December 2014 Edition

Cover feature: Staff give a helping hand to toy appeal 

A look back at 2014  

5,000 teens attend Safe drive event  

Policing and WW1 

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas 

Challenges and celebrations

Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable

Tony Lloyd, Police & Crime Commissioner

I can hardly believe that 12 months has gone by and what a busy year we have had. We are now heading into the festive season which will put extra pressure on us all not just as we try to deal with the demands at home.

The year has stretched us with an increase in reports of serious sexual offences and domestic abuse. It has also been a year when we have had 39 murders which brings extra pressures on all those involved in investigating them from forensic teams to detectives.

But I know that wherever you are working it will have been a challenging time, with no reduction in the demands that are being placed on policing. People still expect that we will deal with all their problems. I have talked a lot about that fact that we should not be social workers but we do have to

help with social issues and be involved in social change.

GMP has been through difficult times in its 40 year history. The organisation has adapted, changed and continued to protect communities. 2015 is going to be another year of significant change if we are to be able to continue to keep people safe and meet the financial challenges ahead. But I know that we have faced and dealt with issues before and can do it again.

Finally, we should all spare a thought for those who will be working through the festive holidays and those in our communities who may be in need in our communities. Thank you for the hard work and commitment you have shown during 2014 and I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable time with your loved ones.

IN 2014 GMP celebrated its 40th birthday, trailblazed in the policing and mental health agenda, continued to make our communities safer, and acted with bravery when faced with a bomb scare at Manchester Airport.

That’s not to say 2014 has been an easy ride. There is still more to be done to tackle domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, and lessons to be learnt from the protests at Barton Moss.

Together we must also find ways to

make sure that local concerns and crimes continue to be addressed – dealing with antisocial behaviour, and protecting those who are most vulnerable in our communities.

But these are not challenges that GMP can overcome on its own. We must continue to reach out and strengthen links with the community and voluntary groups, and work more closely with partners across the public sector.

What I have seen over this last year is evidence of a police service that continues to transform, innovate, and push itself to the limit to deliver excellence in policing for the people of Greater Manchester. This relies on both individual effort and concentrated teamwork.

Times of change and transformation are always difficult, not least when faced with a backdrop of crippling cuts, but I know that you will continue to act with professionalism, commitment, and dedication to the service. The public of GM expects me to continue to fight these cuts and do all I can to maximise resources where they are needed most.

You continue to engage with Greater Manchester people – on social media, through cadet schemes and community events, and through excellent communications campaigns

such as your much-praised anti-rape poster: ‘Drinking is not a crime, rape is’.

I would also like to comment on your internal domestic abuse campaign. I am proud to work with a police service that recognises that its staff and officers can be victims of domestic abuse too. If you are suffering from any abuse I hope you feel able to come forward, report it, and get help and support from your colleagues.

I look forward to what 2015 brings, and working with a police service that reflects the communities within which it operates, and which has neighbourhood policing and partnership working at its heart.

Thank you for continuing to rise to the challenges we face.

I know that many of you will be working over Christmas to continue to keep our communities safe and I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Editorial Welcome to the Christmas edition! As this is the last issue for 2014 the editorial team would

like to thank all our guest writers who have contributed to Brief this year.

In this Christmas issue we take a look back at 2014 and share some of the key events that have taken place in Greater Manchester.

Many of you will have heard or been involved in one of our campaigns and of course at Christmas the Force reminds the public of the dangers of drink driving. The ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ campaign on page 7 is definitely worth a read!

Also take a look at page 6 where we share the Christmas advent activity which took to the streets of Manchester this month, hopefully bringing a smile to many faces.

For a number of months the Internal Communications Team has been gathering feedback about Brief. You told us that you prefer to read stories that relate to the area you work in and that you prefer to read a printed copy of Brief. You also told us that sometimes the stories are out of date and too corporate.

As a result of your feedback we have been busy developing a new look Brief that will be launched early next year. However, we also need your help. If you are involved in something happening in your area please get in touch. If you don’t tell us don’t assume we will find out!

Finally, the editorial team would like to wish all our readers a very peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year!

Articles and contributions for the next edition of Brief should be submitted by

Editorial team: Catherine Barlow, Kevin Hoy, Krystyna Rudzki, Melissa Mead and Patricia Jones

Photographers: Chris Oldham and Bill Morris 0161 856 2777 Picture Desk: Lisa Marks 0161 856 2279

Designed and produced by: Corporate Communications, Force Headquarters, Central Park, M40 5BP

Contact numbers: 0161 856 856 5939 / 2238 / 5938

Email: Brief@gmp.police.uk

Brief online: www.gmp.police.uk/Brief

Be published in Brief 

Deadline date: January 30 2015

Editorial team (L‐R): Kevin Hoy , Melissa Mead, Catherine Barlow, Krystyna Rudzki  and Patricia 

Jones 

News 

Features 

GMP Community 

Sports & Social 

5 Internal domestic abuse campaign launches

6 Paedophile doctor brought to justice

7 Force launch Christmas campaign

9 Safe drive event aims to save lives

8 “Your call” domestic abuse app launches

10 Local Resolution Officers introduced

12 Twitter day two

15 GMP contribute to Christmas campaigns

16 Review of 2014 in GMP

18 A call handler’s Christmas

20 Policing and WW1

22 Heading Hub to Hub for charity

23 Band member Reg clocks uo 33 years in GMP

24 Letters of appreciation

25 Adverts

26 Marathon man with a difference

27 GMP team pick up the treble at boxing competition

27 GMP’s Judo team

Brief Edition Year 4

News

When domestic abuse crosses the police line  

OFFICERS and staff who may be suffering domestic abuse are being urged to speak out and report it, following the launch of an internal campaign.

The ‘When domestic abuse crosses the police line’ campaign acknowledges that although officers and staff have to deal with domestic abuse as part of their jobs, it doesn’t mean to say they are not victims themselves. Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: We work hard to protect victims and bring offenders to justice however, never before have we taken the time to properly consider the issues that some of our own staff will face if they are victims of abuse. “Because this issue is so important, we’ve launched the campaign, to raise awareness of domestic abuse, so that everyone knows there is support available – irrespective of who you are or where you work.” “Statistics show that one in four women and one in six men will be victims of domestic abuse in their lifetime - this is a striking and worrying statistic. When you consider GMP has more than 11,500 officers and staff, it becomes quite shocking to think that almost a quarter of our workforce could be victims of abuse at some

point. “In addition to encouraging staff to speak out and seek help if they are victims or indeed perpetrators of abuse, the campaign also aims to raise awareness of some of the signs managers and colleagues can look for, that may indicate staff are experiencing abuse. Some of the signs include working long hours, frequently taking time off work, appearing distracted or anxious, receiving an unusual number of texts or phone calls at work, wearing more makeup or clothing than usual (which may cover injuries), not taking part in

social activities with colleagues outside work and lack of money. “It is also important to remember that domestic abuse isn’t always physical violence, it can be emotional where a

victim is subject to years of criticism, isolation, intimidation and controlling behaviour by the abuser. “There will be many reasons why an officer or member of staff may be reluctant to speak out if they are experiencing abuse, however, I would like to stress the importance of seeking support. You will not be judged, and help is available.” "However, we want everyone who is

in GMP to know that if they are suffering domestic abuse there is help available to them.” A booklet and posters have also been produced to support the campaign along with

a dedicated page on the health and welfare section of the ‘People Pages’ on the Force Intranet site.

If you are suffering abuse or

suspect a colleague may be, there are a number of things you can do; speak to your line manager or supervisor, ask to be referred to the Occupational Health and Welfare Unit, contact the Force Welfare Unit: welfare.support@gmp.police.uk, contact the PPIU on the division where you live, call CiC (the Force’s independent counselling service) or call the Domestic Abuse Helpline 0161 636 7525 or 0808 2000 247 (24 hour number).

“We want everyone who is in GMP to know that if they are suffering domestic abuse there is help available to them.” 

“Never before have we taken the time to prop‐erly consider the issues that some of our own staff will face if they are 

victims of abuse.” 

Brief Edition Year 5

News

By Michael Del Rosso A paediatric doctor has been

unmasked as a prolific child sex offender following an investigation by Major Incident Team detectives.

Not long after a search warrant was executed at the home of Dr Raza Laskar, 32, by the Integrated Neighbourhood Policing Team at Ashton-under-Lyne, it became apparent he was living a secret, sordid double life.

In April 2014, information was received from the National Crime Agency that indecent photographs of children had been made available on a file sharing site between Christmas Day 2013 and 27 January 2014.

The IP address led officers to Laskar’s home, where multiple electronic devices were recovered and subsequently examined by GMP's high tech crime unit as well as an external company as there was such a large amount of data recovered.

The investigation required detectives to trawl through hundreds of chat logs and review countless hours of footage, something the Senior Investigating Officer acknowledges was difficult for staff.

“Unfortunately a lot of what was watched by the investigation team cannot be unwatched,” said Det Insp

Theresa Carter. “It made for some disturbing viewing and I must credit the officers who sat through hours of evidence in order to push the enquiry forward, helping trace victims and secure evidence.”

Detectives were able to trace 12 victims who provided evidence about the abuse they had suffered. All were boys under 16 and were spread across the globe.

Officers also traced one victim Laskar had met up with and sexually abused in a hotel room.

In total, 1.2 million indecent images of children were recovered and at his plea hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court, Laskar admitted 31 offences.

Det Insp Carter, added: "Raja Laskar lived two very different lives. Like Jekyll and Hyde, he is vastly different in moral character depending on the situation, going from caring for and treating children to deliberately targeting, grooming and abusing them.

“Laskar spent his working day with children. He knows how they tick, what to say and how to communicate effectively at their level.

“He used this knowledge and experience to groom and abuse them, an undoubtedly serious aggravating factor in this case.”

Detectives found no evidence that he had abused any of the children under his care.

STAFF are reminded that scammers will be targeting unwary online shoppers in the run up to Christmas.

Criminals are increasingly relying on the internet to defraud people or steal their identities, and there are lots of scams circulating using email and social networks, where criminals will ask for your personal information, bank or credit card numbers, or online login details.

Remembering these safety tips can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of online fraud:

Do not click on links that you are not sure about

Never give people personal information or credit card details unless you know who they are

Always use reputable online

retailers

Ensure the web page is secure before entering payment details – i.e. address starts with ‘https’

Pay by credit card as it offers greater protection

Use a secure site like PayPal when paying individuals – never transfer money directly to them

Det Supt Mark Smith said: “To help keep shoppers safe over the festive period, advice leaflets have been handed out at internet cafés and computer and phone retailers, and we’re also running a Google advert which directs people to the internet safety pages of our website.

“We understand that shopping online is often the most convenient way to buy things, but it’s also a convenient way for scammers to

target victims. Following the tips above can help you avoid being defrauded at any time of year, not just Christmas.”

An internal campaign will also be launched next year providing officers and staff with support around cyber-related crime.

For more information on how to stay safe online, go to gmp.police.uk/internetsafety.

All online frauds should be reported to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or reporting online at actionfraud.police.uk

Staying safe when buying online  

Pictured: The team who brought Dr Laskar to justice

Paedophile

Paediatrician

Brief Edition Year 6

News

Have a safe and crime free Christmas 

GREATER Manchester Police’s forcewide Christmas campaign got off to a rip-roaring start at the end of November, when the GMP Band entertained shoppers at Manchester’s legendary Christmas markets.

Joining the police cadets in Manchester City Centre, the band played a number of seasonal tunes while the cadets handed out free crime prevention ‘gifts’ to shoppers.

It was the first in a series of ‘flashmob’-style events that have seen the band pop up at various locations across Greater Manchester including Manchester Arndale and Bolton town centre. The band gave surprise performances while helping deliver serious messages about seasonal safety.

At each event the cadets gave out leaflets containing crime prevention advice along with purse bells, wallet cables and phone bunjees.

The ‘flashmobs’ are one of a number of tactics being used this year to tackle crime over Christmas. High-visibility patrols are also in place across the region and the now traditional online ‘advent calendar’ is also live on the GMP website.

This year's advent calendar sees police work alongside Santa and his helpers. Day by day the calendar reveals a story, following Santa as he meets the police of Christmas past, present and future. Each video

includes information to advise people on how they can keep safe this Christmas and how the Force works hard to protect our communities all year round.

Ch Supt John O'Hare was at the campaign launch. He said:

"This time of year is a busy one for us and we are thoroughly prepared for the festive period.

“We’re working closely with partners and looking at how we can better protect people from becoming victims of crime.

"Our top priority is making sure that the people of Greater Manchester have a crime-free Christmas, and enjoy the festive period in the safest possible manner.

"We are stepping up patrols across the region and working hard to stamp out crime and we are asking people to be vigilant. There are small changes they can make to help keep themselves safe too."

You can see the

Greater Manchester Police Band in action at the Christmas market by visiting www.youtube.com/gmpolice

The online advent calendar is available on the Force Intranet site.

Pictured: Supt Marcus Noden at the Christmas markets in Albert Square with the Town Crier Barry McQueen 

Pictured: the GMP band with Town Crier Barry McQueen  

Pictured: GMP Cadets h

and out purse  

bells in the Arndale 

Centre 

Brief Edition Year 7

News

THOUSANDS of young people were brought face-to-face with the horrific aftermath of a road traffic collision as part of a brand new road safety initiative, ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’. The project was the first of its kind in Greater Manchester and used real people, including emergency service staff and family members of those lost in collisions. They told their own personal stories of tragedy and loss. Pat Jones from the Internal Communications Team attended one of 14 performances at Middleton Arena along with students from across Greater Manchester.

“Having two teenage daughters, one of whom is learning to drive the stories were extremely impactive and they will stay with me for a very long time. Hearing how PC Greg Entwistle would have to knock on someone’s house after a tragic collision and how that made him feel to hearing from one dad who lost his son and the impact that had on him and his family. I’m not afraid to say that I left that event in tears and went home that night sharing those experiences with my own family. I have no doubt that I was not the only one who did.

“There were a lot of students in the arena at the same time and I can certainly tell you that the atmosphere was very different at the end after hearing the harrowing and hard-hitting consequences of driving dangerously. I hope that like me they will share the stories and remember what they’ve heard when driving themselves or getting into a car as a passenger.

“At the end of the day it could safe their life.” GMP, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, North West Ambulance Service, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust’s Major Trauma Coordinator’s, the prison service and Drivesafe all joined forces to launch the project and hope it will help reduce the number of young lives being lost on the roads of Greater Manchester. In the last 10 years (2003-2013), there were 232 young driver related deaths in Greater Manchester. This figure includes young people and people killed by a young driver. The average cost of young driver collisions in 2011-2013 was more than £72 million per year, which accounts for a quarter of Greater Manchester’s casualty costs. Young people are more at risk of being involved in a collision, despite a smaller proportion of them holding a driving licence. Insp Matt Bailey-Smith from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Road safety isn’t a subject to be taken lightly and ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ uses an emotive and hard-hitting approach to make young people sit up and think about the consequences of their decisions. “It’s easy to switch off when looking at a poster or watching an advert but the impact of a parent stood in front of you talking about the loss of their son or daughter takes it to another level and will make even the most hardened of young people think twice about their actions.”

Safe drive event reaches 5,000

Pictured: FLO Greg Entwistle, Dean Wilson (victim’s father) Firefighter Phil Nelson, Snr Paramedic  Duncan Mayoh, Sister Karen Higham ‐ Deakin 

Amy’s card marks Force’s

40th year WE are delighted to announce Amy

Garroch as the winner of this year’s official Christmas card competition.

Amy’s Christmas bauble design was chosen from many brilliant entries sent in by the children of officers and staff across the Force. It has now been made into an e-card and sent to GMP’s partner agencies and those people who work with the Force.

The entries were judged by Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy who was delighted to see how this year’s theme ’40 years of GMP’ had been illustrated in the colourful designs.

A big thank you and well done to all those who put the time and effort in to take part in this year’s competition. Some of the other entries are below.

Pictured: Sir Peter Fahy with this year’s  competition winner Amy Garroch 

Pictured: Entries from Evie Woodhoused (above) and Matilda Hartley (below)  

Brief Edition Year 8

News

Public get a policing perspective on abuse A new web app that puts victims at

the heart of its message has been launched as part of our latest campaign to tackle domestic abuse.

“Your call: Domestic Abuse” gives the public an opportunity to walk in the shoes of police staff and officers who respond to reports of domestic abuse on a daily basis.

The web app which was piloted at the Trafford Centre received an overwhelmingly positive response.

Accompanied by new artwork the new campaign focusses on all strands of abuse including emotional, financial, sexual and physical.

Det Ch Supt Vanessa Jardine from GMP’s Public Protection Division, said: “’Your call: Domestic Abuse’ is a new and inventive way of making people aware of what can be quite a harrowing and isolating crime.

“By putting members of the public in someone else’s shoes they are able to understand the importance of reporting the crime as early as possible.

“We know from our own information that one in four women will be a victim in their lifetime as will one in six men.”

Figures show that between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day last year there were 2,096 reports made to police about domestic abuse.

This compares to 1,444 the previous year showing a 45 per cent increase highlighting that the fight against domestic abuse is not over and that more work needs to be done.

Joanne Simpson, manager of the Women’s Domestic Abuse Helpline, said: “We welcome the new campaign and we are delighted that there is such a wide range of images and messages used so that the public are aware that physical violence is not the only form of domestic abuse.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said: “Domestic violence affects everyone in the home, including children. Men, women, old or young, gay or straight, can be victims or perpetrators.

“It’s only when we all work together – police, healthcare professionals, other agencies, friends, family and society at large – that we’ll be able to finally make domestic abuse a thing of the past.”

GOING INTERNATIONAL: Sgt Gary Watters from Bury Division recently spent a month with the Park Forest police department, Illinois, USA. Gary who is now back working in Bury said: “One of the lasting impressions I left on the officers I worked with is the fact that we do not carry guns in the UK. This was something they could not get their heads around and found quite disturbing that we would go into houses and stop cars unarmed. Although the methods were very different the result we want is the same, to protect civilians and bring offenders to justice.”

Gary arranged his trip through the International Police Association (IPA). He added: “This was a trip of a lifetime and one that will stay in my mind forever. The IPA enabled me to participate in this exchange and to that I am truly grateful.” Pictured: Sgt Gary Waters (centre) with 

officers from the Park Forest police dept 

Det Ch Supt Vanessa Jardine at  the Trafford centre launch 

Brief Edition Year 9

News

GMP has teamed up with the North West Ambulance Service and the Fire Service to launch an annual clampdown on drink driving ahead of the festive season.

As the Christmas party period looms, the Force is reminding motorists of the devastating consequences of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

At the launch event at the Trafford Centre a mother who lost her child in a drink drive collision told her story, to help highlight the devastating consequences of driving under the influence.

Starting earlier this month, the month long operation has seen officers breathalysing drivers around the clock, including the morning after.

Motorists caught over the limit will be processed like any other criminal and face at least a year’s driving ban, criminal record and up to £5,000 fine.

More than 300 people were arrested during last year’s Christmas operation and figures for the first half of this year show there have been 70 collisions involving alcohol.

Insp Matt Bailey-Smith from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit and coordinator of this year’s anti-drink drive campaign said: “When we talk about drink drivers, we’re not talking about people that are drunk to the point of being unable to stand or speak.

“Obviously this does happen, but it’s really important that people understand that you don’t have to be drunk to be a drink driver. Just a couple of drinks presents a risk and can affect your ability to drive.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle said: “This isn’t about spoiling your festive fun, it’s about making our roads safer. Drinking and driving is a dangerous, sometimes fatal combination, and we each have to behave responsibly to make sure we can all enjoy Christmas and New Year.”

We will be using social media throughout the festive period to give the public an insight into the Christmas operation using #nonefortheroad.

One drink is One drink is

too many too many

FROM SHANGHAI TO NEXUS: Back in October, 25 Chinese Police officers came to Nexus House as part of a visit to the UK.

The officers were from the Shanghai Economic Crime Division and were visiting various agencies and police forces to learn how fraud and economic crime is investigated in the UK.

The group had inputs from the Economic Crime Section and the Organised Crime Co-ordination Unit before touring the offices of the Serious and Organised Crime Group, and Economic Crime Section.

Det Supt Tony Creely welcomed the group and exchanged official gifts with the leader of the delegation, Cao Quanhua.

He said: “We are always happy to facilitate visits with international law enforcement partners and develop better working relationships. It means we can gain a better awareness of how economic crime in the 21st century is not just a local issue but a worldwide one.”

Det Supt Tony Creely exchanged gifts with the leader of the Chinese delegation Cao Quanhua    

Joining forces: Inspector Matt Bailey‐Smith, Elaine Gordon (victim’s mother), Deputy PCC Jim Battle, Lesley Allen , GMFRS, Steve Hynes Head of Service , NWAS. 

Brief Edition Year 10

News

Keeping it local

A new way of dealing with grade four incidents and managing recording crimes is set to improve the level of customer service we deliver.

Local resolution officers (LROs) are being introduced across the Force and will deal with non-emergency incidents over the phone rather than arranging unnecessary appointments. They will also have other responsibilities such as initial screening of crimes.

Det Con Paul Mitchell from the

project implementation team said: “We are already working with the first four divisions to introduce the new way of working. They have a critical role that will provide a better service to customers.

“We know that each division works slightly differently and we understand it will not be practical to dictate exactly how the model will translate on the ground but we are here to work with each team, not against them, to

ensure it benefits them and our communities.

“It is important to understand that LROs will form an essential part of the Integrated Neighbourhood Policing Team (INPT) and while they will receive full training, some with less experience will need help and support from more experienced colleagues and supervisors in the initial stages.

“Then they will help to provide a better customer service and improve our performance under the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) while releasing frontline officers to get back on the street and investigate crime.”

LROs will provide advice or signposting to other services, record crimes over the telephone and provide a crime number, make initial screening decisions and, where required, pass to officers for investigation. INPT officers will work as officer in the case (OIC), supported by their sergeants, and be responsible for keeping victims updated under the Victim Contract.

For more information visit the LRO page on the Force Intranet or email the local resolution project team.

During November, GMP officers and staff were involved in a national campaign to highlight the work of the police and partners in protecting the UK from terror attacks.

Counter Terrorism Awareness Week saw GMP officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NW CTU) carry out a number of events and briefings to communicate the four key areas of the Government’s CONTEST strategy; Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare.

The week also allowed officers to highlight the work GMP and partners carry out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The themes throughout the week included protecting crowded places and transport hubs, preventing people from being drawn into terrorism and making it more difficult for those intent on harm obtaining weapons and explosives.

Actions by internal staff and officers, members of the public and businesses can ultimately help to prevent terrorism. This support is invaluable and can

effectively help combat the threat. The launch of CTAW took place at

Manchester Central Convention Centre where businesses were briefed by Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) on how to recognise suspicious activity or hostile reconnaissance and what security measures should be in place.

DCS Tony Mole, Head of the NW CTU said: “The week was a platform to raise awareness of counter terrorism measures in the North West. It highlighted how law enforcement,

businesses, government and the general public need to work together to deter and detect potential terrorist threats. Activities throughout the week were an example of how we work with businesses and communities on a daily basis to ensure effective measures are put in place, locally, regionally and nationally to combat the threat and to keep Greater Manchester and the North West safe.”

The advice is to be vigilant. If you suspect it report it to the confidential anti-terrorist hotline 0800 789 321.

Countering terrorism 

Pictured left to right: ACC Ian Wiggett, DCS Tony Mole and Security Adviser Ken Upham 

Improving our level of service ‐ LROs will soon be introduced across the Force 

Brief Edition Year 11

News

Saved from exploitation

Pictured left: Ilyas Ashar, pictured right: Tallat Ashar  

SEVEN YEARS OF LIES: A couple involved in a criminal plot to defraud the National Health Service by supplying equipment and services at exorbitant prices have been sentenced following an operation in December last year. John Leigh and Deborah Hancox both from Rochdale pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to conceal criminal property at an earlier hearing. Leigh was sentenced to 44 months and Hancox to 24 months in prison. The couple were involved in a seven-year conspiracy between January 2001 and October 2008 to supply goods and services to the NHS at inflated costs. It is thought the value of the fraud was more than £1m, with the couple pocketing about £300,000 from the scam. Leigh worked for the NHS in purchasing and was responsible for buying mostly computers and other office equipment for various NHS departments. His partner Deborah Hancox also worked for the NHS. Following an operation involving GMP, NHS Protect and the National Crime Agency, in December last year, Leigh and Hancox were extradited from Cyprus to face criminal charges. As the investigation unfolded, police discovered some of the profits had been used to buy an apartment in Dubai, a cottage in Windermere which was rented out as a holiday home, a brand new Jaguar convertible and a Mercedes. Sgt Laura Walters said: "This couple were involved in an well-orchestrated and meticulously planned conspiracy to defraud the NHS out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. "This was not a get-rich quick scheme - this was a sustained criminal enterprise stretching over seven years. Seven years is a long time to see the error of your ways but these individuals showed no remorse for their actions. "I am delighted this case has finally been concluded and these con artists have been exposed and brought to justice."  

CONVICT CORNER

Pictured left: Cellar where the young woman was held 

A team of officers who helped rescue a young woman from a life of domestic servitude has received the Chief Constables Commendation.

Operation Seafarer was a four-year investigation into the exploitation of a young woman who had been brought into the country as a child and used as a slave for several years. Born deaf and without speech, the victim slept in a cellar, beaten, starved and expected to work up to 16 hours a day.

At the trial the Judge said “the offenders Ilyas and Tallat Ashar showed no kindness towards the victim…they trapped her in a hostile environment and had the police not become involved her desperate plight would have continued…he added that thanks to the police and social services the victim is now settled and building a life for herself. “

The Judge asked for DS Joanne Kay , DI Nicola Fagan and DC

Marie Verlinden to receive special recognition, saying they acted with nothing but care and professionalism, with the welfare of the victim at the heart of everything they did.

The lengthy investigation culminated in the offenders being jailed for rape, trafficking and fraud.

And, in a landmark legal case, officers used Proceeds of Crime legislation to secure more than £100,000 compensation for the victim. This award has helped her continue her remarkable recovery which has seen her live independently and become proficient in in language. The following officers also received Chief Constables Commendations: Jane Glynn Whitehead, Victoria Burgess, Steve Retford, Jayne from Serious Crime, Louise Brandon, Kevin Richards, Peter Cadwaller, Robert Smith and Steve Retford.

Brief Edition Year 12

News

Taking over Twitter

A new updated version of GMP’s smart phone app will be launched next month.

More than 26,000 people have already downloaded GMP’s iPhone app since its launch in January and it has received rave reviews from many via the App Store, Twitter, Facebook and the media.

The app aims to provide information to users based on their location such as their nearest police station, local neighbourhood teams, latest news, wanted and missing persons relevant to their area.

Building on its success, the GMP web team are continually making improvements based on user feedback and changes to software. Some of the recent updates include:

Push notifications will alert users of critical incidents via an onscreen display – users are prompted to allow these to be sent to their device

An additional menu at the top left of the home screen will provide access to preference for limiting push notifications (updates) to a selected division or number of areas, a campaigns list—a popup is displayed on the home screen for new featured public relations campaigns and QR Code Reader (providing a way to read the QR Code which then displays a related website)

A list of refuge and support organisations for those who maybe suffering domestic abuse for example.

The latest version will be available to download via the Apple App Store.

If you have the current version installed then you'll be notified of the version update automatically, if not, you can download it from http://appstore.com/gmpolice or search for 'gmpolice' in the App Store.

‘appy New Year

FOUR years on from the first Twitterday in 2010, GMP provided extensive access to understand what officers and staff deal with.

From 5am on 14 October until 5am the following day, the Force provided details of all the calls for assistance but also used videos, Facebook chats and community reporters to show more activity.

It received huge praise and positive feedback by people on social networks:

“Amazing use of Twitter

by @gmpolice and their #gmp24 hashtag, real insight to policing and what they do in a day” Amy

“It’s been fascinating

following you. Thanks for highlighting the important job you do.” Andrea

“Brilliant stuff – police in

Manc tweeting every call they get. Some of the calls unbelievable, tough job for the old bill” Phil

The aim of the initiative was to

publicise not just the amount of calls for assistance that were received but also to show the complexity of policing and the challenge of tackling

vulnerability. The 24 hours showed that despite

having 1,500 fewer officers than in 2010 when the first Twitterday took place the calls for assistance were still significant. Officers and staff from public protection, hostage negotiation, call handling, hi-tech crime and custody all highlighted the increasing daily challenges.

Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: “People were surprised four years ago by the range of incidents we have to deal with and these have not changed. More of our work is about protecting vulnerable people, targeting those who abuse them and dealing with the consequences of entrenched social problems.

“We do tremendous work every day and show great dedication, patience and compassion. And with concerns about the consequences of further reductions in staffing in coming years, we will need greater support from the public and continued changes to the way we work.”

The videos of officers talking about their roles can still be found on the GMP YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/gmpolice

Pictured: Snr Press Officer Adrian Worsley from the Corporate Communications Branch 

Brief Edition Year 13

News

DCC Ian Hopkins paid a special visit to the family of one of GMP’s PCSOs whilst he was in Ethiopia with Retrak.

PCSO Tegegn Bayissa based in West Didsbury, joined GMP two years ago after a conversation with Mr Hopkins at a Homewatch conference convinced him to apply for a role.

When Tegegn heard a group of officers from GMP were heading over to his birthplace Ethiopia, he got in touch and asked if the Deputy Chief Constable would be able to make a special visit to see his two nieces; Sena and Demi who he has not seen for 13 years. Sadly, both girls lost their parents at a young age and Tegegn took care of them until adulthood.

Mr Hopkins was glad to oblige and met the two women in the capital Addis Ababa. He said: “I felt incredibly privileged to meet Tegegn’s family. It was a pleasure to chat to them and find out more about their culture, as well as share with them what life is like in Manchester. I am also delighted that Tegegn decided to join GMP and is doing a great job in West Didsbury.

Turning up the heat on hate crime THE Force’s response to internal

reports of hate crime will now aim to be more efficient, appropriate and consistent following the introduction of the new ‘Hate Incident Governance Panel’ (HIG).

The panel has been introduced following concerns raised by staff, as for some time some have felt that there has been a lack of confidence in the way the Force responds to incidents of hate internally.

The feedback was carefully listened to by staff in the branches who are responsible for these functions and as a result established the governance panel to improve how the Force responds to these incidents. The HIG panel will review all internal hate incidents, oversee how these are being dealt with and critically, consider whether the hate incident is being dealt with through the most appropriate process - grievance or misconduct.

The panel will be chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan who will sit alongside senior colleagues from Neighbourhood Confidence and Equality, Human Resources and Professional Standards branches. The decision to establish the panel demonstrates the level of importance that GMP places on making sure that how we deal with

internal hate incidents is right. It is hoped that the panel will

resolve some of the concerns that staff have had around the lack of consistent response to similar incidents through different processes, outcomes where the outcomes have not been proportionate or appropriate. The panel has received support from the staff support networks. Chair of GMP’s Black and Asian Police Association, Det Con Paul Bailey said: “The panel is a step in the right direction. We believe that complaints of discrimination should be investigated and not mediated. Having said that the panel brings uniformity to the decision making process that before now has been sadly missing. It also gives staff members a central point of contact in which to voice concerns. This is one step along a very long road”

ACC Garry Shewan said: “The panel is a very important introduction as staff don't always feel that these issues are dealt with in the right way by the right branch or that the outcome of the process is the right one.

“At times, there have been delays in resolving issues at the earliest opportunity due to confusion as to which branch - HR or PSB - should carry the case. There have also been

concerns expressed that the outcome of cases has differed even when the case has been compared to another.

“The existing processes remain unchanged however the main change is that cases brought to the attention of HR or PSB involving a perceived discrimination will be brought to the attention of the HIG Panel. The panel will confirm which branch will respond to the complaint and then oversee how the case is handled and resolved.

“The panel will also provide an organisational oversight of all hate incidents or cases involving discrimination within the Force. The information will help to understand the volume of cases in GMP and the type of issues staff experience when concerned about fairness. The HIG will ensure cases are dealt with in a more timely, proportionate and appropriate way and that the needs of the people involved (aggrieved and subject) are addressed appropriately throughout the process and when the issue is resolved.”

Any member of staff or supervisor should continue to report matters through the existing grievance and misconduct processes and both PSB and HR will automatically refer these into the HIG Panel.

Special visit for Tegegn’s family 

Pictured: PCSO Tegegn Bayissa and DCC Ian Hopkins 

Features

Brief Edition Year 14

MISSION Christmas is an annual appeal led by Key 103’s charity Cash4Kids.

With the stark reality that 1 in 3 children are living in poverty across Greater Manchester, the appeal encourages donations of gifts and toys for children who might not otherwise get a present this year.

Organisations throughout the reagion have pledged their support and there are hundreds of drop off points for donations.

This year Cash4Kids are aiming to beat their incredible £1.3m worth of toys that they raised in 2013, and GMP ran an internal campaign to get as many donations as possible from officers and staff. Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy also went live on air to back the cause. He said: “It's very easy to criticise parents for not spending their money on the right things but there is no way that the children should suffer for whatever difficulties their families are facing.

The great thing about the Key 103 appeal is that donations go directly to the children and benefit them, true to the spirit of Christmas.”

In addition to donating toys, GMP officers and staff were able to use their knowledge of local communities to nominate children and organisations to receive the gifts. In many cases officers have been delivering the gifts themselves ensuring that the appeal reached those who need it most.

A mission to help children

TOYS BY THE VANLOAD: Toys were collected from drop off points around the Force on Tuesday 16 December and delivered to the Mission Christmas warehouse in Trafford for sorting. Three van loads of toys from generous GMP employees were gathered. Driver George Williams said: “It does feel a bit like playing Santa, as you know that by collecting all the generous donations and taking them to the toy warehouse they will be bringing a bit of Christmas cheer to under privileged kids around

FOR most of us, Christmas is an enjoyable time to relax with family and friends. Hoand lonely period. GMP staff have pulled together to show their generosity once moOperation Christmas Hamper. The two campaigns aim to benefit young disadvantagelderly residents.

Making it a happy ChristmMaking it a happy ChristmMaking it a happy Christm

PLAYING SANTA: Drivers  Tony Hall and George Williams delivered three  van loads of toys to the Mission Christmas Warehouse  

GMP volunteers lent a helping hand at the toy warehouse  Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy   

H

FOfoheetoto-pitebp

frhwa“BSClamho

Features

Brief Edition Year 15

owever for those more vulnerable members of our community, it can be a difficult ore by supporting two key Christmas charity appeals - Mission Christmas and ged families and children, as well as bringing a smile to the faces of some of our

as for all our communitiesas for all our communitiesas for all our communities

AN officer has gone all out to help a 15-yr-old boy who missed Christmas last year.

In December 2013, Jamie Schofield (pictured above) sadly suffered from a stroke. This kept him in hospital over the Christmas period and for some weeks afterwards.

Jamie is on the road to recovery, however he cannot play football, ride a bike or take part in active games like other boys of his age, in case this triggers another stroke.

When PC Matt Blakely from Bolton division found out about Jamie, he made it his mission to help the boy have the Christmas he missed last year. He managed to get a TV donated from Asda as a surprise special present which would make a real difference to Jamie as due to his condition he is often stuck inside with video games and DVDs.

Matt said: “Jamie is such a lovely lad, he never gives anyone any trouble. To bring him a bit of the Christmas he missed is the least I could do considering what he has been through this year. I wish him all the best with his recovery and would like to say thank you to Asda for helping to make this Christmas a very special one for him.”

Bolton officer delivers boy the

Christmas he missed

Hampers bring Christmas cheer to the elderly

PC Matt Blakely delivered a  surprise gift for Jamie, 15 

NEIGHBOURHOOD teams around the Force have been working hard to make Operation Christmas Hamper a success or the second year running. The appeal as seen mployees from ach division pulling

ogether to fill boxes o the brim with nonperishable food ems from tins of eans to mince ies.

Jacqui Ibbetson rom Wigan division as been involved

with both hamper ppeals. She said: Being the divisional

SPOC for Op Christmas Hamper ast year was something very different for me and I wasn’t sure what to expect

owever, my overriding thoughts were the verwhelming generosity of staff with

donations and their time and efforts in pulling together this operation; it was overall thoroughly enjoyable made all the worthwhile in helping vulnerable and

elderly people in our community. We received a large amount of thank you cards from people who told us how, because of their hampers, they would be able to have a great Christmas now some of the worry of having to buy food had been taken away from them..”

The hampers are being delivered to elderly residents on the run up to Christmas.

JOLLY JUMPERS: Staff and officers around the force took part in Christmas Jumper Day to raise money for Cash4Kids, Save the Children and a pensioner’s lunch.

Wigan officers and

 staff 

Cleaners at T

rafford  

get in the sp

irit!  

FHQ staff with ACC Zoe Sheard 

Features

Brief Edition Year 16

January

Special appointment: Mike Walmsley appointed as the new Chief Officer for the Special Constabulary.

Targeting mobile phone thieves: 17 people arrested in one of the largest crackdowns on mobile phone theft ever carried out by GMP.

New Year New Honour: Three GMP officers were recognised in the New Year's honours list. Head of the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Unit, James Jones, was awarded an OBE for services to policing, while ACC Garry Shewan and DC Pete Rickards were awarded the Queen’s Police Medal.

A year in GMP ‐ a small snapshot of som

February Weather or not: Officers and staff were praised for their response during the adverse weather conditions. GMP took more than 1,700 calls from members of the public in seven hours on 12 February.

Force gets first at forensics awards: GMP won the Innovation in Forensics category at The Investigator Excellence in Investigations Awards.

March

Operation Geraldton: A five-month long policing operation ended at Barton Moss in Salford after a group of anti–frackers set up camp in November 2013 protesting about test drilling work being carried out by energy firm IGas.

Action on alcohol: Greater Manchester was successful in its bid to become one of twenty Home Office ‘Local Alcohol Action Aeas’ (LAAA) areas across England and Wales.

April

Marking 40 years of GMP: The Force put the people it serves at the heart of its 40 year anniversary celebrations with a number of community-led events taking place across Greater Manchester.

Operation Challenger: GMP worked in partnership with Immigration Enforcement and local agencies to carry out series of raids, visits and safeguarding checChallenger - the week resulted in 78 arrests.

Action against domestic abuse: Happy Mondays singer abuse) teamed up with GMP to support a national week of action

May

Prison van escape gang sentenced: A gang of men and women who either conspired to free two men who were sprung from a prison van or were involved in the escape itself were given combined prison sentences of 36 years.

June

Kicking out domestic abudomestic abuse campaign to issahead of England’s World Cup m

Food for thought: GMP officers and staff came to the rescue of Manchester and Cheshire Dog’s home following their appeal on social media for donations of dog food.

July

Robert Hart appeal: GMP’s appeal to trace the man responsible for the death of 26-year old Robert Hart at Parklife has reached over 4m Twitter users.

Birthday honour: ACC Steve Heywood received the Queen’s Police Medal in the Queen's Birt

Proud to be Mancunian: GMP’s cadets represented the Fbiggest Manchester Day parade yet.

Tour de France hits Rochdale: The world's most famouspassed through GMP for around 800m with thousands of peoplespectacle.

Features

Brief Edition Year 17

me of the things that happened in 2014…. 

cks as part of Operation

Rowetta (a former victim of to tackle domestic abuse.

use: GMP launches ue abusers with warnings

matches.

hday Honours.

orce at the

s cycle race enjoying the

August

City centre protests: Hundreds of protesters gather on King Street during Gaza demonstration.

Give up the gun: GMP received 225 firearms and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition during the ‘Give Up The Gun’ firearms amnesty.

Emergency services day: Record crowds visited the annual Emergency Services Open Day at The Trafford Centre.

Commemorating the Great War: The Force started its commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of WW1 with the launch of a special exhibition at the GMP Museum. 700 police officers from the Greater Manchester area joined up to the army which was more than 50 per cent of the total officers in the Force.

September Operation Protector: Labour Party Conference held at Manchester Central 20-24 September.

October

It’s Not Okay: Force launched a new campaign ‘It’s not Okay’, to help prevent child sexual exploitation (CSE).

24 hours in GMP: GMP received 2,626 calls for assistance in 24 hours as part of a day of live tweeting that took place on Tuesday 14 October through to Wednesday 15 October. The Force used Twitter to highlight all the calls showing the challenges officers and staff face on a daily basis. It provided the most extensive behind the scenes access in its history.

November

Nail bomb: A soldier said to be obsessed with far-right politics was jailed for two years for making a nail bomb at his family's home in Greater Manchester.

Operation Retriever: GMP became the first force in the UK to successfully use new ASB legislation to obtain a closure notice on a house which was used by an alleged trafficking gang in Rochdale. Charges were made against five people for their part in a trafficking ring.

Safe drive stay alive: GMP joined forces with Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service and the North West Ambulance Service to bring more than 5,000 young people face-to-face with the horrific aftermath of a road traffic collision during a live event which was part of a brand new road safety initiative.

Mad Friday: Three people were arrested amid crowd surges and officers were called to several incidents overnight as people hunted for ‘Black Friday’ offers across Greater Manchester. In one case, 200 shoppers refused to leave a store in Middleton despite being told stock had all gone.

Features

Brief Edition Year 18

A call handler’s Christmas THE festive period is busy for all

GMP officers and staff wherever they work, but it’s a particularly busy time for those staff working within GMP’s Operational Communications Branch. Brief spoke to call handler Hayley Le-Carpentier to find out more about what challenges the Christmas period brings….

What’s it like working in the OCB at Christmas?

I’ve worked as a call handler for eight years and during this time have been on duty for six Christmas periods. It can be a bit grim, it’s very busy - we deal with everything from calls from the public reporting "my turkey’s burnt" to more serious incidents of assaults, domestic abuse etc.

What’s the atmosphere like in the OCB over Christmas?

We try to remain cheery, but we have to remain focused on the task in hand - making sure the calls are answered in a timely manner. To a call handler working Christmas is like working any other Friday or Saturday night – just busier.

What challenges are there? The challenges are the same as all

year round. The public need us no matter what day of the year it is. It is hard not to think of being at home with family and friends but we are professional and realise that we are first port of call for GMP when people need our help.

What are the busiest times over Christmas?

Mad Friday, Christmas day evening, Boxing day and New Year’s Eve are the busiest to be honest but every day is busy over Christmas!

On Mad Friday we usually get reports of drunk individuals (sometimes they just want to wish us Merry Christmas!) We also get a lot of assaults, fights, domestics, suicidal people and people with mental health issues.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas day there are a lot of family disputes, particularly around the custody of children. Domestics and burglary dwelling also feature very highly.

On New Year’s Eve it’s usually mainly fights, again domestic incidents, suicidal and drunk people.

Do you enjoy working over Christmas?

Yes I do, we all make the best of it, we are like a big family at call handling and have some close friendships. Of course we would all prefer to be at home with our families, but we were all aware of the commitments we would have to make when we joined up for this role.

Are there a lot of calls to the police over Christmas that are trivial?

There are lots of trivial calls made to us all year round - one call that sticks in my mind from a long time ago was when a woman rang crying because she had burnt her turkey. A colleague of mine also took a call from a distressed woman reporting her snow man had been stolen, when in fact it had just melted!

A fifteen-year-old boy came a step closer to his dream of working for GMP after a work experience placement on North Manchester Division.

A pupil at Crompton House school, George Newsome, who has cerebral palsy spent a week at Central Park DHQ where he worked with officers in a number of departments to get a greater understanding of the various roles in the police.

George would love to one day join the Force and work in one of our specialist departments. Despite his limited mobility after his week’s placement he is more determined than ever to achieve this goal.

George said: “When I leave school I want to go on to A levels and university but then would really love to work for GMP in the future.

I wanted to come here on work experience to find out more about the work that the police do and the kind of

roles I would be able to do despite the fact that I am in a wheelchair and would therefore have limited ability to get around.

“This week I’ve spent time on the front desk, in the Prisoner Processing Unit and custody which has been really

interesting. “Everyone I’ve met here has been

really welcoming, my disability has not proved a problem at all. I now feel reassured that this won’t be an issue for my future career and there are many roles I’ll be able to do within the Force.”

Great week’s work for George

Pictured: George Newsome with Supt Marcus Noden from North Manchester Division 

Features

Brief Edition Year 19

Immigration partnership powers results

By Lauren Taylor DECEMBER 2013 saw the launch

of ‘One Manchester’ - a partnership between Immigration Enforcement and GMP.

The launch came after Programme Challenger, GMP’s approach to tackling serious organised crime, identified a need for closer collaboration with immigration enforcement.

A national plan to improve the management and response to foreign national offenders in the UK was brought to the North West under Operation Nexus - part of the One Manchester project.

Three immigration officers are now based at Longsight police station full time to work with GMP and other partner agencies to identify those involved in crime and committing the most harm.

The Longsight officers support custody by checking all foreign nationals transiting through, whilst also working with INPTs to identify and address community concerns about immigration issues.

“The co-location of immigration officers within the station has really helped to increase awareness of what we do and how we can help,” said Ian Ashenden from the Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement Team. “Police officers are now much more aware of the immigration options and solutions open to them when dealing

with persistent foreign offenders and we have seen some great outcomes as a result.”

As well as operational support at Longsight,Sedgley Park training school has an immigration officer providing immigration awareness training to GMP officers across the Force.

Bespoke training sessions have been provided in various formats to take into account the varying requirements and demands of those attending.

The training has been delivered to nearly 900 officers including PCSOs, custody staff, response officers, specials and those within neighbourhood teams. Ian comments,

“The training has played a significant role in increasing the profile of immigration enforcement within GMP, providing officers with a practical overview of our work and an

increased knowledge of immigration issues across the Force. “Feedback has been very positive and we’ve seen a big

increase in calls to our command and control unit from GMP officers and a 60 per cent increase in level one intelligence allegations over the summer alone.” After a year of remarkable growth and success, Operation Nexus and the One Manchester collaboration has been hailed as a great accomplishment for Programme Challenger and Immigration Enforcement, but the work is not over

yet, says Ian: “The results speak for themselves, they make for compelling reading. We’re not resting on our laurels however, and are looking forward to developing new opportunities for collaborative working with even more departments within the Force.”

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

156 visits, resulting in 146 arrests and 32 Civil Penalty Referral Notices since March 2014

708 OCG nominals checked against Immigration Enforcement systems since March 2014

The Longsight team have conducted 44 enforcement visits, arresting 22 immigration offenders, serving five CPRNs and seizing £3500 in cash.

Op Wolverine – 15 immigration arrests, £1500 in cash seized

Immigration Awareness training delivered to over 947 GMP officers

“The co‐location of immigration officers has really helped to 

increase awareness of what we do and how we can help” 

CARERS WITH CARS: Officers in North Manchester teamed up with Halfords and Manchester Mental Health Trust to offer a little helping hand to those people caring for friends or relatives with dementia. Carers were able to drop in for a free winter car check at Halfords in Cheetham Hill, whilst at the same time having the opportunity to speak to specialist dementia nurses or GMP officers about any problems or concerns they may have.

Features

Brief Edition Year 20

Policing and the First World W

ONE of the enduring stories of the First World War is that of the first Christmas in the trenches in 1914. Spontaneously, local ceasefires were arranged and soldiers on opposing sides sang carols and played football together.

But let us fast forward to Christmas 1917, and a dug-out somewhere on the Western Front. James Thomas Chapman served as an acting sergeant on B division of the Manchester City Police. He joined the forces in September 1915 and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery. In one of his many letters home, he wrote to his wife, Ethel:

“Our Dug-Out Xmas. Imagine a dug-out, large enough to accommodate about 20 gunners seated at three tables. The place is decorated with a bit of holly and lighted by between a dozen and 20 candles in tin holders (home-made) on the table and slung from the roof. Plates containing biscuits, cheese, butter and cake were on the tables. Menu for dinner roast pork, potatoes and cabbage, xmas pudding, with custard. Apricots with milk. Drinks beer - two pints per man, white and red wine and rum. Not a bad spread for wartime, was it? After dinner we had a smoking concert, with cigs, cigars and tobacco provided. It was all very nice, but I would have preferred a dinner table to seat four in Moston and the quiet chat afterwards. Just a gaze into the fire to see the dream-faces there and let the mind wander through a valley of happy memories”.

Sadly, James was killed in action on September 2 1918, only months before the war came to an end. He was one of 85 officers from

the Manchester City Police who were killed while on active service with the armed forces.

Back on the home front, policing was undergoing massive changes. In order to

backfill the vacancies left by officers joining the forces, thousands of Special Constables were enrolled. Before 1914, specials could only be sworn in for one off events and then had to be disbanded. The start of the war saw new legislation that made the specials a permanent part of each division. An emergency ‘uniform’ of trilby hat, armband and raincoat was issued to

the first volunteers – afollowed later in the wa

Also in 1914, the fia uniformed patrol in Gthe Women’s Police Swar, many women dec

In uniform, but withmainly worked for the helped to supervise thworking in huge munit

Pictured left: Sgt James Thomas Chapman from Manchester City

By Duncan Broady, Curator, GMP Museum & Archives

Features

Brief Edition Year 21

War 1914 - 1918

a full police style uniform ar rst policewomen undertook Grantham as members of Service (WPS). During the cided to join the WPS. hout powers of arrest, they Ministry of Munitions and

he thousands of women tions factories such as the

one at Gretna. This was the start of the slow journey which eventually saw policewomen taking an active role in all police forces.

To commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, a special exhibition “From Bobby to Tommy” which examines the impact of the First World War on the Manchester Police is currently on show at the GMP Museum.

Pictured:  WPS admin staff at Gretna munitions factory 

y Police,. Pictured right: Special Constables from West Didsbury in 1914 

The Lion King,  

Palace Theatre 

17 Jan—22 Feb 

GMP events

Winter Wonderla

nd,  

Event City  

13 Dec—11 Jan 

Man  City v Burnley 1 January 

Shrek the Musical 

Opera House 

2 Dec—11 Jan 

Hanukah 17‐24 December 

Man United  v 

Southampton 

11 Jan 

Strictly Come Dancing Live, Phones 4 U Arena 24 & 25 Jan 

Jimmy Carr 

Manchester Apollo 

20 February 

Brief Edition Year 22

GMP Community

OFFICERS from the Force Hub raised more than £1500 for two special charities after taking in a ‘Hub to Hub’ challenge.

The event saw PC Mark Ollerenshaw attempting to cycle from the Force Hub at FHQ, to the Hub at Wigan Division in less time than it took his colleague, PC Jason Goodie (who was left behind in the Force Hub) to curl the equivalent of ten tonnes!

It was PC Goodie who won the contest as he completed his ten tonne challenge in 1hr 14mins,

The money raised will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and the Willow Rose Fund. So far this year staff in the Force Hub have raised more than £2,700 for these charities. The charities were chosen as three year old Willow Rose is the daughter of

their colleague PC Ollerenshaw. Willow was diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy when she was just a few weeks old. Her parents set up the Willow Rose fund to raise as much money as possible to fund research into the condition, so other parents may not have to hear the same news in the future.

The money from the challenge takes the total raised for the charities by staff in the Force Hub, to more than £2,700 so far this year.

On the day colleagues from the Force Hub also raced from Force HQ to the 11 Divisional Hubs across GMP where they sold some of the ‘Hub Grub’ cook books. Proceeds from the sale of these also went to charity. To donate now text TWRF99 £2 / £5 / £10 to 70070 (e.g. TWRF99 £5).

Hub to Hub challenge helps Willow’s charity 

Pictured:  Willow Rose is pictured with officers from the Force Hub  

OFFICERS and staff in Trafford have been pulling out all the stops to raise money for a charity close to their hearts.

The division have raised a huge amount of money for a colleague’s son who has a rare syndrome - Chromosome 18.

Nicknamed Gorgeous George, the little boy has inspired staff to donate all the money they raise from their fundraising efforts this year to his cause.

In a hair-raising stunt, Sgt Julia Dwyer pledged to shave her head if she received donations of over £500 for the

charity. She smashed her target with over £1000 being donated by generous colleagues. Supt Jim Liggett was given the task of shaving off her locks at a charity bash held at the Hough End centre.

Another unique fundraising idea came from PC Geoff Birchall, who has painted beautiful bespoke landscapes in his spare time. All he is asking his colleagues for in return is a donation to Chromosome 18 and a small fee to cover the basic costs of the canvas and materials.

Friends of No 1 Copperpot

£2000

John Foxcroft, retired £1000

Nadia Brew, Cheshire £500

David Sykes, retired £250

Robert Foster, Hampshire

Christopher Philips, GMP £150

Wendy Garland, Leicestershire

Norman Luff, Thames Valley

John Yeomans, retired

Jonathan Kemp, Sussex £100

Simon Rickard, GMP

Stephen Wayman, retired

Peter Giles, retired

Jason Jenkins, Nottingham

Michael Chalk, retired

Andrew James, Leicestershire

Keith Seal, retired

Toni Pain, Lincolnshire

Michael Craig, Retired

Andrea Ennis, GMP £500

Peter Heighway, Retired

Joanne Pennington, GMP

John Greenwood, GMP

Lynda Soudine, Metropolitan

Stephen Robinson, retired

Nicholas Caldwell, retired

Neil Beaumont, Sussex

Philip Bowers, retired

Rachel Foreman, leaver

Johnathan Taylor, Lancashire

Janet Broadhurst, relative

Charity begins at home

Pictured:  Sgt Julia Dwyer who shaved her head for charity 

Brief Edition Year 23

GMP Community

REG Eaton joined the Police Band back in 1951 when he was a Police Cadet. Today, he has completed more than 61 years of truly dedicated service with the band, both as a full time member and more than 33 years as a volunteer member.

For information about the band please contact Barry Frost on 07500033247 or Jonathan Taylor on 07775025278. Alternatively you can email us at Police.Band@gmp.police.uk or follow us on Facebook via GMPBand, or Twitter @gmpband

Reg is dedicated to music  Obituaries Alan Ashworth, 70, died 9 September

John Pickford, 69, died 15 September

James Johnston, 74, died 18 September

Neville Goodwin, 84, died 25 September

John MacDonald, 88, died 30 September

Robert Sinclair, 84, died 4 October

Geoffrey Banner, 71, died 5 October

Thomas Bennett, 74, died 8 October

Edward Arden, 70, died 15 October

Ian Richardson, 71, died 15 October

Denis Kinsey, 64, died 19 October

Donald Mackintosh, 71, died 21 October

James Partington, 89, died 22 October

Trevor Ridgeway Dytor, 73, died 18 November

Nick Bratby, 52, died 24 November

Pictured:  Reg Eaton with Barry Frost, GMP’s band manager 

Brief Edition Year 24

News

Send copies of letters or emails of thanks and appreciation to Brief, Corporate Communications, Force Headquarters, M40 5BP, making sure that the recipient’s full name, not just number, is included. Letters may be edited for reasons of space. 

Support in court  

On behalf of my team, I just wanted to thank you for the support given by Insp Darryl Codling, Sgt Richard Ogdin, PCs Michael Lawrenson, Daniel Fish, Lisa Doran, Katie Barker, David Fitzhenry, David Taylor and Faye Johnson during a recent eviction. 

I believe there would have been a serious incident had your officers not intervened to prevent a breach of the peace. 

Your officers endured taunting and verbal abuse from the family throughout the whole proceedings. It is to their credit that they remained neutral and did not respond to the verbal abuse directed at them, as I believe that one family member was making it her aim to escalate the situation by getting herself arrested. 

We are aware of the demands on your resources and appreciate that you have a very difficult job prioritising them. So, once again I thank you on behalf of the Court and staff. 

Wigan and Leigh County Court  

 

Excellent trainer  

I wanted to thank DC Darren Howarth from your Prevent team who provided awareness training here last week. Staff report that not only was the subject fascinating but the delivery was excellent, one member of staff said ‘ if only all trainers could hold your attention the way that Darren did’… I even heard some of your jokes went down well!  You not only know your subject matter but appear to have a natural gift for presentations and training.  

     The team certainly felt that this subject and the work you do as part of ‘Prevent’ is very relevant to the work we do at the Combat Stress charity and the veteran client group.   

Anon  

Keeping us safe  

Tonight you arrested the men that robbed my car and secured it. To you I have to say thank you.      I have never had much interaction with the police during my life but over the last week you have been in contact with me and my partner.      You delicately handled our case from the minute I reported the theft. You arrived within 15 minutes of the call being made, the scenes of crime officer turned up less than an hour later and we were contacted by the victim support group the next day. You contacted me as soon as the vehicle was recovered and you have reassured me to no end that whilst there are some highly inconsiderate immoral people out there in the world there are also these mighty men and women that humbly choose to live their lives defending the population. You work 24 hours a day 365 day a year keeping me and my loved ones safe.  

 

Made a tremendous  

difference  

    This week has been difficult for me and my partner we were robbed, our home was invaded, our privacy defiled, our livelihoods threatened and I can honestly say that I have never felt so safe.      My incident is small compared to some of the horrors I am sure you have faced but I'd like you to know that to this household you have 

made a tremendous difference and we will never forget what you have done for us.      Anon 

 

To the rescue  

I was recently stranded near Water Street trying to get out of a car park and had to leave my husband who is 87 and has dementia to find someone. I couldn’t find anyone and ended up back in the Bridgewater Hall. My car parking ticket had been ‘stamped’ for disabled free parking, or so I was led to believe. I was now very distressed and my husband was trying to physically raise the barrier when I returned to the car. I’d left my hazard lights on to alert other drivers and then found to my dismay that the engine would not start. Good fortune finally looked upon me when I saw two PCSOs David Ellis and James Hilton. They not only sorted out the NCP ‘non‐existent man’ and got the barrier raised but they stopped a cab and tried to get my car started. When it wouldn’t start PCSO Ellis contacted my rescue company and took me to a nearby Casino while PCSO Hilton took charge of my husband. Eventually the rescue man came and started my car and the officers made sure that the car was ok before they sent me home. PCSO Ellis telephoned to make sure I was safe. Not only did the two officers deal with a stressed old lady of 84 but cared for my husband, who was not easy to deal with in this situation. I was so fortunate that they happened to pass by and that I saw them. I would like you to pass on my thanks to them. They were most certainly a good advert for your service.  

Anon 

Letters of Appreciation

Features

Brief Edition Year 25

ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES

GREG McGahan Accountants. Everything from

accounts to VAT, tax returns and advice. We

put the customer first offering a friendly service

at competitive rates. Contact us for a free

consultation to discuss your needs. Tel: 0161

303 3183. Mobile: 07968 354737. Email

greg@gregmcgahanaccountants.co.uk. Web:

www.gregmcgahanaccountants.co.uk.

PAVING AND FENCING

WELLWORTH Paving. Block paving

concreting, decking, flagging, fencing, turfing.

Garage bases/footings. Walling and house

drainage. 25 yrs experience - free quotes. Tel:

07974 349271guaranteed.

FOSTER CARER

Interested in being a Foster Carer? Swiis

support and train foster carers to help

thousands of children in care achieve their

potential. For advice Tel Jane 0777 997 9192

HOLIDAYS—BRITAIN

RHOSNEIGR, ANGELSEY. Middle of village,

sleeps 8, all mod cons, sea view, 3 mins to

beach, parking, no pets. Ring Heather 0161

427 2026 or email

bateson@hunterspark.co.uk .

HOLIDAYS—ABROAD

LUXURY FLORIDA VILLA - 10 mins to Disney,

5 beds, 3 baths, games room, south facing pool

and hot tub. Special GMP rate, exclusive

location. Visit www.greenviewsvilla.com or call

0161 973 1833.

For Sale – Scotland - Retirement/holiday

home . Detached bungalow, 3 beds, 1 ensuite,

lounge, diner, fitted kitchen. Garage/utility room

open aspects front and rear. Seach Clachan

Loaning foot on Zoopla. Please call. Pauline

Robinson on 01387 880400

PLASTERING

Time served plasterer looking for a labourer,

would be ideal if you have some experience in

plastering/labouring. I live in Chadderton and

could pick up locally. A great opportunity,

please be prepared to work on Saturday and

occasional Sunday. If interested please ring

Gina Stewart on 07789085985 for further

information.

FOR SALE

For Sale – Canon Power Shot SX 220 HS

Quality Digital Camera 14X Zoom 12.1

megapixels. As new. Used only once. Cost

£00. For sale £65. Please ring Jim Stanfield on

0161 370 9370

For Sale – VW Dog Grill for 2002-2005 Passat

Estate. Detachable tow bar and roof box for

same vehicle. £25 each or all three for £50.

Please call Lindsay Bromage (Staff Police) on

07944 250759

Wedding Bunting and Wooden Signs.

Personalised or plain. Vintage lace bride and

groom bunting. New baby bunting. All

handmade and bespoke. Please call or email

for prices etc. Please call Naomi Aktuna on

07733 412286 or email

Naomi.aktuna@gmp.police.uk.

MISCELLANEOUS

Property Investment - Are you worried over the

effect the government’s pension reforms will

have on your ability to retire early enough to

enjoy the rest of your life? Have you ever

considered becoming a property investor/

developer...or just yearned to unleash your

creative flair in property development? If this

one day seminar will lead you through all the

things you need to know to build a successful

property from deciding on the right property to

buy, sourcing the right mortgage preparing the

property and advertising it

managing the property once let and knowing

your legal responsibilities and how to ensure

you abide by these. To book a place or for

further information please email:

info@sueirwin-education.co.uk or call Barry

Irwin on 07772 821560

HOW TO ADVERTISE IN BRIEF

Please fill in the Electronic version of the Advertisement Coupon here: www.gmp.police.uk/briefads

All adverts must be accompanied by a copy of the advertiser’s warrant/ID card or pension number

Cheques should be made payable to “Greater Manchester Police” and sent to:

Brief Advertising, Corporate Communications, Force HQ, Northampton Road, Manchester M40 5BP.

Although all reasonable steps have been taken to check the authenticity of advertisers, it must be stressed that acceptance for publication does not imply the acceptance of any responsibility or liability to GMP in respect of any advertisement. Publication does not imply any endorsement of the companies, individuals or products.

Advertisements

Deadline for adverts to be submitted for the next edition is:

30 January 2015

Sports & Social

Brief Edition Year 26

A retired officer is now making a name for himself as a sports writer. Steve Manning has been put pen to paper to release his second book, an autobiography of Wigan’s most legendary player Bill Ashurst. Steve retired from GMP in 1997 after 27 years. However this was far from the end of his career. A passionate rugby league fan and Wigan Warriors follower, Steve was inspired to pursue a career in sports media when he discovered college radio at St Helens college. He has now been working as

a sports journalist and commentator for more than a decade.

In addition to his regular slot on City Talk 105.9, his experience includes regularly judging player of the match performances, appearances on cable TV and being the vice chair of the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA).

Following his autobiography of Mike Gregory, his latest book is called ‘Tries & Prayers: A Rugby League Journey’ and delves into the fascinating story of iconic player Bill Ashurst who played for Wigan Warriors in the 60s and 70s.

The book is available on Amazon and locally at the Wigan rugby league club shop, Waterstones and WH Smiths.

Retired officer ‘tries’ his hand at sports writing

FOR most people, running a half marathon is a challenge in itself. How about running one every month whilst pushing a hefty wheelbarrow too? Oh, and throw in a few extra 10ks whilst dressed up in full Constable Cub get up…

This is the challenge that PC Damieon Pickles has set himself in aid of Oldham Division’s nominated charity, Dr Kershaw’s hospice.

Damieon said: “Around 12 years ago my Grandad passed away at a hospice in Halifax called Overgate. At the time I took part in a trek to base camp at Everest which raised more than £15,000. I am forever grateful to that hospice for the care my Grandad received, and when I moved to Oldham I found out about the good work that Dr Kershaw’s hospice do for the local community and rallied my colleagues to choose them as their nominated charity.

“A few years ago I was told by a specialist that I have a degenerative hip condition. I rested for 12 months but as a former Rugby League player and a keen runner, not doing something active was out of the question. I decided to continue fundraising whilst I still can – and that’s what prompted me to start running for this charity.”

And the reason for the

wheelbarrow? “Quite simply I saw a wheelbarrow and the idea popped into my head! When I looked it up I couldn’t find anyone else who had attempted it, so I thought it was something a bit different that might capture people’s attention.”

So, what’s next for the Barrow-thon Man? “I’ve dedicated myself to completing as many half marathons as

possible in a three year period - finishing in 2016. I’m aiming to raise more than £5,000. I would love for this challenge to culminate in one epic event such as climbing one of the world’s biggest mountains – so watch this space!”

You can follow Damieon on

Twitter @BarrowthonmanDamieon

Enter the Barrow-thon Man

Pictured:  Damieon with his wheelbarrow 

Pictured:  Steve Manning’s second book ‘Tries and Prayers’ 

Sports & Social

Brief Edition Year 27

TEAM GMP picked up the boxing treble at the 2014 North West Battle of the Forces Event, claiming the Heavyweight, Middleweight and lightweight titles.

The competition, now in its second year sees officers and staff from GMP, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire battle it out for a number of titles whilst raising money for charity. More than £3,500 was raised on the night for the Nicola Hughes Memorial Fund.

The competition is an opportunity for boxers new and experienced to

take to the ring. GMP’s three belt winners included Heavyweight - PC Joe Burrows, Middleweight - PC Andy Prior and Lightweight PC Ashley Keyte. GMP’s team also managed to claim this year’s title of winning overall North West team from the holders Merseyside.

GMP’s team captain PC Ashley Keyte said: “It was a great event, I’m sure the police officers and staff involved would all would say not only it was a unique experience win, lose or draw, but the fantastic cause made it

all the more worthwhile. “For some of those involved it was

their very first time inside a ring, so to compete against one another after having pushed their fitness and energy levels to the maximum was a great effort.

“The boxing was of high standard, especially from the GMP women who were all impressive in their respective bouts against some tough opponents.

“GMP had four officers competing for North West Force title belts in Ashley Keyte, Andy Prior, Karl Darlington and Joe Burrows – three of these train at the same Lion’s Den camp in Wigan.

“The event itself was well organised by Bern Giam of the Martial Arts Studio (TMAS). Bern and his team ensure a professional and fantastic atmosphere was created.

Battle Of The Forces will no doubt happen again in 2015, it would be great to be able to top this year’s £3,500 raised for the charity.”

Other GMP team members included: Lee Shepherd, Pete Mather, Nick Boardman, Karl Darlington, Paul Evans, Charlotte Tomkinson, Ashley Keyte, Natalie Whalin, Andy Webb, Steve Roberts, Tom Martin, Paul Kelly and Craig Boose. A special mention should go to PC Gemma Hines from the G division, who raised a significant amount of money for charity prior to the event but sadly was unable to fight due to injury.

A ‘Force to be reckoned with’

GMP’s Judo team were triumphant at this year’s PSUK national competition, returning with three gold, two silver and seven bronze medals.

The GMP team travelled north of the border for this year’s event which was hosted by Police Scotland.

The team was made up of Dan Grades, Mark Montrose, Andy Kenyon, John Goodwin, David Crewe, Gareth Taylor, Simon Butler and Drew McArdle.

Next year’s championships are to be hosted by the Metropolitan Police and anyone interested in representing GMP – or just interested in starting Judo, Jujitsu, Muay Thai or MMA can email Det Sgt 09207 Mark Montrose.

Joy for GMP Judo team

Pictured L‐R: ‐ Adele Forshaw, Geoff Dean (owners of Lion’s Den camp), Andy Prior, Ashley Keyte, Joe Burrows, Lee Forshaw 

Sports & Social

Brief Edition Year 28

This is the Force’s Official Christmas card which was designed by Amy Garroch age 11.