Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) response times are among the “fastest” in the country, it has been revealed.
Response officers are form a crucial part of the region’s police service, with more 1,600 of them currently working hard, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to serve different areas across Greater Manchester.
These officers respond to everything from burglaries and robberies, to fights, road traffic collisions, and more throughout the region.
They will often be the first to attend any form of incident, and once arriving on these scene, will be quick to assess the immediate threat and harm, initiate an investigation, and provide a reassuring visible police presence for the public.
GMP’s response times have been revealed as among the ‘fastest’ in the country / Credit: GMP
GMP‘s ‘Force Control Room’ receives almost 600,000 999 calls a year, which is around 1,600 a day.
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And now, it has been revealed this week that the force’s response times to those 999 calls, as well as officers’ arrival on the scenes, are among the fastest of any police service in the whole country.
Within the past year alone, GMP was found to have responded to 135,726 Grade 1 incidents – which are calls that need an immediate response – or 370 a day, across the borough, in around 9 minutes 34 seconds on average, which is well inside the expected national average of 15 minutes.
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Those almost 600,000 emergency calls were also found to have been answered, on average, in around four seconds.
#ResponsePolicingWeek | 🚔 Our response officers are the first on the scene and need to be ready for anything.
Today, we would like to shine a light on how their quick actions help save lives.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 25, 2024
GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable, Matt Boyle, called Response Policing the “bedrock” of every police force across the country.
Speaking on GMP’s recent achievements in response times, and praising officers for all their hard work and dedication, ACC Boyle said: “Our response officers and staff play a vital role in keeping the public of Greater Manchester safe every day of the year around the clock.
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“Almost every police officer starts on response, and there is no doubt it’s one of the toughest but also most rewarding roles in policing.
The region’s police service receives almost 600,000 emergency 999 calls a year / Credit: GMP
“When the public call us, often in one of the worst moments of their lives, they rightly expect us to pick up the phone, arrive quickly, act professionally and protect them, and we have made significant improvements in doing this over the last few years, particularly in areas such as burglary, where we now attend every burglary report that comes into us, and domestic abuse, where we are arresting more people than ever.”
ACC Boyle also assured the public that GMP is investing time, money, and recourses into making sure Response Officers receive the most up-to-date training.
“They will usually be the first officers on the scene of an ongoing incident and will often be the first person the public sees, ACC Boyle continued, “So it’s vital they are trained to the highest standards and have the latest kit and equipment.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Andy Burnham explains why Number 10 North is so important as it officially ‘opens for business’
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has explained his key reasons for launching Number 10 North as it officially ‘opens for business’ this week.
You may remember that earlier last month, Andy Burnham revealed he had intentions to create a Number 10 North if he was to become Prime Minister, with the new base expected to be a ‘dominant driver of the UK’s economy’ once it was officially up and running… and now, fast forward to today, Number 10 North is officially ‘open for business’.
Operating from Heron House in Manchester city centre, as previously reported on, Number 10 North will be the Government’s new ‘situation room for growth’.
It also brings the ‘levers’ of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time ever.
Number 10 North has officially ‘opened for business’ / Credit: gov.uk (via Wikimedia Commons)
With the Prime Minister expected to work from Number 10 North each week, so that decisions about the country’s economic future will no longer exclusively be made in Westminster, and with other ministers also working from there on a regular basis, the Government says the move underlines its determination to ‘do things differently’.
Now that Number 10 North has officially opened, Andy Burnham and his fellow ministers have explained why this move is so important for not just Manchester, but the north as a whole.
“For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve,” explained Andy Burnham.
“Number 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country. It will be the situation room for making Britain better, the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around.
“The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good.”
First Secretary Louise Haigh added: “Today marks a fundamental re-balancing of where power sits in our country. Number 10 North has been set up to drive economic growth in every postcode and put power in the hands of every community.
“Through this department, this Government will ensure that the places overlooked by Westminster for decades are given a real voice.
“Number 10 North is open for business.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Scissors, toy guns, and baseball bat among 100+ items confiscated by security at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has revealed a shocking list over 100 items confiscated by security staff in just one morning.
And honestly, you won’t believe some of the things people have tried to take on a plane.
With schools across Greater Manchester having now broken up for the summer holidays, and families getting ready to jet off on their holidays, Manchester Airport is urging all passengers travelling over the next six weeks to make sure they know the hand luggage rules before boarding the plane, after more than 100 items recently had to be confiscated by security in one morning alone.
12 pairs of scissors, 10 toy guns, seven corkscrews, four knives, two loose chisels, a pair of pliers, and even a baseball bat were among the items forming part of the shocking confiscation haul.
On top of this, security also confiscated dozens of cosmetic products, drinks bottles, and food items like multipacks of yoghurts.
Scissors, toy guns, and a baseball bat are among 100+ items confiscated by security at Manchester Airport / Credit: Manchester Airport
Although new 3D scanning technology has been installed at both of Manchester Airport’s terminals now, making the process smoother overall, those travelling during the busy summer period are reminded that attempting to bring non-compliant items through airport security causes delays for themselves and for others.
Airport security bosses are encouraging people to reacquaint themselves with the rules for hand luggage before packing for their journey.
“We’re proud of the role we play in getting people’s journeys off to the right start, and more than 97% of our passengers are getting through security checks in under 15 minutes,” commented Sakib Mahmood, who is the Security Duty Manager for T2 at Manchester Airport
All if these items were confiscated in just one morning / Credit: Manchester Airport
“But each time we have to pull a bag aside for a manual search it can take several minutes, and that can quickly start to add up and create delays.
“The range of items confiscated here in just a few hours shows what our security officers are up against every day, but when it comes to working out what is restricted and what is not, we know some items are more obvious than others.
“If you take a moment to reacquaint yourself with the rules before packing your hand luggage, it can save you lots of time when you get to Security, and avoids you losing items like water guns or bottles of suncream that you want to take on your holiday with you.
“In many cases, items like these which may fall foul of hand luggage restrictions can be taken in your hold luggage, so if in any doubt, pack the item in your suitcase rather than your carry-on bag.”
Emily Sergeant -
26th June 2024 
