The Brief - August 2023

SALFORD EMERGE VICTORIOUS AS CHIEF CONSTABLE’S CUP MAKES A LONG AWAITED RETURN

See the centre pages for the full details and more pictures

Greater Manchester Police leads the way at national wellbeing awards

GMP was the biggest winner at this year’s national Oscar Kilo Awards, in recognition of our ever-increasing commitment to the wellbeing of our officers, staff members and volunteers.

We were the only force to win two of the award categories, and we also achieved a runner-up accolade. Director of People and Development Emma Ashworth said: “To have been given accolades in two of the seven award categories and to have also won a special award is a tremendous achievement for GMP.

“It is a fitting reward for all the hard work being done across the force to look after our people, inspire our officers, staff and volunteers to support each other and ensure that wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do.

“It also shows that we are innovating and leading the way nationally in this regard.”

Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, holds the awards every year to recognise standout examples of wellbeing support at police forces across the UK.

The award categories reflect the seven areas of the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework (BLWF). Our remodelled Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service – which has successfully provided improved access to occupational health services, increased awareness and uptake of wellbeing initiatives and a more positive and supportive working environment for GMP employees – won the ‘Absence management’ category.

GMP’s Armed Forces Network –which has been set up to understand our internal armed forces community and improve support for them and for the wider armed forces community – was runner-up in the ‘Creating the environment’ category.

Operation Manteline – a unique welfare support strategy that continues to ensure that officers and staff impacted by the Manchester Arena bombing of May 2017, including those who have now left GMP or retired from the force, can access bespoke psychological support

– won the special ‘Crisis support’ award.

Emma added: “The teams behind these accolades deserve a huge congratulations. They have done, and continue to do, themselves and GMP proud.”

Assistant Chief Constables Chris Sykes and Colin McFarlane, Chief Resource Officer Lee Rawlinson and

Assistant Chief Officer Charlotte Layton attended the awards ceremony, which was held at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester in July.

For more details about the awards and the three accolades given to Greater Manchester Police, check out the ‘Oscar Kilo Awards’ article on the intranet.

NEW UK RECORD IS ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’ FOR VULCAN TEAM

The Operation Vulcan team have now seized around 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit goods worth an estimated street value of approximately £135 million following a record-breaking operation.

Op Segovia, which was conducted by the Vulcan team at the end of June and the beginning of July, resulted in the largest seizure of counterfeit items in the UK’s history.

The 580 tonnes of counterfeit items seized during the operation also represents the biggest single seizure in Europe in almost two decades and a staggering loss of approximately £87m to the criminals behind the items.

More than 207 shipping containers were searched, and monumental quantities of counterfeit clothes, drugs, illicit tobacco, nitrous oxide canisters and counterfeit vapes were found in a storage unit on the outskirts of Cheetham Hill.

The results of the operation take the overall figures for Op Vulcan since it was launched in November 2022 to tackle organised crime gangs embedded in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways to:

• Over 170 arrests, with more than 30 of them being for trademark related offences

• The seizure of around 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items, with an estimated street value of approximately £135m, which equates to a potential loss to industry of circa £1.3 billion

• An almost 800 per cent reduction in the Management of Risk in Law Enforcement (MoRiLE) score for counterfeit crime in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways, with the threat score falling from 858 to 111.

Over 800 tonnes of the goods that have been seized have been sent to be ethically repurposed.

Detective Inspector Christian Julien, one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers, said: “Everyone at GMP and the more than 65 partner agencies involved in Op Vulcan should be beaming with pride.

“It has been a success from the start, and is now a record-breaking operation.

“The entire look and feel of Strangeways is completely unrecognisable from when Operation Vulcan launched. There are now only a handful of counterfeit stores believed to be operating, when there were around 250 in November 2022.

“We are now targeting both large scale storage sites and badging factories, in addition to working ‘upstream’ to identify and prosecute the primary subjects of the crime groups involved. These people make vast amounts of money from counterfeit items, which fuels further criminality, exploitation and misery, not just in Greater Manchester but across the world.

“Working with our Legal Services teams, we have also identified legislation under the Proceeds of Crime Act that will allow us to target landlords and building owners.

“Op Vulcan is an example of multi-agency working at its best, and the phenomenal success we have seen so far is just the beginning.”

Op Vulcan is one of three GMP problem solving initiatives to have been shortlisted for the 2023 Tilley Awards, which recognise and celebrate the best examples of problem solving in UK policing. The full details of that are in the ‘Shortlisted for national recognition’ article on the intranet.

FORCE OF OPERATION AVRO

It was the city of Salford’s turn to feel the full force of Operation AVRO in July.

The initiative sees extra resources and specialist officers deployed to a different district every month to tackle the crimes and issues which most concern that specific community.

They provide high-visibility controls and engage with the community about any concerns raised to GMP.

The day of action in Salford saw:

• 33 arrests made

• 10 warrants executed

• Around 45,000 illegal products seized

• £12,500 in cash seized

• Seven dangerous weapons and rounds of ammunition seized

• 373 traffic offences dealt with

• 16 vehicles seized.

In conjunction with partner agencies, neighbourhood teams visited 16 shops that were selling illegal vapes.

More than 3,700 of the vapes were

seized, and Trading Standards are in the process of taking action against the shops.

Officers also joined forces with Paul McGovern MBE, to deliver an ‘Actions Have Consequences’ session to pupils at Holy Family Primary School.

Paul works within the Prison Community Team, which engages with children at local schools to break the cycle of youngsters being peer pressured into joining crime gangs and ending up in prison.

Salford district Chief Superintendent Paul Coburn said: “AVRO gave us an opportunity to provide reassurance to the Salford community, to deter offending and to get that community intelligence.

“We had colleagues from various branches and districts supporting us across a wide range of activities, including traffic operations, licensing and trading standards warrants and knife sweeps.

“It was all about tackling the issues that matter most to the community

we serve, taking the fight back to Salford’s criminals and working alongside partner agencies to make the city a safer place to live, visit and work.

“We are delighted with the results of the day of action, and I want to thank everyone involved for their contributions to what was yet another successful Operation AVRO.”

Also in July, GMP’s Transport Unit – working alongside Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and TravelSafe Partnership – carried out multiple targeted deployments across all 10 districts.

The operation, which fell under the Op AVRO umbrella, was part of continuing efforts to make the transport network safer for all users.

Our officers made 19 arrests and carried out 143 stop searches during the two days of action, while 1,102 Metrolink fines were issued for fare evasion.

Team closes down over 55 county lines

Our County Lines Team have made an impressive start to the 2023/24 financial year.

The team closed down over 55 lines and made or assisted in more than 100 arrests in the first quarter, with around 75 per cent of them subsequently being charged with offences.

Detective Inspector Zoe MacDonald, of the County Lines Team, which began to be set up in April 2022 after GMP secured Home Office funding, said: “The first year was successful for the team, and we have maintained the momentum with an excellent start to the new financial year.

“We are delighted with the results we have achieved in recent months.

“Two operations in particular have yielded particularly impressive results.

“On Thursday 18 May three warrants were executed

as part of Operation Decade, during which a live firearm (a pistol) and several rounds of live ammunition were recovered. Three males were subsequently charged and remanded.

“Then on Wednesday 21 June Operation Hornchurch saw two warrants executed in Rochdale, which led to 2.5kgs of cocaine being found at the suspect’s business address. Again, the man was charged and held on remand.

“This all underlines the value of having a dedicated County Lines Team to tackle county lines drug dealing, and I would like to thank all members of the team for their hard work to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups carrying out county lines offences.”

If you require support from the team, contact DI MacDonald or email county.lines@gmp.police.uk.

Celebrating problem solving across the force

scooped the ‘Special Recognition Award’ for her work in embedding problem solving within GMP. She has been a key leader in the development of a range of problem-solving tools and training, not only within the organisation but with key partners.

The full list of winners is on the ‘POP Awards winners unveiled’ article on the intranet.

Congratulations also go to the teams behind the three problem solving initiatives that have been shortlisted for this year’s Tilley Awards.

These national awards recognise and celebrate the best examples of problem solving in UK policing. Check out the ‘Shortlisted for national recognition’ article on the intranet for the full details.

We recently held our first ever POP Awards to recognise the amazing progression of problem solving at GMP over the past 12 months, and to reward those who have worked to reduce repeat demand across the force.

Entries were invited from all districts and branches to show how they have submitted POP plans to resolve long standing issues relating to victims, locations, offenders and areas of high demand, as well as partner-led POP plans, non-operational POP plans and innovative problem solving.

Held at Hough End, the awards celebrated those who have gone the extra mile in helping to build on our relationships with communities and in working with them to solve what matters most.

Chief Superintendent Emma Taylor said: “I firmly believe that problem solving plays a crucial role in fostering innovation and driving continuous improvement across Greater Manchester.

“The POP Awards serve as a powerful motivator, recognising and celebrating the individuals and teams who go above and beyond to identify and solve complex challenges.

“By honouring this year’s nominees and winners’ achievements, we have not only acknowledged their hard work and dedication but we hope to have also inspired others to think creatively and embrace problem solving.

“Congratulations to everyone who was nominated as well as the winners. You are really making a difference across our local communities.”

The awards handed out ranged from ‘Best Location-based POP Plan’ to ‘Best Victim Centred POP Plan’ and ‘Best District Prevention Hub’.

Inspector Natasha Bryan (pictured receiving her award from Chief Constable Stephen Watson above)

Congratulations to all the winners!

Salford have been crowned the first Chief Constable’s Cup winners in almost a decade following a thrilling final with a controversial climax.

After the action-packed game at the Vestacare Stadium in Oldham had finished 3-3, Sergeant Josh Elford looked to have blown his chance to score the winning penalty for Salford when Bury’s goalkeeper, Police Constable Tom Rain, kept out his shootout spot kick with a fine save.

But the linesman and referee controversially ruled that PC Rain had stepped off his line before the kick was taken, and Sgt Elford made no mistake with his second attempt from 12 yards as Salford became the first district to win the legendary GMP football competition following an almost 10-year hiatus.

It was relaunched last August by Chief Constable Stephen

Watson, and all districts bar Special Ops took part in the competition.

The man of the match in the final was PC Alex Ashby, who scored Salford’s first goal and set up PC Ryan Smith for their second.

Skipper PCSO Dave Johnson and PCs Dan Shaw and Mike Briers netted for Bury before PC Dan Clayton bagged an 80th minute leveller to ensure that the final had to be decided via penalties.

The high standard of the goals and the penalties had to be seen to be believed in what was undoubtedly one of the best games in the competition’s extensive history.

Here are some photographs and reaction to the big game.

Check out the ‘Salford lift Chief Constable’s Cup’ intranet article for a full match report.

MAN OF THE MATCH ALEX ASHBY

“It was an honour to be Man of the Match in such a high-profile game.

“Credit to Bury for hanging in there after we took the lead twice, but we also showed great character to hit back after going 3-2 down late in the second half.

“I think that, after the journey we have been on in this competition, we were worthy winners.

“We played well throughout the competition and in the final itself, we held our nerve in the shootout and we have all become much closer as colleagues as a result of this year’s Chief Constable’s Cup.”

SALFORD’S THREE TEAM LEADERS

“We are extremely proud of all the boys for the way they played in the final, and for the character they showed to come from 3-2 down late on and then go on to score five brilliant penalties in the nerve-wracking shootout.

“Winning the cup is just rewards for the performances we have put in throughout the competition, and for the way we have battled together as a real team every step of the way.

“It is an honour to be the winners of the Chief Constable’s Cup after a near 10-year hiatus, and we’ll try our very best to retain the title next year.”

BURY CAPTAIN DAVE JOHNSON

“I thought we played really well and dominated the game.

“We would have been worthy winners and it was a cruel way to lose the game, not only on penalties but with such a controversial winning penalty.

“It was great game to be part of though, and I’m very proud of all the Bury boys, not just for the way we played in the final but for our performances throughout the competition.

“We’ll aim to go one better next year.”

THE ROUTE TO THE FINAL

Bury defeated City of Manchester South at the quarter-finals stage and Bolton in the semis.

Salford’s opponents in the quarter-final and semi-final stages were Trafford and City of Manchester North respectively.

The three group winners were Tameside, Trafford and CoM South.

CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT CHRIS HILL

“The final was a fitting climax to the first Chief Constable’s Cup competition in almost a decade, and it was a pleasure handing out the trophies and medals at the end of the match.

“It was a highly entertaining game, with both sides playing some great football and scoring some top quality goals.

“As the Chief Super for Bury, I am obviously disappointed with the result, but the game and the competition itself were the real winners.”

Forensic Services steals the show

Forensic Services stole the show as GMP nationally showcased the ongoing transformation of the policing response to rape and other sexual offences under Operation Soteria Bluestone.

Ahead of the roll out of the National Operating Model in July 2023, Safeguarding Minister Sarah Dines MP and local media visited Vestigo House and Nexus House to see and hear, first hand, how the operational principles are being adopted by Forensic Services, and the Public Protection and Serious Crime Division.

During the visit to Vestigo House, the minister was shown how the Digital Forensics team are prioritising the extraction of data from electronic devices belonging to victims of rape and other sexual offences so that their phones can be returned to them within 24 hours, minimising disruption to their lives.

The Fingerprint Unit showed her how fingerprints are used to identify suspects.

Once the minister had left, BBC North West Tonight reporters stuck around to see how the Forensic Laboratory Unit recovers fingerprints from porous and non-porous materials.

Head of Forensic Services Emily Burton said: “Digital Forensics is one of the six pillars for improvement under Operation Soteria Bluestone.

“Since GMP adopted the principles, Forensic Services has made significant service improvements for victims of rape and other sexual offences – the majority of electronic devices are now returned within a few hours, and always within 24.

“The minister’s visit was a great opportunity for the branch to showcase the invaluable contribution police staff, particularly those within Forensic Services, make to the investigation of serious and complex crime and positive judicial outcomes.”

During the visit to Nexus House, the minster was told how the Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU) is targeting and disrupting repeat offenders, whilst the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) told her how they identify young victims who have been targeted or exploited via the internet.

GMP was amongst the first 14 police forces in England and Wales to adopt the principles of Operation Soteria Bluestone.

Under the Greater Manchester Sexual Violence Harm Reduction Partnership, GMP and key partner agencies are

continuing implementation of the key improvements to ensure that investigations are victim centred, suspect focused and context led.

Though this work is ongoing, data from the 12 months to the end of June 2023 shows early signs of progress – there has been a 4.2 per cent increase in recording and a 51 per cent rise in summons/charges, equating to approximately one in 16.

Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, Head of Public Protection, said: “I am grateful to the police officers and members of police staff who were involved in the planning for this visit and who so perfectly hosted the minister and her entourage at Vestigo House and Nexus House.

“Those of you who spoke with the minister accurately portrayed the force’s commitment to improving key elements of these investigations, all for the benefit of victims.

“It is great that GMP was one of just 14 forces to be given the opportunity to be involved in Operation Soteria Bluestone from the initial expansion onwards.

“We are never complacent and always improving, but we are already seeing the impact on positive outcomes –there was a 74 per cent increase in referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service between October and December 2022, compared to the quarterly average for 2019 (before Covid-19 caused data anomalies).”

REPRESENTING GMP AT THE NATIONAL BRAVERY AWARDS

Police Constable Paul Spinks says that he will never forget the day he chatted with the Home Secretary in the famous garden of Number 10 Downing Street before representing GMP at the Police Bravery Awards

The Neighbourhood Policing Officer in our Trafford district was shortlisted for the national awards for his outstanding act of courage in tackling and disarming a man waving a machete outside a school in Salford during term time. He was off duty that day, and so was in plain clothes and was not wearing body armour.

All those shortlisted were invited to the Prime Minister’s home to enjoy brunch before attending a glamorous presentation eventing hosted by the Police Federation of England and Wales at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

It was the second time in two months that PC Spinks had been invited to London in reward for his heroics, with him having been chosen to be a ceremonial officer outside Buckingham Palace for King Charles’ Coronation.

He was pinching himself that day, and he was pinching himself even harder when he walked through the doors of 10 Downing Street.

PC Spinks said: “Going into the Prime Minister’s home and talking to Home Secretary Suella Braverman in the famous garden was simply amazing.

“It was a surreal experience chatting to her. When you see Government leaders on TV, you never think you’ll ever get the chance to talk to them in person.

“She spoke about the seven per cent pay rise for police officers and about how she was teary eyed when she heard the stories of what all the officers there had done to be nominated for the Police Bravery Awards.

“I knew a lot of them from the King’s Coronation, where we had already built up friendships. As a group having our photograph taken together in the garden of Number 10, we all said that ‘irrespective of who wins the awards, we were all nominated and we are all winners for the jobs we do for policing and the public’.

“As it turned out, I was not one of the ones who picked up an award that night.

“Nevertheless, Thursday 13 July 2023 is a date that I will never forget. After enjoying a brilliant brunch in one of the most important addresses in the country, I had an equally good time at the glamorous awards ceremony, hearing the acts of heroism of my fellow nominees.

“There were around 400 people

there, including all Chief Constables and national Federation leads and representatives.

“I felt incredibly proud to be representing GMP at the awards, and had the pleasure of talking to our Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who was sat at our table.

“I took my wife Cheryl to London with me, and I think she enjoyed the day and felt even more proud than I did.

“The only disappointment of the day was that we didn’t get to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as he was in Westminster speaking about the Nato summit in Lithuania.”

PC Spinks may have missed out on a Police Bravery Award, but he did win the Emergency Services category at the 2023 Pride of Greater Manchester Awards.

As such, he has automatically been put forward for this year’s Pride of Britain Awards.

PC Spinks has also been presented with the annual John Egerton Trophy for bravery by Chief Constable Watson this year.

Raising money for parental support

The Child Sexual Exploitation Team in Tameside have been working at improving their own wellbeing and also the wellbeing of the victims they support.

The team recently held a bake sale and raised over £100 for Parents Against Child Exploitation (PACE) UK.

They are hoping to do something every month to raise money for the charity, which provides support and advice to the parents of children who have been exploited.

The team are also building an online parent pack for victims of CSE crime

in Tameside, including signposting to PACE UK.

Coming up in August

August will see the wellbeing calendar focus on our informal support groups. There are several groups across the force, all providing invaluable peer support and the opportunity to speak with others in similar situations.

Details of GMP’s support groups can be found on the Wellbeing pages of the intranet and from the points of contact detailed on them.

If you are interested in setting up an informal support group, please email wellbeingvolunteercoordinators@ gmp.police.uk.

Wellbeing on Tour success

The Wellbeing Team recently visited 10 districts and branches over 10 days, alongside internal and external partners.

GMP’s third Wellbeing on Tour

was an opportunity to speak with colleagues and raise awareness of the support that is available.

It was a great two weeks, and the number of people who engaged with the tour surpassed 1,000, which is the highest number so far.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported and/or engaged with the tour.

The aim now is for the tour to continue to grow and raise more awareness every year.

Awareness days in August

August is National Immunisation Awareness Month, National Road Victim Month and Psoriasis Action Month.

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

• Cycle to Work Day: Thursday 3 August

• National Dog Day: Saturday 26 August

Sharing burglary prevention work with Japan

The Operation Castle team hosted Japanese visitors in July, to discuss burglary prevention.

Superintendent Chris Foster, Head of Design for Security Consultancy Julia Hall and members of the Crime Prevention Team met with Professor Kimihiro Hino, of the University of Tokyo, and Dr Narushige Shiode, of Kingston University, London.

Professor Hino and Dr Shiode approached Supt Foster to discuss ways that GMP works to prevent and reduce residential burglary.

They were given presentations on the work of Design for Security, Offender Self Selection, Nudge Theory, Safer Streets and Neighbourhood Watch.

In return, the Crime Prevention Team learned how Japanese society responds to burglary and the interventions deployed by the police and government.

Prof Hino and Dr Shiode have taken our work back to police teams in Tokyo to see if any of it can be replicated over there.

As Japan has an ageing population living in apartments and low-rise buildings, they are being targeted by offenders.

Prof Hino and Dr Shiode and GMP intend to work together in the future to exchange ideas.

Our Japanese visitors have offered support by evaluating our future projects and evidence-based practice trials, as well as by making us aware of any projects run in Japan to reduce burglary.

Supt Foster said: “It was enlightening to meet with them

and see how differently we tackle similar issues.

“Being able to share what we do will hopefully help shape their plans for the future, and we look forward to working with them again.”

Dr Shiode expressed his appreciation to the team.

He said: “Thank you so much for organising such a wonderful opportunity to interact with GMP and to learn about your recent projects and operations towards reduction of crime and ensuring a safer environment.

“We thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to continue with our discussion to identify the scope for collaborations where appropriate.”

Prof Hino added: “I extend my sincere gratitude for the valuable meetings we had.

“I truly appreciate the insightful discussions we engaged in, as all the topics covered are highly beneficial for the advancement of crime prevention environmental design in Japan.”

PRIEST EMBARKS ON NEW CHALLENGE WITH GMP

As policing evolves in an ever-changing world, officers, PCSOs and Specials are facing increasing challenges in the line of duty. The general nature of police work and discipline of the institution also places emotional and mental burdens on them, but Fr Barry says that the role of the chaplain can provide some much-needed support.

“The role is no different to that of hospital, prison and armed forces chaplains – you’re going along and you’re simply listening,” Fr Barry said.

“It’s about chatting to someone and seeing how they’re getting on.

“Because we’re slightly apart from the organisation but also part of it too, we’re able to see things from a different perspective.

Father Barry Lomax has now left the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Westhoughton and taken up the full-time position of Force Lead Chaplain at GMP.

He had served as a volunteer chaplain for the force for 23 years, as well as carrying out his work as a parish priest.

When we announced that we would be recruiting a fulltime chaplain for the first time, Fr Barry felt called to apply.

He said: “Once I was told the job was coming up, it was my choice to ask Bishop John Arnold if he’d allow me to put my hat in the ring.

“He agreed that it would be a good move for me, especially in light of the 23 years already served with GMP as a volunteer chaplain and my other duties as the National Chaplain to the Catholic Police Guild of England and Wales.

“So in October 2022 I applied for the newly created full-time post of Force Lead Chaplain and was interviewed in March 2023, the day after my 65th birthday.

“There were several other candidates from all over the country.

“The last time I had an interview for a job was in 1976, so that was a long-forgotten experience, as usually in our world the Bishop just calls you in and tells you where your next appointment will be.”

Despite his extensive experience, the job presents new and exciting challenges for Fr Barry, as it calls for a more administrative and strategic approach to build up, recruit for and oversee the day-to-day running of a chaplaincy department.

Fr Barry says that this provision is becoming increasingly embedded into police culture, with new recruits being introduced to chaplaincy within their first days.

“I’m based at Sedgley Park, our Force Police Training School, where I’m already well known as ‘Fr B’ who visits and supports the training staff and our latest student officers as they begin their policing journey,” he said.

“On the second day of their induction week, I have the opportunity to talk to our student officers about chaplaincy in general and my role and involvement within the police family.

“It’s all about building trust, continuity and regularity, so people know that if they want to see a chaplain, they can see Fr Barry on a regular day.”

“We also act as a conduit because we take the rank of the person we’re speaking to, so we are able to ask those questions their rank may prohibit them from asking. I can go to their trainers or superiors and ask these questions, and then go back to the officer concerned and give the answer.

“We’re also a confidential listening ear for officers who don’t have a lot of people they can confide their difficulties and concerns to.”

You can contact Fr Barry via barry.lomax@gmp.police.uk or on Teams.

Pupils put their ‘art’ into engagement project

Bury Police Station now houses one of three pieces of impressive artwork thanks to an innovative school engagement project devised by one of our Police Constables.

Schools Engagement Officer

Mohammed Nadeem challenged the pupils at three Bury high schools to use their arts and crafts skills to show their appreciation for key service providers in the town.

Inspired by what PC Nadeem had taught them about climate change, they subsequently spent three months collecting plastics and turned them into works of art for the police, British Army and the NHS.

Hazel Wood High School pupils produced a picture of a policeman’s hat, which now has pride of place in Chief Superintendent Chris Hill’s office in Bury.

The Derby High School students made a 3D flowers picture that is now on display at Fairfield General Hospital.

The artwork produced by St Gabriel’s Roman Catholic High School pupils is destined for The Fusilier Museum in Bury.

PC Nadeem said: “Following on from the success of an arts project I organised at Bury schools last year, I wanted to do another one this year based on what I have been teaching high school children about climate change, the importance of recycling and giving something back to key service providers in the town.

“The children embraced this year’s project with both hands, not only producing excellent pieces of

environmentally-friendly artwork for the police, Army and NHS but learning more about the vital roles they all play.

“Following my engagement with them, many of the children aspire to join the police, Army or NHS, and I know that Chief Superintendent Hill is proud to have the policeman’s helmet piece produced by Hazel Wood High School in his office.”

Ch Supt Hill is pictured below with school representatives and the helmet.

Giving streetcraft some street credibility

Starting a job can be nerve-wracking. However, Tameside aims to quell the nerves through an academy that is open to all uniformed student officers.

Applying streetcraft core skills, the Tameside District Academy works to enhance the student officer process to include an additional training and attachment setting following their tutor phase on district.

The phrase ‘streetcraft’ comes from the colloquial name given to core policing skills that many consider to be signs of a good, successful police officer, such as professional curiosity, proactive policing, identifying opportunities for intelligence gathering and pursuing wanted individuals and making arrests at the earliest opportunity.

Tameside District Academy applies the streetcraft principles to help build on the core policing skills uniformed student officers learned during their tutor phase, allowing for holistic development plans, identified by students themselves.

This approach puts the learning into the hands of the student.

Inspector Stevie Swindells, who has responsibility for the Tutor Unit and the new academy, said: “We recognise the valuable work contributed by Sedgley Park in providing the core foundations for policing through initial training, but we found that it just whets the appetite of the students.

“By listening to the feedback of where students felt they needed more support and what would have helped in their early career, we have built the academy.

“We hope to expand this approach to other students and officers at Tameside, incorporating all manner of additional learning to develop our workforce.”

The academy is a 15-week programme that starts with several taught sessions and short-term attachments.

The first five weeks are dedicated to understanding core skills, with intakes

then split into two cohorts with a swap over on week 10.

The students complete five weeks’ working in a town centre, as well as with secondary investigation teams.

As the student officer numbers increase, and intakes double up, this becomes a hybrid approach of one set of officers on week 11, week six and the latest on week one.

The added value investment should allow student officers to feel more confident and have a greater network of colleagues to rely on when they need assistance.