Over a year of Operation Venture: Making a serious impact on violence in GM

Greater Manchester Police is celebrating the successes achieved by Operation Venture as it celebrates being in place for over 12 months. The team are dedicated to tackling violence, particularly that involving younger people, and with a focus on knife crime.

Operation Venture supports the work of the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) – a multi-agency team that seeks to prevent violence by addressing the underlying causes. A key part of the work of the VRU involves educating those who might be at risk of re-offending and as a result of this the VRU commission and support a number of education programmes.

Working alongside the VRU, the team have made nearly 200 partnership referrals into programmes to help re-direct offenders and prevent violent crime from occurring.

The team continue to organise weapon sweeps; carry out proactive patrols across hotspot areas; conduct arrests in relation to violent incidents or other relevant offences; regularly stop and search individuals; engage with the community and assist divisional response teams by responding to incidents of serious violence.

The numbers – evidence behind the ongoing work

A specialised team of an Inspector, two sergeants and 10 officers use a mix of covert and high-visibility tactics to tackle offenders in the act and make a sizeable impact on reducing serious violence on the streets of Greater Manchester.

The team are supported by a back-office function consisting of a Detective Chief Inspector, Sergeant and two analysts that support districts around problem orientated policing and data analysis ensuring the team are deployed in the right place at the right time

Utilising data and hotspot areas, the results tell the story and success for themselves:

• 452 arrests
• 942 intelligence submissions to help investigations
• 130 weapons seized including knives and firearms
• 168 weapons sweeps of key locations to search for disposed items
• 430 total positive stop searches
• £250,000+ cash seized
• 191 partnership referrals to services to support young people and families
• 218 disruption visits to prevent crime from escalating
• 58 vehicle seizures linked to crime, no insurance or valid licence

Through the work of GMP's Operation Venture, the VRU and key partners in the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, national statistics highlight knife crime has reduced by 15% between August 2022 to August 2023 in Greater Manchester.

With officers embedding themselves into the community it enables a heightened and more proactive response to crime. This includes regular patrols of hotspot locations identified all across the force area.

The work has had a huge impact in terms of reducing knife crime and the number of serious incidents that occur, with a direct correlation to the team deploying to an area and seeing an immediate reduction in violence.

12 months on – what has been done and key successes

From volunteer metal detectorists to knives being crushed, the approach to combatting knife crime together through a variety of methods and tactics means initiatives such as these can reinforce the message that communities coming together to help tackle knife crime has a positive and lasting reaction.

Whilst BBC’s Crimewatch saw first-hand what Operation Venture do showcasing a range of tactics to detect and deter knife-related crime.

Recently the team made key arrests to tackle a Stockport Organised Crime Group (OCG) as part of their hotspot targeting which not only started the dismantling of a gang intent on causing fear and violence in the area, but also recovered drugs and cars alongside knives.

Examples of key finds by patrols are showcased further using police instinct to identify individuals and vehicles acting suspiciously to recover drugs and weapons.

A specialised resource used across the force, Operation Venture are also deployed to key events, including festivals such as Parklife and the Caribbean Carnival – two key high-profile dates in the diary that attracts a large crowd and has been hailed in 2023 as two of the safest events ever run in their history, thanks to a co-ordinated response between partners to reduce serious violence and intercept suspects well in advance.

The main bulk of day-to-day work is supporting districts in key hotspot areas over an intense period of time covering towns such as Bolton, Bury and Wigan as well as Stockport, the City of Manchester and Trafford.

In Bolton, over a five-day operation in December, 10 arrests were made leading to the seizure 50 wraps of cocaine along with £5,000 cash, a subsequent house search led to the removal of 11 kilos of cocaine. With 11 positive stop searches and seven vehicles' seizures all linked to serious and violent crime. The team’s interaction with youths within hotspot areas led to some positive engagement and the referral of eight to the Navigator scheme which provides positive alternatives to violence and criminality.

This was in addition to a number of test purchasing visits to businesses, under supervision, in the sale of knives to young people. A number of enforcement notices were issued as a result in partnership with trading standards.

Across at Bury over the festive weekend between Christmas and New Year, five weapon sweeps of parks, open spaces and areas associated to urban street gangs (USG) were conducted, meaning five positive stop searches were taken.

Within Oldham during a February 2024 deployment, the team made seven arrests, 69% positive stop searches and seized four vehicles used in crime along with a knuckle duster being taken off the streets.

A deployment in Rochdale in January 2024 led to the arrest of eight Individuals for possession with intent to supply controlled drugs and money laundering, with an estimated street value of £12,000-15,000 of Class A drugs recovered. As a result, along with £10,000 cash, during the arrest of one individual and subsequent search of their home address a machete was also seized.

In Stockport over both October 2023 and January 2024 the team made a total of 30 arrests during intensification within hotspot areas of Shaw Heath and Brinnington. Seizing three knives from offenders and finding £20,000 worth of drugs along with £5,000 cash from a prominent organised crime group member.

Over in Wigan, during a recent deployment in November and December 2023, officers made seven arrests across a week, two being organised crime gang members who were found to be in possession of £97,000 worth of cannabis and £60,000 cash linked to a county lines operation, in addition to seizing further cash of around £10,000 and seven weapons including knives and axes.

Whilst Operation Sceptre in November 2023, GMP took part again in the national week of action to help tackle knife crime. Operation Venture supported this co-ordinated activity, seeing eye-catching results of 226 arrests, 270 weapon sweeps and 640 knives recovered from amnesty bins.

As the anniversary of Operation Venture came, it coincided with the launch of the VRU’s Greater Than Violence Strategy which reinforced the collective commitment between GMP, the VRU and other partners to prevent and reduce serious violence. 

A 10-year strategy to prevent and reduce knife crime, the key to this strategy is ensuring Greater Manchester becomes a trauma-responsive city-region, providing young people with positive opportunities for their futures and ensuring the approach to violence prevention and reduction is led by communities. Providing alternatives to those at risk of becoming victims, witnesses, or perpetrators, including education programmes, community sports, targeted mentoring, and therapeutic support.

The work of the group continues behind-the-scenes and in the classroom, with officers also taking part in crime prevention and community events to help build trust and direct engagement. This early intervention programme and neighbourhood policing prevents violence before it can escalate.

This supports their intelligence-led practises to ensure GMP are safeguarding the most vulnerable in its communities and makes sure they are safe in the fight against serious violence and knife crime.

On the success of Venture over the last twelve months, Superintendent Caroline Hemingway who oversees the policing element said; “Since Operation Venture launched, we have seen a significant impact in not only the results recorded but the proactive work that goes into disrupting criminal activity linked to serious violence.

“Although we are pleased with the results, our work doesn’t stop, and we are determined to keep our communities safe by supporting districts during our regular deployments to intensify our hotspot patrols.

“We remain committed on tackling serious youth violence especially linked to knife crime and it is still a priority to keep building on our successes. Although it is police-led we will continue to work closely with the VRU to identify and address the root causes as well as provide the appropriate referrals to educate and prevent further violence in the long-term.”

We all have a part to play in fighting, preventing, and reducing knife crime. If you know or suspect someone is carrying a knife, please report it immediately. Greater Manchester Police can be contacted via gmp.police.uk or 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Anonymous reports can be made via the independent charity – Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Whilst 11-17-year-olds can make anonymous reports via Fearless.org