A popular street patrol group in Failsworth, which is often described on social media as ‘crime-ridden’, has been shut down for a second time by Greater Manchester Police.
Failsworth Street Patrol are no strangers to GMP. The large group of volunteers regularly patrol their town in Oldham – which is a neighbouring town of Newton Heath – and are often present before police officers arrive when inevitable criminal activity is spotted.
It’s their community, they know it like the back of their hand – crime hotspots, who to look out for, and where somebody might bolt on foot after they’ve tried someone’s back door. With a huge rise in crime in the Failsworth area over the past few years, the patrol group was literally born out of a desperate cry for help from residents.
Tesco Extra in Failsworth
Cars are being taken from gated drives, often following burglaries in which patio door handles are decimated (while families sleep upstairs), or the use of simple technology that allows keyless cars to be opened and driven away with ease. Gangs of youngsters with nothing to do and plenty of time to kill are leaving knives and axes in bushes and joyriding is becoming a fun activity up and down the busy A-roads that take you from Oldham to Manchester – or right through Failsworth.
Like most towns on the periphery of town (or Manchester city centre), crime and antisocial behaviour is currently through the roof – and community groups like FSP and its many variations in towns like Ashton, Gorton and Droylsden are filling in when rising crime reports are overwhelming responding police officers.
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But after some recent activity in Failsworth which saw a young man arrested for trying car doors with “an offensive weapon” in his bag, it has been reported that Failsworth Street Patrol has been asked to stand down by GMP.
Writing on their Facebook page this evening (3 March), GMP Failsworth and Hollinwood stated: “Shortly before 12.30am on Tuesday 2 March 2021, police were alerted to reports that a man was acting suspiciously and trying the handles of cars in the Failsworth area.
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“Police attended Burgess Drive in Failsworth where they arrested a 24-year man on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and vehicle interference. Enquiries are currently ongoing to establish the circumstances of how the man was detained.
“The Failsworth Street Patrols group have shown a willingness to bring community issues to the attention of GMP for resolution.
“However, their passion to help their community must not stray into vigilantism, and we would discourage them becoming involved during police incidents where they may be placing themselves and others at risk.
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“The group is not a formally recognised registered group or charity and activity that strays into the realm of vigilantism is not supported by Greater Manchester Police.”
In response to the GMP post on Facebook, Failsworth Street Patrol also made a statement, writing: “GMP and the local council have asked us to shut down.
“They have distanced themselves from us once again, throwing vigilantism at us as you can see in their post. We have done everything we can for them to be on our side. We’ve got public liability insurance and we are actively in the process of getting our members DBS checked.
“We will continue to patrol the streets of Failsworth, as long as we have the residents on our side supporting us that’s all we need!”
Failsworth Street Patrol on-scene photograph
Residents of Failsworth and beyond have responded in their hundreds across both posts and in large community groups on the social media website, with most expressing their distaste towards the move to shut the entity down – an entity that regularly keeps them updated on what’s going on in their area when the street lights switch on.
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It’s a bold move by Greater Manchester Police, and one that they know will generate backlash, but also one that they will not have made on a whim.
We’ve reached out to GMP for comment, and will update when we receive one.
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Tameside police officers hailed ‘absolute heroes’ after saving the life of a seven-year-old girl
Emily Sergeant
Two Tameside police officers have been hailed as “absolute heroes” after saving the life of a seven-year-old little girl.
It comes after emergency services were called to an address in the Greater Manchester borough of Tameside earlier this week (29 November), and found a young girl who was struggling to breath and coughing up blood after choking on a sweet.
Police Constables Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell, from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Tameside division, were first on the scene.
To the huge relief of the girl’s parents, who were said to be “understandably distressed” and concerned for her welfare, PC Kincaid jumped straight into action and was able to utilise his first aid training to full effect by going on to successfully dislodge the sweet from the youngster’s throat, and then helping to calm her down before the paramedics arrived.
Whilst PC Kincaid looked after the little girl, PC Blundell did “everything he could” to help the parents remain calm.
Paramedics then took over once they arrived, and the young girl was taken to hospital as a precaution.
#NEWS | Tameside officers praised for saving the life of a 7-year-old girl who was choking.
The officers used their first aid training to dislodge the sweet, whilst helping the young girl and parents remain calm until paramedics arrived.
Reflecting on the incident, and hailing his officers “absolute heroes”, Superintendent Mike Walsh, from GMP’s Tameside district, said: “PCs Aaron Kincaid and James Blundell acted without hesitation during the incident, and took control of the situation that they were faced with.
“They deserve every credit for staying calm under extreme pressure and for working together as a team and utilising their training to lifesaving effect, and I’m sure the girl’s parents and family will consider them to be absolute heroes.”
“We’re both glad that we were in the right place at the right time,” PC Kincaid added.
“I have a daughter the same age as the little girl who needed our help, and I cannot tell you how much of a relief it was when she started breathing normally and said she was okay after I had managed to dislodge the sweet.
“The little girl gave me a thank you hug before she went to hospital, but I couldn’t have done what I did without PC Blundell’s assistance, so it was a real team effort.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Someone has plastered posters advertising ‘authorised drug zones’ all over Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Posters promoting ‘authorised’ drug use and sales have appeared all over Manchester today.
The posters even include Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council logos – though, obviously, without the consent of either authority.
The fake posters have also been springing up in other cities, with locals in Leeds spotting them all over the place yesterday.
They read: “Crack and heroin zone. The sale and use of Crack and Heroin is authorised in this area.”
The fake posters have been spotted outside the Central Library and in the Northern Quarter, as well as at locations in other parts of the city.
They were quickly removed by authorities, who say they were posted illegally.
West Yorkshire Police said yesterday: “We are aware of fake posters that have been illegally posted at locations in and around Leeds city centre and are making further enquiries.”
Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council have also been approached for comment.
Manchester mayoral candidate Nick Buckey wrote on X: “The lack of action to the drug epidemic in Greater Manchester is so huge that people thought these posters were legitimate.
“When jokes seems like reality then we know we have a problem.”
It appears that the group behind the drug posters project is Pattern Up, a ‘young artist collective from Brighton making their mark on the streets with provocative and witty installations’.
Plenty of people seem to have fallen for the stunt, believing it’s real, with one person posting on Instagram: “Can’t find anything online so surely fake news unless someone has a source.”
Another wrote: “Hahaha f*ck off this can’t be legit.”