GMP’s Op Custodian team make 21 arrests during nighttime economy operation

Every weekend, Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Manchester City Centre team are out in force across the city’s biggest socialising hotspots, such as Deansgate and Peter Street, the Gay Village, and Northern Quarter.

Op Custodian is their dedicated nighttime economy operation, aimed at preventing incidents, providing reassurance to patrons and licensed premises, tackling predatory behaviour, and dealing with incidents as quickly as possible. The operation features a mixture of high visibility, uniformed officers on patrols, usually alongside partner agencies and volunteers, such as Manchester City Council’s licensing team and the Village Angels, as well as plain clothed officers, deployed to spot behaviour which doesn’t look quite right, challenge it, and remove vulnerable people from those situations.

Op Custodian officers on patrol on Peter Street, photo credit Manchester Evening News

This team are just one of many supporting the efforts to tackle spiking, during Spiking Intensification Week (18 – 24 March 2024), but also deal with a whole host of other offences whilst out in the town. Their operation this Friday and Saturday (15 and 16 March) saw 21 people arrested for a range of offences, such as; theft, domestic abuse, robbery, sexual assault and possession of Class A drugs.

Chief Inspector Stephen Wiggins leads the City Centre team, “Op Custodian is an incredibly important part of our team’s weekly business.

“Manchester has such a thriving hospitality scene which rightly so, residents of the borough and people from all over the UK and world come to enjoy and should be able to without fear of becoming a victim of crime.

“I can confidently say that the vast majority of people making use of our city’s bars and pubs are doing so without issue or incident.

“These arrests mark just part of what the team get up to on a typical Op Custodian shift. They also make a number of interventions to safeguard vulnerable people, distribute spiking test and prevention kits, and drop into licensed premises with partners to provide training and guidance in relation to issues such as spiking and predatory behaviour.

“We are committed to tackling all types of unacceptable and criminal behaviour which takes place in our nighttime economy to ensure people feel safe, and I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to my officers or the volunteers, who will all be happy to help.

“There are also two ‘Safe Spaces’ in Manchester City Centre, located on Deansgate and at the Town Hall Police Station, where people can seek refuge from harm and be assisted by trained professionals or police.”

Chief Inspector Stephen Wiggins, photo credit Manchester Evening News

All incidents can be reported to police using 101, or by contacting GMP online. Always call 999 in an emergency.