Tough on the causes of crime

Photo: Darren Robinson

CHIEF Supt Catherine Hankinson . . . “I have always just considered myself to be part of the team”

Karen Doherty meets the new head of Oldham Police
CATHERINE Hankinson has risen from a PC in Leigh to the head of Oldham police in only 17 years.

But the drive of the borough’s new 39-year-old chief superintendent can be traced to before her time in the force.

Having done work experience in a women’s prison, she said: “I felt like it had gone past the point of not helping those people, but of doing something to stop them getting there in the first place.”

This desire to tackle the cause of problems remains in her new job, which she started on February 4 after three years as a superintendent in Oldham.

One of her priorities is working with other organisations to fight organised crime.

She explained: “There is a minority of people who blight their communities and make other people’s lives a misery.

“Organised crime groups often run drug supplies, loan shark operations, prey on vulnerable people and people struggling in the current economic crisis.

“It’s very easy to deal with the lower level criminality that comes out of that. The important thing is to try and pick off the organised groups that are the cause of the problem.”

Another priority is targeting vulnerable people who repeatedly come to the attention of not just the police, but the likes of social services, schools and accident and emergency departments.

Chief Supt Hankinson explained: “The focus for us as a partnership in Oldham, not just the police, is rather than just deal with things as we have always done but to identify some of the vulnerable people and families and prevent some of the issues before they happen.

“Let’s not wait until we are having to arrest the 16 year old who lives in an abusive household, has seen mum or dad subjected to abuse and thinks that is normal.”

Originally from Atherton, Chief Supt Hankinson studied criminology at Hull University before joining the police on a fast-track promotion scheme. By 24 she was a young sergeant in North Manchester, leading a team of 22 officers.

Five years into her career she became an inspector in Salford before continuing to climb through the ranks to superintendent, as well as having two children Harriet (six) and Will (two).

But she never had a burning ambition to be a chief supt by her 40th birthday — next month.

“It is just that every rank I have been at, I have looked at the the next one and thought I could do that and do that quite well.

“I enjoy leading a team of people and I want people to enjoy being at work,” she explained.

Married to Chris (45), a superintendent in Rochdale, the family lives in Ripponden.

Juggling her family life and her career, Chief Supt Hankinson said that she had never encountered problems as a female officer.

“I have never felt, even with having two kids, that I have ever been treated differently, either favourably or not. I have always just considered myself part of the team.”

She said the proudest moment of her career was the community’s response to the Shaw gas explosion last year.