Arrests and hundreds issued fines as part of TravelSafe operation

Officers and staff from the TravelSafe partnership have arrested 56 people and issued 494 fines as part of a two-week crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour on the region’s transport network.

The initiative, which was carried out from 6 to 19 November, included covert and overt patrols and a drone being used to deter criminality. In addition court warrants were issued to retrieve unpaid fines.

Eleven missing people were located and officers and staff also provided a presence in support of the Christmas lights switch on in Stockport, Bolton and Bury.

People were arrested for a variety of offences including possession of drugs, shoplifting and recall to prison.

There were also seven arrests for non-payment of outstanding fines worth a combined total of £9,550.

Nearly 500 fines were issued for non-payment of tickets and 27 people were surrendered to the courts for outstanding fines worth £31,000.

Chief Inspector Tariq Butt, who leads the partnership for GMP, said: “We want the results from this operation to send a message to offenders and would be criminals that we are serious about keeping our travel network safe.

“We are keen to see that justice is served against those offenders causing misery towards commuters, communities and the local area. Anyone caught or responsible for a crime will be dealt with for their criminality.

“Our region’s bus and tram network caters for more than 240 million journeys each year which is why it is important that everyone is able to travel to and from their destination safely and without fear.

“The work of our team will not be limited to these two-weeks. In fact they will continue to support travel safe officers throughout the year to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.”

The partnership is made up of TravelSafe Officers (TSOs) who are Security Industry Authority accredited, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and police officers,  patrolling the transport network including busses and trams.