THE LATEST day of action in Tameside has produced major results.
More than 40 arrests were made and drugs, weapons and illegal tobacco and vapes seized as Operation AVRO returned to the area.
The large-scale crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour, led by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and supported by Tameside Council and other partners, brought in extra resources to tackle issues of concern to the local community.
Thursday, September 25 saw things like warrants for arrest being executed, road safety and vehicle checks, spot checks on businesses suspected of illegal activity, firework safety checks, community safety information stands, litter picking and fly tipping investigations.
Council trading standards officers, joined by the police, visited eight shops where they had received local intelligence regarding the supply of illicit tobacco.
All premises had also sold illicit tobacco to test purchasers in recent weeks.
During these visits, 18,960 illicit cigarettes and 5.15 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco were seized alongside 729 illegal vapes, all with an estimated value of more than £17,000.
As part of the operation, council officers also made checks for fireworks being stored illegally by unlicensed retailers and environmental health officers checked health and safety compliance or the premises visited.
A total of 42 arrests were made over the course of the day for offences ranging from possession with intent to supply to shoplifting.
At Ashton-under-Lyne’s market, neighbourhood officers alongside the recruitment team and community safety team hosted a crime prevention stall to signpost GMP’s engagement tool – Bee in the Loop.
Officers and Metrolink staff also conducted high-visibility patrols at the Cemetery Road tram stop in Droylsden.
A traffic operation to ensure vehicles were roadworthy and drivers were insured and not speeding also took place in Ashton, with a total of 53 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) issued.
Local schools Holy Trinity and St Peter’s cleaned up the local area on a sunny morning litter pick, while a clean-up facilitated by Tameside Council removed the nearby overgrowth to help deter criminals concealing items in the area, with two knives recovered in the process.
Four fixed penalty notices were also issued for waste offences and accumulations of fly tipping were cleared from hotspots.
Chief Superintendent Chris Foster, of GMP, said: “Initiatives like Operation AVRO are vital in the fight against criminality across Greater Manchester, and the results show the positive impact of the work we do within our local community.
“By acting on intelligence received from our communities and partnership working, our officers can tackle the issues we’re told matter most to the people of Tameside, which include speeding, drug dealing, and anti-social behaviour.
“An impressive 42 arrests were made over the course of the day, with further activity planned as part of our ongoing commitment to make Tameside a safer place for people to live, work, and visit.
“I would like to thank everyone involved and the people of Tameside who stopped to talk to our officers, engaged with us and our partners, or raised any concerns.”
Tameside Council’s executive member for towns, transport and connectivity, Cllr Stephen Homer – who took part in the police’s multi-agency briefing and the litter picking with school pupils – added: “This was a really successful day and highlights the impact we can make when we all work together to tackle issues of concern to our local community.
“This kind of work takes place day in, day out – but the operation helps to put the spotlight on this ongoing work – most of which usually takes place behind the scenes – while also enabling the police to bring in additional resources from across the force to tackle specific issues.
“I was especially heartened to see members of the community and school children getting involved with enthusiasm to help look after their local areas.
“Thank you to everyone who was involved in the day, your efforts are really appreciated.”