Programme Challenger

Programme Challenger is Greater Manchester’s partnership response to tackling serious and organised crime.

We work together to relentlessly pursue and disrupt serious and organised crime groups as well as reduce the risks to vulnerable people and stop them from becoming victims. This type of criminality includes county lines, exploitation of young children and vulnerable adults, modern slavery, immigration and economic crime and the use of firearms.

Our vision is to enable individuals and communities to be free from the harm caused by serious and organised crime. Using the four key partnership objectives we will:

• Prevent – support early intervention and prevention activity to tackle organised crime at the earliest point possible
• Protect – develop closer links with neighbourhoods and communities to develop an understanding of how it affects them, identify emerging issues and implement solutions
• Prepare – reduce this criminality by mitigating and tackling the impact of when organised crime occurs
• Pursue – be relentless and targeted in our pursuit against criminals of the highest harm through disruption and prosecution

How you can help

While we continue to identify and disrupt criminal networks and protect Greater Manchester from serious and organised crime we need support from the public – the people who really know their community.

We need you to be our eyes and our ears by looking out for suspicious behaviour, spotting the signs of criminal activity, of vulnerable children and adults being exploited and then reporting it to us.

Spotting the signs of cuckooing - a term used to describe the home of vulnerable adults being used as a base for dealing drugs:

• Not seeing the person who lives there, and a clear change in
  behaviour and routine
• Increase in visitors or cars to a house or flat at unsociable hours
• Signs of drug use such as strange smells coming from the
  property
• Windows covered or curtains closed all the time
• People talking on phones outside the address

Signs of child criminal exploitation:

• Unexplained gifts, money and new expensive clothes or accessories
• Increased missing from home episodes
• New friendship groups
• Receiving excessive calls or messages from ‘new friends’
• Carrying weapons and may have a few mobile phones
• Secretive or withdrawn from family and/or friends
• Getting picked up or dropped off by unknown people

There are several ways to report a crime:

Information can be reported anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, by contacting GMP via 101 or emailing the county lines team. In an emergency, or if you are in danger, always dial 999.

Further information and support

• Catch 22 is a specialist support and rescue service for young people and their families who are criminally exploited through county lines.
• Safecall offers a safe space for people affected by exploitation to talk about their experiences in confidence and can also provide reassurance, support and help formulate a plan via their dedicated service.
• Young people can contact Crimestopper's via Fearless to access non-judgemental information and advice.
• The National Crime Agency County Lines website explains more about county lines and indicators of exploitation in your area.
• The Safeguarding Network have helpful tips for understanding indicators of exploitation and what may make a young person more vulnerable to being exploited.

Find out more about Programme Challenger.