Fahy up for the challenge

RESPONSE: Chief Constable Peter Fahy

OLDHAM spoke out against cuts to neighbourhood policing and the Home Watch scheme — as well as closing police front counters — during a meeting with GMP Chief Constable Peter Fahy yesterday.

The region’s top cop met local residents during one of 10 meetings across the region being held to explain the future of policing amid budget cuts and financial challenges.

Also in attendance at the civic centre meeting was chairman of Greater Manchester Police Authority, Moston councillor Paul Murphy; GMPA executive director Russell Bernstein and Supt Catherine Hankinson, from Oldham police.

Residents were told how GMP must make savings of £134m over the next four years which would result in almost 3,000 job cuts.

Cutbacks would also mean changes to current services, including officers targeting activities where there was most crime, expanding the role of the PCSOs, and finding more effective ways than having enquiry counters.

GMP’s aims included:

::Reducing money on administrative overheads and activities that did not directly benefit the public.

::Local neighbourhood policing working more closely with residents and other agencies to tackle crime.

::Maintaining efforts against serious and organised crime.

::Returning common sense and professional judgement to staff.

Savings of £30m had already been made by streamlining support functions at police headquarters.

During a question and answer session, Anthony Allen, from Coldhurst, told the panel that never saw police officers on patrol.

Chief Constable Fahy said there was a balance between officers being on patrol and going out at night tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour when it happened.

David Cartwright, from Fitton Hill, said his area mostly had a very good response from his local police team but it had taken 45 minutes for two officers to attend reports of 60 youths congregating and fighting.

Chief Constable Fahy said anti-social behaviour was a top priority for the force.

One Chadderton resident said people should take more responsibility for themselves, such as making sure doors and windows were locked.

And one Home Watch co-ordinator praised the actions of her local PCSO who went above and beyond her role by staying with a 90-year-old burglary victim for hours after her shift had finished.

Residents spoke of their fear that staffing cuts would mean districts losing their Home Watch schemes. Warren Herd, of South Chadderton, said: “People are paying the price of budget cuts. Costing people their jobs is going to cost us our neighbourhoods.”

Councillor Murphy said: “It isn’t the number of officers or PCSOs that is the problem, it’s what they are doing. If they are bogged-down by bureaucracy, that’s not an effective use of that officer.

“If we can move that bureaucracy, that would leave more time for police to be on the streets.”

Alan Griffiths, from Shaw and Crompton Home Watch, told Councillor Murphy that all nine councillors on GMPA should take a 10 per cent cut in pay to help the survival of Home Watch.

Chief Constable Fahy added: “The moment of truth is the point of contact with the police. The number-one thing we can do is provide a good service day-in, day-out — then the good folks will value us.”

Speaking after the meeting, he said: “It was a really good debate. What came across was a huge belief in neighbourhood policing. Residents particularly value Home Watch and their local police stations.”

He said the opinions given could help alter some of the decisions being made such as closing enquiry counters in January, next year.

He added: “The whole thing has been a very positive experience.”


Did you know...
In one year GMP deals with:

::514,661 emergency calls.

::1,228,293 non emergency calls.

::1,677,686 antisocial behaviour calls.

::96,101 arrests.

::1,971 registered sex offenders.

::Crime is down 10 per cent across Greater Manchester.

::Burglary is down 9 per cent.

::Personal and business robbery was down 17 per cent.