Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
Women and girls should be able to enjoy a night out over the festive period without fear of violence, abuse, or harassment.
Officers will be patrolling towns and city centres to keep people safe and look out for predatory behaviour and unsafe situations.
Cracking down on gender-based violence is a priority for GMP, and we are fully committed to doing everything we can to make sure offenders face the consequences of their actions.
If you’re on a night out and are feeling unsafe, alert the police, venue, or security staff.
Help us to make our region safer for women and girls by reporting concerns via LiveChat or by dialling 101. Call 999 in an emergency.
We’re working to make Manchester’s vibrant nightlife safer through our dedicated initiative to protect women and girls in the night-time economy.
Our local police teams across Greater Manchester will be supporting the ‘Winter of Action’ as part of our crime-busting Operation North Star.
It follows our Safe4Summer work, which saw multiple crime-types tackled across the board earlier this year.
The operation targets hotspot areas with plain‑clothes and uniformed officers working alongside the council, universities, licensed premises, and third‑sector partners. Officers intervene with vulnerable people, disrupt predatory behaviour, and make safeguarding referrals where needed.
In Manchester City Centre we also have Operation Safer Streets, this is our bespoke approach to the city centre and our response to VAWG in the night-time economy.
Since its launch in 2023 we have carried out over 350 interventions with vulnerable people and 188 arrests between 2023–to present day.
We have also seen the following results in our night-time economy hotspots:
Peter Street
- 50% reduction in rape offences
- 61% reduction in theft from person
- 39% reduction in personal robbery
The Village
- 68% reduction in rape offences
- 17% decrease in other sexual offences
- 15% reduction in theft from person
- 67% reduction in personal robbery
Manchester city centre is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with a thriving night-time economy. As well as residents, workers and tourists, we have three large universities with over 100,000 students, many of whom gravitate towards our city centre on a Friday or Saturday night. This growth has seen increases in VAWG offences.
We know from surveys those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community have the lowest levels of trust and confidence in the police and we are working hard to build those relationships and change this.
We will have extra patrols in the city during the roll out of Winter of Action.
Superintendent Nicola Williams, of our City of Manchester district, said: “Our dedicated actions show our determination to protect women and girls, disrupt offenders, and ensure everyone can enjoy Manchester’s nightlife safely.
“We already have increased patrols across the city on Friday and Saturday nights to help ensure woman and girls can feel safe in the nighttime economy. We know thousands of residents and visitors enjoy Manchester’s nightlife week in week out, and if you are out and about you will continue to see our officers on hand to provide reassurance and security in the coming weeks.
“Winter brings its own set of challenges: harsh weather, school holidays, busier high streets, and an increase in social gatherings - all of which can contribute to different types of crime.
“Working closely with partners across our force area, we remain committed to serving the public to the highest standard.
“From stepping up proactive patrols during the Christmas markets to focusing on hotspots highlighted by residents, we’re making sure resources are deployed where they’re needed most".