Agenda item

Chris Hill, GMP and Councillor Gold, Cabinet Member for Finance and Communities to provide an update.

Councillor Gold Cabinet Member for Communities and Finance provided a brief overview of the report including recent work of Operation ‘revoke’ which tackles organised crime in Moorside.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hill updated the Committee on the following key priorities for Greater Manchester Police in Bury:

·         Road safety

·         Domestic abuse

·         Drug dealing

·         Serious crime of robbery and vehicle crime

Members were informed that If people are able to tell the police where and when people are offending the Police will target them. Since May, Greater Manchester Police have worked with local communities and Councillors to make seventy seven arrests, one hundred and twenty two stop and searches, execute thirty two warrants and seize thirty eight vehicles. Drugs within communities are a real issue and drugs worth a street value of over one million pounds and over a hundred thousand pound in cash has been taken off the streets. Operation revoke is a good example of working together. Other areas of good practice is  Operation AVRO where the Police get all units across the force to come into a specific area; the recent operation resulted in fifty people being arrested and a number of cars seized. 

Other area of good practice outlined were:

·         Best bar none, where a team come in to the area and look at safety and compliance including measures in place to support safety as well as the purple flag certificate.

·         Road safety, the police are increasing the road policing unit with the whole unit being based at Whitefield policing station so will start and finish shifts in bury.

·         Problem solving policing – A targeted approach has taken place in Kay Gardens

Chief Superintendent Chris Hill also stated he will be going on a walk for one hour every Monday night for the next three months with Councillors so if you would like to participate to contact him.

Members were then invited to ask questions, Councillor Bernstein asked how can we push partnership further to deliver more and what aspirations do we have. In response Councillor Gold advised a ‘Safer Streets’ bid has been submitted and will be a future aspiration for the Borough. The is also a new serious violence scheme and will be discussed. In addition the centralisation of STH back into the Council will align anti-social behaviour issues. Chief Superintendent Chris Hill advised that quality and standards of behaviour are continually monitored and there is a GMP scrutiny and governance.

Councillor Birchmore  asked what is being done to help the elderly population feel safer in the evenings. In response members were informed that work is being done to improve public perception of the police through quick response times, quality assurance checks and connecting people with community assets to support them and maintaining safe spaces.

Councillor Moss questioned what support is available for children under the age of five who are recognised as victims of domestic violence. Members were informed that the family safeguarding model and early years are also present in the family’s life and it is picked up.

Councillor Vernon sought assurance of the involvement of senior officers in the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and the reason of a general review of the process. Members were informed that the group is Chaired by GMP Detective Sargent of Inspector and the review is to align to a Greater Manchester process with a GMCA review to be completed in November 2023.

Discussions took place regarding anti-social behaviour incidents and the partnership working between the Council, Sixtown Housing and Greater Manchester Police. Members were informed that a Council Officer is based at the police station to encourage collaborative working along with CCTV being utilised jointly.

In conclusion the Chair summarised that this update has now been received by the Committee three times and its reassuring to see the plan and development of work

It was agreed:

1.    To thank Kate Waterhouse, Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation, Chris Woodhouse, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Chief Superintendent Chris Hill and Councillor Gold, Cabinet Member for Communities and Finance for their hard work and the update.