Stockport District Brief - March 2024

Good morning colleagues - I thought I would use this month’s Brief to chat to you all about our brilliant Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

CID is a long established part of our policing family. It was brought in as part of the Metropolitan Police Service in 1878 and over the last 140 years much has changed in relation to how we investigate. Forensic science has become front and centre in everything we do, the use of passive data and CCTV is now self-evident, and the introduction of PACE in the 1980s, and the CPIA in the 1990s, dictates how we put all our evidence together.

You will have often heard the terminology PIP2, but what does this actually mean? What does it mean to be a PIP2 investigator? PIP simply means Professionalising Investigations Programme, and PIP2 is all about investigating serious and / or complex crime, gleaning evidence to illustrate clearly and concisely what has happened.

The role of a PIP2 investigator is to glean evidence which shines a light on history. Virtually everything that sits within a CID office has already happened. By the time the investigator is informed, the robbery has already occurred, the assault has happened and the victim is exactly that. It is the responsibility of the investigating detective, utilising all of their skill, their experience, their professional competence, to shine a light on what has happened through the use of evidence. The more evidence the investigator gathers, the clearer the picture becomes, it illustrates to a court who did what and why.

Investigating and solving crime, that’s what we do as police officers. All of us are investigators, and being a detective is simply about investigating and solving serious and / or complex crime. Being a detective is incredibly rewarding work, the satisfaction of identifying a knife point thief, a serial sex offender or burglar. There is nothing like going back to a victim and informing them that you have found the person who wronged them. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about investigations to come and have a chat with our CID team, their door is open.

Thank you

Chief Superintendent John Webster

55 arrests for Stockport

Operation AVRO returned to Stockport on Thursday 8th February, and included early morning warrants and other various proactive activities across the district.

A total of 55 arrests took place during the day of action for a variety of offences that include: burglary, possession with intent to supply class A drugs, breaches of a court order, sex offender registration and possession of offensive weapons.

With the support of the Bury team, officers located a cannabis farm with some 900 plants at an address in Heaton Norris following a morning warrant.

Partners from Trading Standards, deployed with the Neighbourhood Team, seized £45,000 worth of illegal vapes.

A traffic operation in Cheadle Heath resulted in a total of 44 offences being recorded, with 33 traffic offences, 11 speeding offences, six prohibition notices, five vehicle seizures and two arrests.

Patrols also took place during the day; with the mounted unit deployed to Brinnington and Stockport town centre, and Operation Rimini at Stockport town centre.

Engagement activities included a money mule awareness input to young students at Stockport College presented by North West Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU) and PCSOs visiting a local Costa Coffee to offer crime advice

AVRO

and community engagement.

Detective Chief Inspector Rick Arthern said: “We’ve had a hugely successful Operation AVRO in Stockport, with a total of 55 arrests for a range of offences, including drug supply occurred during the day of action.

“Proactive police work resulted in a number of arrests including one suspect with a knuckle duster and extendable baton in Stockport town centre, swiftly dealt with by the neighbourhood team.

“Planning for Operation AVRO encompassed the hub under Sgt Michelle Gee who working with DS Matt Jenkinson and the Intelligence Unit created all the packs for persons wanted. I would like to thank both teams for their work to get us ready for the day.

“Lastly, planning for our next Op Avro in August has commenced so watch this space.”

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

Operation Venture heads to Stockport

Our dedicated team tasked with tackling serious youth violence were deployed to the Stockport district towards the end of January to support the district in tackling knife crime.

There were 14 days of intense patrols from the Operation Venture team, which supports the work of the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) – a multi-agency team that seeks to prevent violence by addressing the underlying causes.

Officers embedding themselves in an area ensures a heightened and more proactive response to keep the local community safe.

The results of the deployments in Stockport were:

• 20 arrests

• 17 positive stop searches

• 29 intelligence submissions

• £5,000 in cash seized

• Class A and B drugs with a total street value of £20,000 seized

• Two knives recovered.

A team made up of two sergeants and nine officers used a mix of covert and high-visibility tactics to tackle offenders

in the act and make a sizeable impact of reducing serious violence on the streets of Stockport.

Examples of positive work included officers seeing a vehicle travelling erratically around Reddish, where a routine check was authorised and the vehicle was stopped. As officers approached it, they saw drugs in the vehicle. They arrested a 52-year-old man, who had no licence or insurance, and found more drugs in the vehicle.

Inspector Jon Ezard, of the Operation Venture team, said: “Our hotspot networks across our districts again goes to show our work is vital in disrupting criminal networks and people

intent on blatantly committing crime in communities.

“Our work doesn’t stop or come without risk though, and we will continue our patrols, which includes in Stockport, on a more regular basis to ensure that we can contain any further incidents whilst in the act.

“On most occasions our instinct takes over and what some may see as a routine stop eventually unravels into something wider and more serious.

“This kind of work by our dedicated officers goes to show how determined we are to bring offenders to justice, as we know the devastating impact crime has on communities in the local area.”

Right Care, Right Person - coming 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 Stockport, Victim Services Coordinator Julie Woodhouse, will be representing the district on the panel alongside PCs Jamie Murray and Jamie Ellison.

It 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 across the district.

By way of introduction, we’ve been getting to know Julie a little better – from family to artwork – so without further ado, let’s meet our Stockport E&I Panel SPOC…

Why you did you put yourself forward

to be on the panel?

I put myself forward to be an Engagement and Improvement panellist for the Stockport district in the hope that our collective voices lead to organisational changes so we can all work in healthy, happy workplaces. What kind of positive change are you hoping to bring to the district?

One of the main things I am hoping to bring to Stockport is an appreciation that all job holders have valuable skills and staff contribute as much as officers to the police service.

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

The improvements I would like to make will depend on the feedback I get back from colleagues!

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

An interesting fact about me is that I’m an artist, recently selling one of my pictures in an exhibition at Salford Art gallery.

How do you like to relax outside of work?

Outside of work I spend most of my time caring for my family including Stockport’s volunteer wellbeing support dog Fozzy. In any spare time I have I enjoy creating personalised gifts.

Julie will be representing the Stockport district alongside PC Jamie Murray and PC Jamie Ellison.

They 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.

Recognition for Stockport night-time economy work

Stockport is celebrating after receiving the news that it has retained the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for the town centre’s evening and night-time economy.

Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture whilst also promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents. Purple Flag aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm to 5am.

Key successes in Stockport’s submission included the clear drive and passion demonstrated through becoming the Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2023, strong engagement with partners including the police, and the wide range of events on offer, providing something for everyone to enjoy.

Councillor Colin MacAlister, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “The fact that we have, yet again, retained our Purple Flag accreditation is testament to all the hard work taking place to make sure our town centre is an attractive place for residents and visitors to visit in the evenings. Our major infrastructure

plans to improve the town centre and great partnership working are instrumental in ensuring the town centre continues to be a vibrant and welcoming leisure destination. The new Transport Interchange which opens next month and thousands of new homes, will attract even more people to the town centre to take advantage of all it has to offer.”

Chief Inspector John Picton said: “The tremendous news that Stockport has retained its Purple Flag accreditation for the evening and night-time economy is a triumph to be recognised and celebrated. Stockport Police work proactively with partner agencies delivering an outstanding service to our community.

It’s a privilege working in effective and efficient partnerships, ensuring Stockport is a fantastic place to live, work and socialise. Rest assured, the proactive work and momentum will continue apace as we strive to further improve our service to the community.”

The Purple Flag programme is managed by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), which works alongside a partnership of key stakeholder groups backed by Government, police and businesses.

Purple Flag has represented the gold standard of the management of evening and nighttime economies for nearly 15 years.