Police target car crime at cemetery

August 2010

Police in Chorlton are warning motorists not to leave valuables in their cars following a spate of thefts in the Southern Cemetery area of Chorlton.  

Callous thieves have been targeting empty vehicles while the owners visit the graves of friends and family.  The most popular item being stolen is handbags.

Police have launched Operation Strength in the cemetery and surrounding areas in a bid to bring the criminals responsible to justice.

Superintendent Nick Adderley said: “Having your car broken into is distressing enough at the best of times but to fall victim to this crime when you are in a cemetery visiting a loved one is absolutely despicable.

“I’d like to reassure residents that we are determined to catch these mindless criminals and have a number of initiatives in place including high profile patrols and covert policing.  

“To make life harder for thieves I’d like to remind visitors to the cemetery not to leave valuables such as cash, mobile phones or handbags on display.  If a thief sees what they want then chances are they will take it so remove any temptation by taking valuables with you.”

ASBO bans Blackley teenager from streets

August 2010

A Blackley teenager has been banned from entering dozens of streets after being handed an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO).

Manchester City Council, in partnership with Northwards Housing, obtained the order against James Crookes, aged 16 and of Selston Road, following complaints that he had assaulted and verbally abused residents.

Crookes admitted that in February 2008, he assaulted a 14-year-old boy with a fishing rod and punched him in the face, as well as punching a 15-year-old boy several times in the face. He also admitted stealing £110 worth of property in April 2009 and being verbally abusive in December 2009 and February 2010.

The order, which was issued on August 2 and will last at least two years, banned Crookes from entering a large area of Higher Blackley including the entire stretch of Victoria Avenue, and Sainsbury's Heaton Park supermarket including its car park.

Crookes is also only allowed to enter Blackley Cemetery if accompanied by his mother. He is allowed to visit an address on Crab Lane during Saturdays or Sundays if accompanied by his mother and may visit his dentist and his doctor in the area only if he has a pre-arranged appointment.

The ban also means he must not associate in public with nine other named young people who he is known to cause anti-social behaviour with in the area.

Under the terms of the ASBO, Crookes must not use abusive, insulting, offensive or intimidating language or behaviour in public, use or threaten violence, or congregate in a group of three or more people, and breaking any of the conditions means he could face a criminal conviction.

Councillor Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "Antisocial behaviour is one of the main issues affecting residents and Manchester City Council, along with our partner organisations such as Northwards Housing, will not tolerate this behaviour anywhere in the city.

"This order means people living on these streets will be able to go about their lives without having to worry about this sort of disgraceful behaviour."

Open house urges residents to 'Think lock'

August 2010

A life-sized reconstruction of a living room was hoisted into St Ann’s Square last week to launch a hard-hitting campaign aimed at cutting burglary across Manchester.



One in three burglaries happen through an open door or window and the mocked-up living room, which was open on two sides, demonstrated how easily a burglar can get into your home if you don't take simple precautions.

The event, on Tuesday August 17, marked the start of the new Think Lock campaign to encourage residents to lock up all doors and windows every time they leave their homes, no matter how long they'll be gone.

Around 25,000 households across the city will be receiving crime prevention advice including face-to-face visits from members of their local neighbourhood policing team, as well as door hangers containing crime prevention advice and window stickers which will act as a visible deterrent to burglars.
There will also be street banners and bus stop posters reminding people to take these simple measures to cut the risk of burglary:

· Lock your windows and doors
· If you're going out or going away, leave lights on a timer
· Don't leave valuables on show
· If you can, fit a burglar alarm and use it
· Don't let cold callers into your home
· Mark and photograph your valuables

Manchester City Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Jim Battle said: "We are working closely with the police to drive down burglary. These simple measures can help keep our homes safe and secure and reduce the chances of becoming a victim."

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: "We made a commitment a year ago through Operation Storm to ensure that thieves in our county were brought to account for their crimes. I can assure law-abiding and law-breaking Mancunians that it does not end here.  We will continue to work with our partners to reduce burglary, robbery and vehicle crime and bring offenders to justice over the coming months."


 

Campaign encourages safer drinking in Manchester

August 2010

Manchester City Council working in partnership with Greater Manchester Police have launched a campaign to encourage safer drinking in Manchester.

The city is a great place to come and enjoy a night out.

We want to make sure people enjoy themselves and not have their nights ruined by getting too drunk.

Alcohol can impair judgement, lead drinkers to overreact and stop them from walking away from fights.

The month long campaign will see adverts aired on Galaxy radio station with messages aimed at encouraging revellers to:

Remember to pace your drinks.

Try to drink water between alcoholic drinks – bars and pubs now have to provide free tap water to anyone who asks for it.

Drink lower strength lagers, which can reduce alcohol consumption by 20 per cent over a night out.

Eat a meal before a night out to avoid getting drunk too quickly

Street teams will also be handing out the bottles of water over the next few weeks at sites throughout the city and in the neighbourhoods.

Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk for more advice about sensible drinking.

DJ turned PC is on the beat to help tackle anti-social behaviour

July 2010

PC Mike (Anthony) McGuinness was a regional radio DJ for 10 years working at Galaxy FM and some of the largest clubs in the UK and Ibiza. He is now offering to share his experience of mixing music tracks and radio presenting with children who want to learn. The sessions will last for two hours each and will be held on the following dates at the Cuthbert Centre:

·        Friday 30 July - 4pm to 6pm
·        Friday 20 August - 4pm to 6pm
·        Friday 27 August - 6pm to 8pm

This initiative is just one of the many activities that is being run across Manchester during the summer holidays to help combat anti-social behaviour (ASB). Operation Synergy is the partnership led response to ASB across north Manchester where officers, street wardens, youth intervention officers and housing association staff work together in high ASB areas to offer reassurance to residents and take action against persistent offenders.

PC Mike McGuinness said: “It’s great to be able to use the skills I gained skills as a DJ to help engage with youngsters as a police officer. The sessions will hopefully provide a bit of an insight into some of the tricks of the trade and will also give them somewhere they can spend their Friday evenings during the summer instead of being bored with nothing to do. It’s often boredom that leads to anti-social behaviour and this is ultimately what we want to avoid.”