Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers and partners came together in a bid to identify and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and signpost vulnerable people to the relevant support services via the Street Engagement Hub.
Joined by Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central, and partners including Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), CityCo and Manchester City Council, officers Superintendent Nicola Williams, Inspector Kam Hare and Sergeant Jon Wyatt took to the gardens to do a walk and talk style update on what GMP is doing to tackle ASB.
Lucy Powell MP for Manchester Central said: “Lots of people get in touch with me to share their concerns on the look and feel of Piccadilly Gardens, and in particular how they feel unsafe. What I’ve seen this morning is the real co-ordination that businesses and agencies are doing to tackle root causes of this, and the effect this is having.
“The police face a constant battle which cannot be tackled in a short period of time. We need consistent work of all agencies coming together, and with the dedicated Piccadilly Gardens policing team; it will take time, but tackling anti-social behaviour is the main priority.”
One of the powers officers have at their disposal is the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) which has seen several successes in tackling repeat individuals that are targeting Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding areas.
CBOs are used to target individuals who are repeat demand generators and have been identified as often engaging in criminality in a specified area. They are given to people who have been convicted of an offence with the aim to prevent them engaging in further criminal behaviour.
The offences can range from shoplifting to wider ASB, with a total of 69 CBOs currently live in and around the Piccadilly Gardens area.
Superintendent Nicola Williams said: “I do not underestimate the problem we see in Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding areas, and we are fully aware of the importance of collaborative working to do more.
“Feedback from our communities is vital. People are telling us that they feel unsafe, and to address that, we’re using our resources across the force to ensure we have focused activity and high visibility, problem solving policing on the streets of Manchester.
“We have a dedicated team on the ground, who have made 52 arrests for a range of offences in the Piccadilly Gardens area since the Safe4Summer launch eight weeks ago.
“Our City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team have a brilliant relationship with partners and local businesses. We listen and respond to our wider communities, and this is absolutely vital to be able to crack down on issues raised to us.
“Alongside long-standing residents, business owners, and those who work in the city day in day out, Manchester has temporary workers, visitors, students and a wider transient community. We rely on local people working with us, and we’re committed to take these issues seriously and continue improving the local area for everyone who lives, works, visits and studies here”.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) said: “We see this summer’s initiative as the beginning of a sustained and targeted effort to tackle visible crime and disorder in partnership across the system, particularly where it impacts the growth and prosperity of our town centres.
“Piccadilly Gardens is one of the most recognisable locations in Manchester city centre, and we want everyone to feel safe there. Given its central location and role as a transport hub, it’s so important that we continue working together to tackle these issues, and to ensure that people who want to enjoy the space, support the local economy, and visit Manchester can do so without worry.
“We are seeing really positive results as the Safe4Summer campaign has progressed, and Greater Manchester will continue to play our part in delivering the Government’s important Safer Streets mission.”
