Seven new district commanders are strengthening local policing across Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police is entering a new phase of leadership at the district level as seven new district commanders have been appointed, taking on the helm of the districts following the retirement of several commanders, as well as the promotion of one.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson’s commitment to leadership has resounded throughout his tenor, thus far, enabling the force to improve our response to victims in their time of need by picking up the phone in seconds and getting to incidents within minutes to bring 8,000 more victims of crime justice compared to three years ago.

This has resulted in burglaries being halved since the creation of Operation Castle nearly four-years ago and neighbourhood crime decreasing with arrests going up and more criminals being brought to justice. This commitment to leadership and a force-wide focus on going ‘back-to-basics’ has directly increased the productivity and proactivity of our officers, meaning a much-improved service for the people of Greater Manchester.

Each one of the new commanders will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience within policing to their roles. They’ll oversee and direct operational activity to solve problems in their area, and work with partners to protect the vulnerable to ensure the best outcome possible for the community.

These new district commanders are as follows:

• City of Manchester: Chief Superintendent David Meeney

Ch Supt David Meeney began his career in 2006 after obtaining a LLB in Honours in Law. He worked in a variety of roles in the Serious Crime Division and was seconded to the Northwest Regional Organised Crime Unit for two-and-a-half years tackling some of the most dangerous and prolific offenders in the region.

• Salford: Chief Superintendent Neil Blackwood

Ch Supt Neil Blackwood began his career in Oldham 2002 and has taken on a variety of roles, including covert policing roles regionally, nationally, and internationally before returning to GMP to take the lead on Operation Vulcan – the world-renowned problem-solving initiative that tackled north Manchester’s ‘counterfeit street’ and help drastically reduce violence and exploitation in the area.

• Tameside: Chief Superintendent Chris Foster

Ch Supt Chris Foster began his policing career in 2003 in South Yorkshire where he received the national bravery award. He joined GMP in 2021 where he continued his public order journey and assumed the lead for Operation Castle which has led the way in significantly reducing burglaries across Greater Manchester with GMP committed to attending every household burglary.

• Stockport: Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes

Ch Supt Lewis Hughes has 21 years’ service, the majority of which has been spent in Crime and Intelligence roles at both district and force level. In 2022 he was appointed as Crime and Vulnerability lead for Bury district before returning to the Serious Crime Division where he has helped achieve justice for victims across multiple complex operations for GMP.

• Bolton: Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley

Ch Supt Helen Critchley started her career in Tameside in 2003. She has worked in a number of branch roles across Force Intelligence and the Serious Crime Division, including economic and cyber-crime. In the last four years she has worked as a Superintendent, she has led teams across the City of Manchester and Stockport.

• Bury: Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver

Ch Supt Kirsty Oliver began her career at Collyhurst Police Station in 2005 and has worked a variety of roles at GMP since. Having a background in vulnerability and partnership working she was posted as Detective Chief Inspector to the Challenger Partnership and later the Serious Organised Crime Group, and most recently she was the Director of Intelligence for GMP.

• Trafford: Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter

Ch Supt Mark Dexter started his career in Longsight and Greenheys police station in 1999. He has a wealth of experience in Specialist Operations, and his most recent roles have seen him work as Superintendent for Central Manchester and a secondment to Counter Terrorism Policing HQ.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle said: “As a force, we are going from strength to strength with the appointment of these seven new district commanders; they will be joining three previously established ones to continue to lead the improvements across towns and cities in Greater Manchester.

“This announcement reflects Chief Constable Watson’s belief that neighbourhood policing is a pivotal area in preventing crime and keeping the public safe. Each district commander is committed and driven to putting in the hard work so the public can go about their daily lives with confidence.

“Making these appointments is a great stride in the right direction on our journey to continue improving GMP and provide an effective service that the people of Greater Manchester can be proud of.”

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