Robberies and violent crime falls in Village as officers dedicate patrols to hotspot policing

Robberies and violent crime have been reduced in the Village area of Manchester city centre, as officers continue to crack down on criminality.

Operating under Op Sycamore, police received funding from the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to target crime hotspots across the city, including in Village / Canal Street, commercial district, and other surrounding areas.

The work provides funds for specific patrols around areas research has shown to be hotspots for violent crimes, such as certain businesses or areas of a park. In the Village, this includes Canal Street, Richmond Street, and Bloom Street.

In the third quarter of 2022, 35 robberies were recorded as occurring in the Village area – which nearly halves to 18 in the third quarter of 2023. The last recorded month of data (December 2023) shows five recorded robberies.

Each of the identified hotspots are regularly visited during patrols each day, with a targeted focus during busier nights: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays show an increase in crimes due to the increased footfall of people on nights out, so officers deploy more frequently during these peak times.

Local officers work closely with businesses and will discuss issues with management and security when a complaint arises. This includes the use of the Night Net radio, which provides a two-way communication facility with bars and clubs.

Inspector Glen Rees, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “The reduction of robberies and other violent crime in the Village is testament to the hard work of officers, who have been out, patrolling, working with businesses and securing arrests and charges for offenders.

“The proactive patrols across hotspot areas of the city have seen certain crimes drop in number and I hope this trend continues throughout 2024. The City Centre neighbourhood team will carry on doing what work they can to ensure that the city’s residents and visitors are safe and protected from those who seek to harm them.

“As part of Hate Crime Awareness Week, our officers have been out engaging with the community and if you happen to see one, please do pull them over for a chat about any query you may have.

“If you have any information about crimes in the Village or wider city area, please do contact us. You can do this by calling 101, visiting gmp.police.uk, or contacting Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”