GMP Oldham District takes part in Operation Acquire's first day of action

Earlier this week (Wednesday 7 June) neighbourhood teams in Oldham, alongside neighbourhood officers force wide, took part in Operation Acquire which is GMP’s force wide initiative to tackling neighbourhood crime offences, with high visibility and plain clothes patrols taking place in crime hot-spot areas, conducting increased stop searches and arrests during the day.

Officers throughout the day in Oldham for Operation Acquire 

These days of action consist of intensified activity to tackle neighbourhood crime with extra resources deployed to support the efforts.

During the morning, officers and PCSOs conducted proactive visits and searches of scrapyards across Oldham and seized a number of vehicle parts that were suspected to have been a product of recent vehicle thefts in the area.

A team of PCSO’s held police surgery’s in Royton and Shaw and spoke to members of the public about crime prevention and ways people can keep themselves and their property safe from criminals. The surgery was well received and attended by the community - affording members of the public the opportunity to come and speak to their local officers who police their streets and are a familiar face in their neighbourhood.

Later on in the morning, officers conducted a joint operation with neighbourhood officers in Rochdale, where officers recovered three suspected stolen vehicles which will be taken for forensic recovery and reunited with their owners.

Patrols around crime hotspots also took place to help detect and deter offences. This included targeted activity around Derker and Moorside which has been the focus of heightened partnership activity with the police, housing and the local authority.

In the afternoon, neighbourhood officers and PCSOs conducted a traffic operation in Failsworth using the ANPR police car to flag up stolen vehicles and those driving without insurance alongside Chief Inspector Abi Cronin and Superintendent Phil Hutchinson, who joined officers during the operation and on patrols in the area.

Superintendent Phil Hutchinson and Cheif Inspector Abi Cronin joined neighbourhood officers on patrol around Oldham

Chief Inspector Abi Cronin of GMP’s Oldham District, said: “In Oldham we are actively targeting criminal networks and tackling crimes that matter most to our communities. 

"We're also working with our partners to problem solve in the area working by collaboratively with the local authority, specifically local councillors to deal with issues such as anti-social behaviour, violence and drugs in our communities.

"I want to be clear this day of action is not a one off– it is our sustained and determined effort to reduce crime and violence across Oldham and to make neighbourhood officers more accessible to you - the public - so we can work together to make our communities safer." 

To receive free text or email alerts to keep you in the loop about what is happening on your street and in your local community, sign up to beeintheloop.co.uk. Bee In The Loop is your direct line to your neighbourhood policing team.