Operation AVRO provides high-impact policing back in Bury

The high-visibility, proactive operation utilising GMP's strength and resources resulted in more eye-catching results to keep the community of Bury safe.

Starting out with an early morning briefing in the town centre under the shadow of Sir Robert Peel - the founder of the Metropolitan Police, the world's first police force in 1829 after being born in Bury - it was a poignant way to start the day of action.

Officers in Bury made a total of 52 arrests yesterday (Thursday 20 April 2023), for a range of offences including drug supply and burglary as part of Operation AVRO, the monthly GMP initiative that sees officers take the fight back to the criminals, providing high-visibility controls and engaging with the community.  

A total of 22 warrants were carried out in the district after an early morning briefing. More than 23,000 cigarettes were seized, along with 19.25kg of tobacco and 784 illicit vapes, leaving a total street value in seizures worth £30,000. Several cannabis farms were also seized.

The operation also saw officers identify 127 traffic offences being committed across two locations (around Bury Old Road and Walmersley Road), including 73 speeding offences. In total, eight vehicles were seized.

Other activity included weapons sweeps around the Metrolink station and knife arches set up at the station and Heaton Park. Mounted police patrols took place in the town centre to provide visible reassurance to the community.

As well as the raids, officers also held events within the local communities, such as a police helicopter landing on the fields of Guardian Angels Primary School. Youngsters were able to ask questions of the police officers and pilot on board and even got the chance to sit inside the cockpit. Elsewhere, officers joined forces with Paul McGovern MBE, to deliver an ‘Actions have Consequences’ session to pupils at Hazel Wood High School.

GMP runs Operation AVRO from a different district within Greater Manchester each month, in a bid to tackle the communities’ top concerns.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hill, from GMP’s Bury Division, said: “I’m excited to have replicated the achievements of last year, it was a great accomplishment. I enjoyed getting out and about, meeting members of the community and working with our officers from across the force.

“We will take the fight to the criminal and we will take the drugs and the equipment that they use to grow drugs off the streets. We can only do that with the information from our communities – you said, we did.

“With your help, we have stopped future cannabis grows in the community of Bury.”

What is Operation AVRO?

Operation AVRO is a force wide initiative that delivers extra resources and specialist officers to a different district within Greater Manchester each month and launched just over a year ago in Salford in October 2021.

Since then, it has travelled around the force with the operation targeting crimes and concerns that members of the public in that district have told GMP give them the most concern.

For more information, visit: Operation AVRO | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)