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More police on the streets
Reporter: Dawn Marsden
Date online: 10 June 2010
48 more officers for neighbourhoods
OLDHAMERS will soon see more bobbies on the beat.
Five sergeants and 43 constables will join the existing neighbourhood policing teams this week in a bid to improve the quality of local policing.
This is part of a new GMP policing model that will result in more functions focused at a community level.
Dedicated teams will respond to emergency calls while local investigators will look into crime alongside the existing neighbourhood police.
A new customer-service desk at Oldham police station will give residents easy access to officers to raise any concerns they may have.
Chief Supt Tim Forber, head of Oldham police division, said: “We are committed to tackling crime and disorder and reducing anti-social behaviour, and this change to our structure will allow us to do just that.
“We aim to bring real efficiency to the way that we investigate crime, freeing up more time for officers to solve problems and deal with the priorities that the community sets for us.
“This approach has been used elsewhere in the country and has delivered real results in terms of a more efficient service that is better equipped to deal with community priorities.
“I should stress that there is no change in overall police numbers.
“This is about placing neighbourhood policing at the heart of our service and ensuring that we concentrate the resources that we have at a neighbourhood level.
“I am very excited about the changes as it gives us a structure on which we can build on the success of the previous year and I know that the neighbourhood inspectors are looking forward to having more resources and more responsibility.”
Insp Danny Milovanovic, of the Saddleworth and Lees Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I am really pleased by the investment of more resources into neighbourhood policing teams, which will enhance the level of service we give to victims of crime.
“The three additional police officers allocated to my own team in Saddleworth and Lees will provide me with greater resilience in tackling our community priorities, and allow my team to build on the success of the past year.”
Comments
My wife phoned the police about noisey neighbours with their load music at 11pm on one night and the police said they could'nt do anything about it. They said they would only turned the music back up again after the police had left... If nothing gets done by the police even with more bobbies on the beat, someone may as well take the law into their own hands, buy a gun and shoot the stereo player. It's just a thought.......
Bobbies I we going back in time or is it a ruse to make the OAP’s feel like they belong and are safe
Walshy, Wrong approach. If it's more than one night, a consistent nuisance, contact Environmental Health at OMBC. They can build up the evidence to have the equipment confiscated.
From what I hear, the officers from each neighbourhood/beat are losing time doing their "bobbies on the beat" jobs due to the new set-up, so despite the extra numbers of officers, don't expect to see the familiar faces in uniform!
I go into the centre of town often and i haven't seen a police officer for months !! i was just wondering where they are all hiding ? or is the crime rate so low that they are not needed anymore !!! i am joking of course.
48 extra coppers on the streets? I cannot remember the last time I saw a copper walking the streets in Oldham.
Just when do they come out to work?
@JMTS. Is this a result of more money or a change in the way GMP spends it's enormous budget?
Pro Driver
It isn't a really a question of more money or better management of what it had by the Police Authority
It's an improvement achieved by resources allowed by a Labour Government.
But hopefully it's the latter because we have a right to expect value for money from public funds
Have Your Say
Achieved with resources allowed by a Labour Government. Let's hope that the Cameron/Clegg coalition neither tries to claim the credit nor cuts the resources.
By JMTS @ 10/06/2010 12:32:11