging the successful breach of order investigation that led to a custodial sentence.
Ms Phillips said: “I would like to thank you for the significant work your force has undertaken over the past few years to prepare for the launch of this new order. I understand that since launch on 27 November, you have obtained five DAPOs and that you have two DAPO applications in train. This is brilliant news, and I would encourage you to keep up the good work and continue to consider applying for a DAPN/DAPO in every domestic abuse case.”
She added: “I also understand that this DAPO was used to protect a victim of controlling and coercive behaviour, which reinforces to me how important this new tool is, as the victim would not have been able to be protected under the old regime of domestic violence
protection orders (DVPOs). This case is the perfect example of showcasing how the effective use of DAPOs can be a vital tool for policing and I commend every person who worked on this case for acting so quickly to protect this victim.”
Since the launch of the pilot in Bury at the end of November 2024, the district has already begun to see great results, with three of the eight live orders breached resulting in:
• One eight-month prison sentence for breach of order
• One 12-week prison sentence for not signing on in line with the order and possession of drugs which were found on arrest
• One £80 fine for failure to sign on Following the handing down of the eight-month prison sentence on Monday 6 January, DS Keith Galley commented: “The order was granted on acquittal at court where the offender was on trial for domestic abuse. This trial was discontinued due to the victim not supporting prosecution, but despite this we were able to apply for a DAPO to safeguard the victim.
“This order was served to the offender with instruction to attend a police station
to report their name and address within three days. The offender failed to do this and breached the order by attending the victim’s address on Christmas Day.
“On 26 December 2024, Bury front desk notified the team that the offender had not appeared in the timeframe given and the victim also called in to report that the offender had been at her address since Christmas Day. He was arrested on Saturday 4 January 2025 by Bury DAT. The offender was interviewed by E Relief response and admitted the breaches.
“This is a fantastic result and shows the force and victims just how effective a DAPO can be in safeguarding those who are subject to such abuse, even when they don’t want to support a criminal prosecution.”
The pilot has now been extended to Wigan, where it went live on 6 January. The district applied for its first two Domestic Abuse Protection Notices (DAPNs) on the same day and both were granted for six months, protecting the respective victims from further abuse. The pilot is scheduled to go live in the City of Manchester (CoM) district on Monday 17 February 2025, with the rest of the force following in due course.
New visual impairment protocol launched
Approximately 16,450 people across Greater Manchester are registered as having visual impairment, including blindness and partial sight loss.
In 2024, to support our continued investment in supporting our local communities, GMP’s Disability Support Network lead Sgt Kerry Smith introduced the protocol to the force at an event at GMP force headquarters on Monday 16 December, the final day of Disability History Month in the UK, inviting local stakeholders and members of the community to understand the protocol and hear from force leaders on what the implementation means.
Use of the protocol is determined by the service user; however, it adds a layer of security and assurance when visual identification of a police officer by their uniform or warrant card is not possible due to being blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.
The protocol can be used by anyone with a visual impairment to any degree, as well anyone who cares for or supports someone who is visually impaired.
The service user is safeguarded by allowing them to verify the identity of a police officer that has called at their address, before letting them into the premises. This verification is facilitated by the Force Contact Centre, either over the phone or by the attending officer using an agreed password.
There are two scenarios when the protocol can be used: the first is when the service user calls the police and they need to verify the identity of the officer that subsequently attends their address; while the second is when the service user needs to verify the identity of a police officer who has called at their address but did not initiate the visit. In the second scenario, the visit is either planned, such as a pre-arranged appointment, or it is unplanned, and they were not expecting the police to call at the address.
The force consulted with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), FCCO and GMP’s Disability Support Network chair and DEI team during the development of the protocol.
Further information will be shared with key partners and will be advertised on the RNIB website, which is linked to other support sites designed for those who are blind, partially sighted, or visually impaired.
Community patrols and cannabis seizures across Salford
It’s been a busy start for officers in Salford with cannabis seizures, Project Servator and more. Here’s a quick round up of some of the things that have been happening on the district.
Officers across Worsley and Boothstown have been conducting high visibility patrols and engaging with the community around local issues and concerns.
A warrant in Little Hulton meant an early wake up call for one household. Thousands of pounds worth of cannabis was seized, along with equipment in a bid to crackdown on this type of criminality across the district.
Meanwhile, in Salford Quays, specially trained Project Servator officers were deployed around the area ahead of the MediaCityUK
half marathon. The operation gave officers the opportunity to speak to members of the public, as well as those working in security.
We will continue to ensure members of our community together with our partners including those working in and around Salford Quays report anything they may spot that doesn’t feel right.
Growing Bee in the Loop across Salford
Bee in the Loop launched in March 2023, and our subscription numbers have grown substantially since then thanks to the messages that have already been sent out by our workforce.
So far, across Greater Manchester 31,185 members have signed up to receive targeted messaging about the issues that matter the most to them in their communities, which are sent directly to them via email.
As of the beginning of January, Salford had 3,648 subscribers across the district, and these can be broken down to:
Salford East: 2,286
Salford West: 1,474
Over the past three months, across Salford there’s been a steady stream of communities signing up to the platform with 515 new users in October, 310 in November and 328 in December.
Data graphs showcasing numbers of Bee in the Loop subscribers spread across Greater Manchester as well as visual maps for Salford showcasing subscribers can be requested via Jess Allen-Millbank.
Keep up the great work and we look forward to seeing further members and interactions with the communities in the coming months.
If you have any questions regarding access to Bee in the Loop, please get in touch with
Rashed.Siddiquee@gmp.police.uk
For support with content or requests for posters for communities, please get in touch with Jessica.Allen-Millbank@gmp. police.uk.
Tenacious investigation by Salford CID
A Salford offender was jailed for seven years and two months in November following a thorough investigation launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Reece Austick (03/09/1997) of Maple Close, Salford, pleaded guilty to rape and has been sentenced to seven years and two months at Manchester Crown Square Court yesterday. Additionally, he has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
The victim was aged 14 at the time of her abuse.
Austick added his victim on Facebook in November 2018 and was speaking to them online for two or three weeks prior to arranging to meet. Austick said he was aged 15, but when she was travelling on the train to meet him, he texted his victim to say that he was actually 17. In fact, he
was 21.
He knew his victim was 14 as she had told him, and it displayed her age on her profile.
Over the course of two days at Austick’s address, he sexually abused his victim by forcing her to have sex with him.
Police later arrested Austick on suspicion of rape. The victim was safeguarded and supported by specialist officers.
Detective Sergeant James Walsh from Salford CID said:
“Austick was calculated in his offending – he approached his victim on social media and knew she was a teenager. He then subjected her to appalling sexual abuse over the course of two days.
“He is a dangerous individual who has intentionally targeted a child victim and
Thanks and praise
Salford officers helped fallen pedestrian with ‘dignity and kindness’
Two officers on duty at Salford precinct helped an elderly lady who had slipped on the ice and cut her head open.
The passer-by didn’t get their names but said: “The first officer on scene didn’t think twice about doing what he could to help us. The second officer
on scene provided first aid and tried to contact her family. When it became apparent an ambulance would take a while they arranged to get her to hospital in a car.
“They handled the lady with such dignity and kindness and went over and above to ensure she wasn’t kept on the floor or in the cold for hours. They communicated with her beautifully and considerately.”
subjected her to horrendous abuse. I welcome his lengthy sentence.”
“Due to the complexities in this case, it has taken a long time to get to this point, and I want to thank the victim for her patience, courage and perseverance and the CID team for their hard work and perseverance to ensure Austick is prosecuted and sentenced for his offences.”
‘Well done GMP’
A Boothstown resident wrote in to commend ‘the young female police officer’ who helped in a search to find a vulnerable missing elderly person.
According to the resident, the officer conducted house to house enquiries and a thorough search of rear gardens in the neighbourhood.
They said: “Totally impressed with your conduct, well done.”
