THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
TAMESIDE · NOVEMBER 2023
TAMESIDE CADETS’ DOUBLE WIN IN CHIEF CONSTABLE’S AWARDS
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Two from Tameside scoop top award from Chief Constable
Colleagues, in this month’s edition I would like to highlight some of the principals of our new 2024 business plan. In the last 12 months we have undertaken significant change in how we work, with Tameside now in a good place in relation to embedding changes and powering forward. There are no further significant changes on the horizon, so as an SLT we want to focus now on sustainability, quality, and a positive culture in our teams. I fully appreciate the pressures many of you have been under recently and the latest Staff Forum was a frank exchange of views on how we can make things better here at Tameside together. As an SLT we want to bolster this communication with a new electronic means of asking us questions. The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted QR Codes going up across our buildings. This will give you an anonymous link to a FAQ site that you can leave questions or ideas for us to reply to on our new Tameside Teams ‘District Orders’ tab you all should now have access to. I look forward to reading the content. In other news, as part of our wellbeing commitment within our business plan, we have managed to secure project resources and estate to build a gym at Ashton Police Station. Anyone who becomes a member of our local sports & social club will have access to it once built. Speak with Chief Inspector Galt or Inspector Jackson for details. Finally a big thank you from me for all the excellent police work that has been undertaken this month. Every single day there is an example of great service to the public and you should all be proud to be part of the Tameside team. Chief Superintendent Phil Davies
The district is celebrating after scooping two awards for Tameside in the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards in October. Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Leader Garry Joynes and Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Head Cadet Toby Parker were presented with their awards after fighting off stiff competition from the other districts. Cadet Unit Leader Garry Joynes said: “Winning GMP’s Cadet Leader of the Year title is certainly a highlight of my full career in the police and military. “I feel that helping others is my testimony, and I am proud of the work that all the VPC cadets and cadet leaders do. I have received the award on behalf of all of them.” Head Cadet Toby Parker said: “It means a great deal to have won this award, because it recognises the effort, I have put into cadets over the last four years. “I’m very proud to have been part of a great cadet unit. None of my work would have been possible without the work behind the scenes that the cadet leaders do. “I think I have been incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be involved in GMP Cadets.
“I have loved the last four years as a cadet, and I am extremely grateful to have been recognised at the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards.” The winners were presented with the awards alongside Chief Constable Stephen Watson and the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Mary-Liz Walker.
Toby Parker pictured with Mary-Liz Walker and CC Watson
Garry Joynes pictured with Mary-Liz Walker and CC Watson
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‘On track to be UK’s best force within two years’ After reflecting on the standard of the work of this year’s Annual Awards winners and other shortlisted candidates, Chief Constable Stephen Watson confidently stated that we will be the best performing police force in the country within two years. He found it harder than ever to choose the winners this year, due to the sky high standard of the nominations across the 18 categories, and used the glittering awards ceremony held at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium to commend the work being done across GMP to continue the force’s rapid resurgence. The Chief said: “Our Annual Awards offer the chance to pause for a moment to reflect on what it is that you are collectively and individually achieving in the interests of the public whom we serve. “I send a huge heartfelt thanks to you all, because what GMP is achieving right now is special. “We have gone from special measures and being 43rd out of 43 forces to smashing every reasonable measure of efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy. “GMP was the most improved force in the country last year, and I confidently
predict that we will be so for the second consecutive year. “We are on a mission to be the best police force in this country for the next 30 years – and we will achieve it. “In two years’ time we will be ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ at all things and we will be the best performing force in the country, because of you. “It’s all down to your performance, your leadership and what it is you’re asking of yourselves and your colleagues. “It’s about professionalism, it’s about diligence, it’s about standards, it’s about compassion and it’s about being relentless in harrying criminals and looking after good people and preventing bad things from happening to them. “It’s about picking up the phone, making accurate records, investigating lines of enquiry, arresting bad people, looking after vulnerable victims, making sure that we keep folks informed and operating proactively to prevent crimes and anti-social behaviour from happening in the first place. “I could not feel more privileged and honoured to be entrusted with the leadership of this force, and I thank
you all for everything that you have done and continue to do.” The Chief has labelled October’s event ‘a glorious occasion’ for GMP and congratulated all the officers, staff members, volunteers, apprentices and Cadets who won awards on the big night. He has pointed out that the 18 award categories highlight the fact that GMP is a ‘full spectrum organisation’, rewarding everything from ‘very localised interventions through to highly specialist interventions that use fearsome forms of technology to tackle criminals who cause the most harm, and everything in between’. Never one to rest of his laurels, the Chief has also pointed out that there is still much work to be done to realise his strategic vision for GMP. “We know we can do more and we know we can do better – we have to move from quantity to quality, from behaviours to culture,” the Chief said. “But we have started to nail the basics in a way that is not only making a big difference to our public but is making GMP start to be seen as an exemplar for the rest of the country.”
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Congratulations to all our Chief Constable’s Annual Awards winners Rochdale CID’s Operation Cardington team were the big winners at the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards. After scooping the Criminal Investigation of the Year category title, the team were crowned the Overall Award winners at a glittering ceremony held at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. Chief Constable Stephen Watson hailed the team on the big night for their outstanding work in establishing the extent of serial domestic abuser and rapist Andrew Ellison’s offending and bringing him to justice for his appalling crimes. The team subsequently labelled the double award win ‘the icing on the cake’ to a standout investigation that culminated in a 28-year prison sentence for Ellison and some much needed closure for his five victims. See the ‘Double delight for Op Cardington team’ article on the intranet for the full details. Although the team are undoubtedly worthy winners, the Chief admits that he found picking the winners of this year’s awards incredibly hard due to the extremely high standard of the nominated candidates. Addressing the candidates on the night, he said: “It was a very hard job because we were inundated with a great volume of fantastic nominations this year, but it was a brilliant job as it was enlightening and left you feeling motivated. “There were times when it felt almost impossible to distinguish between excellent police work and the excellent work of those who support the frontline most excellently. “You are all worthy of being here. You all are reflective of a resurgent GMP, and you all represent the very best of GMP and the very best of policing nationally.” The standard was so high for the Unsung Hero Award that the Chief could not decide on a sole winner for it, so he chose to have two winners instead. He also created a new Proactive Investigation of the Year award due to the amount of standout nominees in the Criminal Investigation of the Year category.
A full list of the award categories and the winners is below, with corresponding photographs to the right: 1.
Overall Award and Criminal Investigation of the Year: Rochdale CID’s Operation Cardington team – Detective Sergeants Ruth Thompson, Tim O’Callagan and Rick Shelton, Detective Constables Marshall Trower, Russ Clarke, Mel Jeffery, Rachael Stafford, Georgina Jones and Hannah Havard and Intelligence Support Officer Kelly Parkinson. 2. Apprentice of the Year: Safer Transport Team Business Administration Apprentice Dominika Majdziak. 3. Bravery Award: Trafford Neighbourhood Policing Team officers – Sergeants Marc Foster and Tim Ansell and Police Constable Marcus Wolstencroft. 4. Cadet Leader of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Leader Garry Joynes. 5. Cadet of the Year: Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit Head Cadet Toby Parker. 6. Innovation: Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch (FCCO) Marple implementation team – Crime Recording and Resolution Unit (CRRU) Business Lead Rebecca Greaney, CRRU Manager Kristopher Langdown, Digital Policing Programme (DPP) Sergeant Adam Frank, DPP Police Constables Mark Jones, Dominic Ginty and Mark Harrison and Change Project Manager David Millington. 7. Operation of the Year: Operation Wolverine – Sergeant Mike Lawrenson and Police Constables Myles Edwards, Joanne Ferguson, Martin Reynolds, Mark Bateson, Ryan Davies and Wayne Redfearn, PCSOs Maria Hughes and Claire Broome and Administration Assistants Gary Bolton and Hazel Smith. 8. PCSO of the Year: Wigan PCSO Michelle Ashurst. 9. Police Officer of the Year: Stockport Response Police Constable Tracy Hallworth. 10. Problem Solving: Operation Vulcan – Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, Detective Chief Inspector Jenny Kelly, Detective Inspector Christian Julien, Inspector Andy Torkington, Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, Sergeant Dan Cullum, Detective Constables Rob Smith and Peter Williams, Temporary DCs Vanessa Gilbert, Rachel Gill and Matthew Bowling, Investigative Support Officers Nick Price, Neil Ingram and Libbi Anderson, Police Constables Antony Rushton, Jamieleigh Clark, Simon Pymm, Saad Khan, Matthew Kech, John Galloway, Jennifer Burd, Lewis Boucher, Adam Challenor and Nick White, Major Incident Analyst Cain Ashton and Media Officers Fleur Armitage and Abigail Richardson. 11. Staff Member of the Year: Procedural Standards Forensic Specialist Hannah Marney. 12. Special Officer of the Year: Bury Special Constable Adam Duffy. 13. Student Officer of the Year: Bury Detective Constable Morgan Skeels-Caldwell. 14. Team of the Year: Bolton Neighbourhood Priority Crime Team (NPCT) – Detective Inspector Jon Waywell, Detective Sergeant Carla Deighton, Detective Constable Simon Swann, Sergeant Sarah Dixon and Police Constables Kiernan Bishop-Phillips, Matt Cookson, Joel Dalton, Jack Shaw, Emma Critchley, Georgia Ashcroft, Hannah Kirk and Sam Burgess. 15. Unsung Hero Award: Nexus House Catering Assistant Sophia McCurrie and Design Studio Manager Jay Ashworth (Sharon Kaberry picked up Jay’s award on his behalf). 16. Voluntary Police Cadet Unit of the Year: Bury Volunteer Police Cadet Unit Volunteer Cadet Co-ordinators Inspector Ryan Page and PCs Tim Heap and Claire Wright and Volunteer Cadet Leaders PC Luke Woodcock, Special Constable Steve Bolton, Dr Rebecca Page and now retired Comms Operator Allister Taylor. 17. Volunteer of the Year: Bury Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Dorothy Stoddard. 18. Proactive Investigation of the Year: Operation Somerled – Serious Organised Crime Group’s Syndicate 3’s Detective Inspectors Anthony Norman and Claire Rawcliffe, Detective Sergeants Colin Shackleton, Ryan Grumbridge, Phil Kennedy, Mark Atkinson and Mark Dunnington, Detective Constables Anthony Scott, Lee Siddall, Bryn Reeves and Dominic Greenwood, retired DC Glynn Mason, Intelligence Support Officer Roger Galt and Intelligence Analyst Donna Thomas. Check out the dedicated ‘Chief Constable’s Annual Awards 2023’ section of the intranet for more photos and information about the awards.
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A range of dignitaries – including the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Diane Hawkins, the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Mary-Liz Walker, the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green and GMFRS’ Deputy Chief Fire Officer Ben Norman – assisted the Chief in handing out the awards. The winners are photographed picking up their awards on the night. The photograph of the Op Somerled team has been excluded due to them being a covert team.
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Mission accomp for Operation Pr
Conservative Party Conference policing operation
The policing operation for the Conservative Party Conference was once again a success this year. The major event for Manchester saw thousands of visitors and delegates welcomed to the city. It took our officers over 12 months to prepare for Operation Protector. The four-day conference held in October was a multi-agency security operation that successfully showcased Manchester as a vibrant, friendly city that can host large-scale events peacefully and with professionalism. More than 10,000 people safely visited the city, to the benefit of local businesses and the local economy. On the opening day of the conference, around 3,000 protestors marched through the city and attended a rally which went ahead without incident. Unrelated to the event, a number of proactive arrests were made in the city, demonstrating that it was business as usual for many officers on the ground. Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes, Gold Commander for the event, said: “Security operations of this scale are always complex and require a high degree of multi-agency work. “With our partners, we worked tirelessly to protect delegates, enable protests and keep our city safe, and I am proud to hear such positive feedback about our staff, who performed their duties to the highest of standards.” The success of the conference has further boosted Manchester’s reputation as an iconic city for major events. Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “I know many thousands of you have been involved in executing what was again an immense policing operation, whether that be through planning the event, policing it, assisting visitors, catering and all those on divisions who carried and took up the slack of those deployed at the conference. “This operation is something which really strains every sinew of GMP. “These conferences are really important for our city region and Greater Manchester Police, as they give us an opportunity to showcase what it is that makes GMP such a great organisation. “My thanks go to all of you for your professionalism, your diligence and your cheerfulness. “You did a fantastic job and I am very proud of you.”
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plished rotector
n an overwhelming success
NOVEMBER 2023
Behind the scenes of operational preparation Manchester has up to 119 million visitors a year, and policing large-scale events is a common occurrence for GMP. Ensuring the safety and security of participants and spectators is a monumental task for these events. The force undertakes a meticulous and comprehensive set of preparations to ensure that these events go off without a hitch. The latest Operation Protector showed that extensive planning is key to a successful operation. Protective Security Operations Chief Inspector Roger Worrell, the Lead Planning Co-ordinator for Op Protector, said: “I work on Op Protector for 12 months, and the planning and logistics team are brought together six months prior to the Conservative Party Conference. This team comprises 15 officers and a police staff member, who are seconded from their ‘day jobs’ to work solely on Op Protector. “Their work focuses on ensuring the appropriate resources are rostered for duty across the operation and that they are provided with the right vehicles, accommodation and accreditation for their roles.” Ensuring that each element of the security operation is in place is key, and the team focus on mitigation measures for various threats, such as deploying National Barrier fencing to prevent a vehicle attack, using detection equipment to stop a drone in mid-air and implementing large-scale searches in conjunction with the military to identify and find any improvised explosive devices. The four-day conference itself saw: • An average of 1,650 officers deployed on Op Protector duties per day • A total of 235 police vehicles used • More than 16,000 hot meals served by GMP Catering on and off site for Op Protector. The operation involves multiple partners, such as the military, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and fire and ambulance services. They are all involved from the beginning of the planning stage. CI Worrell added: “I’ve helped plan three Op Protectors – in 2019, 2021 and 2023 – and I’ve already started to work on the 2025 conference. “There were no major incidents at this year’s conference, which is a mark of success – the team did an excellent job and all the hard work and planning paid off. “Working on Op Protector gives me real job satisfaction, and when it’s over and everything has gone well… I can breathe a sigh of relief!”
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Celebrating Black History Month at FHQ October saw the annual celebration of Black History Month, which honours and commemorates the significant contributions made by Black individuals throughout history. GMP’s Black and Asian Police Association (BAPA) marked Black History Month with a celebratory event held at FHQ on Friday 19 October. The event boasted a host of speakers, West African and West Indian food and engaging conversations. Kicking off at 10am, poet Deanna read out a couple of beautiful and elegant poems that focused on the struggles of the Windrush and celebrated ‘sisters’ of BHM. Guest speaker and historian Linford Sweeney – an Africancentred history educator, family history researcher, coach and author – then shared his insights into the rich history and contributions of the Black community. Linford, from Manchester, provided an educated display with a humorous twist, giving the audience a deeper insight into how far back Black people have been influencing the UK. After enjoying tasty West African and West Indian treats such as patties and coco bread, the attendees watched a short play performed by actor and director Marcus Hercules.
Incorporating a variety of dance and drama, the play revolved around the Windrush, particularly the loss of family and the struggles of the streets. Marcus amazed the audience with his energetic style in delivering an outstanding performance with a thought-provoking message. BAPA’s Deputy Chair Julian Addison said: “BAPA would like to thank the esteem guests for giving their time to attend FHQ and sharing their wealth of knowledge and talent. “BHM really hits home and makes you think of the struggles people went through, and highlights that everyone is equal. “This national celebration will continue to promote understanding of Black heritage and culture.” Black History Month has its roots in the United States. It was initiated in 1926 by Dr Carter G Woodson. Since then, it has evolved into an international celebration that allows us to reflect on the struggles, achievements and experiences of Black people worldwide. BHM has been celebrated in the UK since 1987, providing an opportunity to acknowledge the rich tapestry of Black heritage and culture that enriches our society.
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GMP the king of problem solving Greater Manchester Police is officially the best force in the UK when it comes to problem solving. Not only was GMP the only force to be crowned the winner of more than one of this year’s five Tilley Awards, Operation Vulcan was unveiled as the overall 2023 Tilley Award winner at the National Problem Solving Conference hosted by South Yorkshire Police in October. Since it was launched in November 2022 to tackle organised crime gangs embedded in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways, Op Vulcan has led to more than 220 arrests being made, over 200 counterfeit shops being closed down and more than 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items – with an estimated street value of over £140 million – being seized. Chief Superintendent Emma Taylor, Head of the Prevention Branch and the Strategic Lead for Problem Solving, said: “Problem solving is crucial to modern policing, and the results of this year’s Tilley Awards proves that nobody is doing it better than GMP, which is something we should be hugely proud of. “The national awards were set up in 1999 by the Home Office to acknowledge and celebrate the best examples of problem solving in UK policing, with five winners and an overall winner announced every year. “Huge congratulations to the Op Vulcan team for deservedly being crowned this year’s overall Tilley Awards winner. The amazing work of the team has scuppered the vast amount of organised criminality in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways and led to those areas being completely transformed. “Congratulations also go to our other 2023 Tilley Award winner, a successful initiative that was launched in 2021 to reduce knife crime and robbery incidents at a housing estate in Bolton through changing the layout of the environment. The tactics – including a partnership approach to successfully applying for a public safety protection order and making environmental changes such as improving lighting, providing new fencing and alley gates – led to a 72 per cent reduction in robberies in the area. “I would also like to say well done to Operation Overspill for being our other problem solving initiative in the top 10 shortlist for this year’s Tilley Awards – no other force had more than one initiative in the top 10.
“Op Overspill has seen hundreds of people arrested and a significant reduction in robbery incidents since it was launched in May 2022 in partnership with Bolton Council to keep people safe in the town centre at night following an increase in reports of robberies, other crimes and anti-social behaviour. “This all highlights our commitment to becoming a police force with prevention and problem solving at our core, and the fantastic progress we have made in this regard. “We know that problem solving is very effective at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and keeping our communities safe. “The initiatives that have received recognition via this year’s Tilley Awards are just some of many examples of GMP working with partner agencies to achieve excellent results.” Op Vulcan also won the Problem Solving category at our Chief Constable’s Annual Awards held in October. Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, who leads the Op Vulcan team, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team, who deserve all the recognition they get. “It’s been a privilege over the past year to work with a fantastic team of dedicated officers and partner agencies who have given their all to tackle the organised crime associated with the counterfeit trade to create sustainable changes in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways. “Those areas feel completely different to where we were 12 months ago, and we hope to achieve similar success in Piccadilly Gardens now that Op Vulcan has been launched there.” Check out the Tilley Awards articles on the intranet for more details about Op Vulcan and our other nationally recognised problem solving initiatives.
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Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police Wellbeing tour goes to Spec Ops The Wellbeing Team visited the Specialist Operations Branch in October to help its SPoCs raise the profile of wellbeing, the importance of looking after yourself and the support that is available. The mini Wellbeing on Tour event was organised by Spec Ops Inspector Craig Birkhead and his committee, who arranged for one of the Oscar Kilo vans to attend Openshaw, Clayton Brook and Eccles over three days. Partners attended from Police Mutual and No1 CopperPot Credit Union, to provide financial support and information. Our Occupational Health team carried out health checks over the three days. Code 9, GMP’s men’s mental health support group led by Sergeant Stuart Charlesworth and ex-Merseyside Police firearms officer Russell Fairclough, was also represented at the event. A coffee van was at all sites, offering freshly ground coffee, tea and hot chocolate whilst people spoke to partners and colleagues. Engagement levels escalated over the three days of the mini tour, with 50 members of the force engaging on day one, 103 on day two and 117 on the final day. That’s 221 individuals who now have more tools in their box to help them when they are struggling!
Grief first aiders coming soon The Wellbeing Team have been working closely with Cruse Bereavement Care to introduce a new volunteer role. Volunteers will be able to offer a one-to-one confidential listening ear to any member of the force going through a bereavement. Bereavement will impact us all, and having a safe space to talk about your feelings and the person/thing/future you have lost helps people to process their grief and work through the stages of it. There will soon be a cohort of individuals who are specifically trained and available to offer this support to colleagues. Please keep an eye on the Wellbeing intranet pages for further details, or speak to your Wellbeing SPoC. Awareness in November • Movember (all month): Men’s health is in crisis. Men are dying on average four-and-a-half years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons. A growing number of men – around 10.8 million globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men and across the world a man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69 per cent of all suicides. You can get involved in Movember in many ways, from growing a moustache to arranging awareness talks and everything in between. Simply type ‘Movember’ into your search bar to find the dedicated website. • Lung Cancer Awareness Month (all month): This annual public health campaign was devised to increase awareness about lung cancer, its risk factors, early detection and treatment options. • Pancreatic Cancer Month (all month) • National Diabetes Month (all month) • Talk Money Week (Monday 6 to Thursday 10 November) • White Ribbon Day (Saturday 25 November): This sees the start of 16 days of action against violence against women and girls.
Supporting Op Protector The Wellbeing Team were based at the designated Refreshments Venue during Operation Protector, speaking to officers who were deployed to the policing operation for the Conservative Party Conference. Partners Police Mutual and Nuffield Health carried out over 50 health checks there as part of the wellbeing support. Thanks to everyone who engaged and spoke to the team about wellbeing and support.
Help is always at hand If you are struggling, there is always someone to talk to: • Peer support in GMP: Contact the Wellbeing Volunteer Co-ordinators to be put in contact with an individual who has lived experience of a situation you are currently going through. • Health Assured: You can call the employee assistance programme’s free, confidential helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0800 028 0199. • Samaritans: A listening ear is always available on 123 116.
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Triple award joy for new starter
A new staff member has cause for celebration after scooping three awards. Michael O’Sullivan, who has joined the Force as a City of Manchester-based Operational Support Officer, was named Tameside College’s Overall Student of the Year 2022/23 at the College’s Annual Awards ceremony this summer.
He won the award for excellence in academic aspects of his Uniformed Public Services course, as well as for his physical performance, leadership, decision making and problem solving in practical assessments. Michael also won the public services category and received the Platinum
Jubilee Award at the college’s public services ‘passing out’ parade. Tameside Police Constable Ella Jones said: “I assisted the college in presenting Michael with one of his awards at the ceremony and was grateful to be given the opportunity to do so. “Michael worked exceptionally hard
on his course at the college, alongside being a Police Cadet. “His teachers stated that he has a passion for policing, and Michael has managed to secure a position working for GMP as a staff member, with a view to moving into frontline policing in the future. Congratulations Michael.” Michael said: “It was such an unexpected surprise receiving the award for Overall Student of the Year. “All my hard work and dedication over the last three years didn’t go unnoticed. The skills I learnt at the college will also help me with my career going forward.” Congratulations Michael!
Back to school for CI Galt
On Wednesday 27 September 2023, Chief Inspector Claire Galt returned to her former school in Tameside where local leaders came together with students to talk about lived experiences and their thoughts around Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Chief Inspector Galt, along with the Tameside Civic Mayor Councillor Tafheen Sharif joined several Year 11 students in conversation which gave all involved a platform to openly express their thoughts, emotions, and concerns regarding VAWG in their local community. This event allowed young girls to voice what matters most to them and articulate their vision for a safer, more inclusive community.The event was a significant step in promoting awareness and empowering young people to become catalysts for change.
It aimed to deepen understanding of the challenges surrounding Violence Against Women and Girls while equipping the youth with knowledge and resources to drive positive transformation. Chief Inspector Claire Galt said: “Coming back to my former school in Tameside, it’s truly heartening to witness local leaders and students uniting to discuss their lived experiences and thoughts on Violence Against Women and Girls. This event highlights the power of dialogue, empathy, and collaboration. The voices of our young girls matter, and this platform allowed them to express what’s most important to them; paving the way for a safer, more inclusive community. “The session has been a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to raise awareness, and helping to empower
our youth to be the change-makers in their own communities. “By deepening our understanding of the challenges surrounding Violence Against Women and Girls and providing resources, we’re working together to drive positive transformation across Tameside. “The collaboration between School Engagement Officers, the Mayor, school authorities, and the students at Fairfield School for Girls exemplifies the strength of collective action in addressing these important issues. “Tameside is forging ahead with a renewed and more collaborative approach to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls.” The Tameside Civic Mayor said: “It was really positive to work together with GMP on this initiative to gauge views on safety from the young girls of Fairfield High School. “We had open and honest conversations, which were very insightful, although nothing came as a surprise. “I feel reassured that partners like Greater Manchester Police are helping to lead on this issue, so we can all work together to ensure the safety of our women and girls in the borough. “Tameside Council recently attained White Ribbon accreditation in recognition of our ongoing work to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, and I look forward to seeing this develop further.”
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Educating Tameside Knife crime continues to remain a priority across the Force, from tackling offenders and keeping our streets safe to educating our communities and enhancing relationships between the police and young people. One of the ways the district has been supporting the Force to do this is through educational inputs to schools across the Tameside area. Working alongside partners, officers from the neighbourhood teams have been delivering input sessions to Year 7 & 8 pupils across a wide range of themes including knife crime, the dangers of drug use, the law around crime and staying safe online. The most recent session supporting St Thomas More RC College in Denton led to extensive feedback from the headteacher Mr Brophy, who noted that all staff and students involved were thoroughly engaged from start to finish. Mr Brophy also noted that: “Parents
and carers have contacted the school to thank us for organising the event with them noting their sons/ daughters came home well informed and very reflective about the talks. “Students have said that the talks challenged them to really think about their choices when they are out and about and online. “They said some of the information was shocking but in a good way because it made them think about consequences and kept them interested and engaged. “Staff were really impressed with the quality of the presentation, as the students were in the hall for nearly two hours at a time which means it can be hard for students to stay focused and engaged. The talks were so well done with a good balance of listening and interaction that the students were able to stay focused and enjoy the sessions. “All the staff felt that the students got a huge amount from the sessions and would love to welcome the team back.”
A warm Tameside welcome to our new recruits on B23 Intake Tameside welcomed nine new officers on Monday 16 October, as our new colleagues of B23 Intake joined the district. Our new colleagues bring with them a wealth of experience across numerous backgrounds, including the military, prison service, retail and leisure industries, human resources, health care and law, so they are all guaranteed to bring something new and valuable to the district. The success of our Tameside Academy project with supporting our Student Officers and Tutor Unit provision over most of 2023 has led to us now reviewing and harnessing our learning from this to take us to the next level. Our review is now informing our longterm structure and vision for our Tutor Unit, which we are rightly proud of as one of the best in the Force. Best of luck to B23!