Greater Manchester Police (Robbery Response)

During the last 18 months GMP has developed an Operational Policing Strategy (OPS) a roll out programme which is managed by a full time implementation team.

The O.P.S. provides a framework for action against robbery by setting out:

• Operational aims

• The standards applied when achieving these aims

• GMP’s policing style which has five main themes:

  • Performance led

  • Intelligence supported

  • Problem solving

  • Community Focused

  • Integration and Partnership

The force has initiated ‘Operation Hawk’ which is a forcewide and co-ordinated operation against robbery with a variety of facets including prevention and detection. The five year reduction target for the force is now 20%, which will mean cutting the number of robberies per 1000 population by 4% over the five year period. Details of Operation Hawk can be found below and at Greater Manchester Police' Website:

www.gmp.police.uk

BACKGROUND TO STREET ROBBERY IN GREATER MANCHESTER

Greater Manchester Police has been awarded £3.2 million from the Home Office which is earmarked specifically for initiatives to combat robbery, in particular street robbery.

There has been a rise in the volume of robbery of personal property across the Force area.

Reasons for this are thought to be:

• target hardening of homes, thus displacing the acquisitive crime of burglary into street robberies;

• rewards to the robbers who target people for their cash cards have potentially increased;

• the risk of being caught has diminished with the majority of robberies involving two people;

• there is less need for motorised transport to commit street robberies; and

• disposal of property is less of an issue.

Profile of victims

The average age of victims is 24 and 80% are male. Research shows that victims aged 10-15 experienced the highest growth of street robbery with an increase of 27% in 1999/2000.

An actual breakdown for victims of robberies of personal property (across four subdivisions) by age is:

Key victim groups are:

• School-age males (and females)

• Students who are male (and female)

• Purchasers or owners of mobile phones and pedal cycles

• Bank ATM users and cash card holders

• Residents

• Older people

The vast majority of victims are white (81% in 1999/2000) with another 8% Asian. Almost a third (32%) of victims are students.

Profile of offenders
Most offenders are 18-20 years of age and male, although some female offenders have recently been identified. Crime pattern analysis revealed that most robberies occurred on the streets (68% in 1999/2000) with the largest proportion of robberies committed in the 'hours of darkness' (83%).

An example of types of property stolen (across four subdivisions) is:

It is worth noting that offences where mobile phones have been stolen have increased considerably (from 4 (3%) in 1998/99).

FRESHER' MESSAGE AGAINST STREET ROBBERY FOR GREATER MANCHESTER STUDENTS

As thousands of students flock to universities and colleges across the UK, Greater Manchester Police steps up its focus on street robbery to target one of the highest potential victim groups.

Operation Hawk has taken full flight in Greater Manchester to stamp out street robbery and this month (September 2000) launches a campaign for students, who currently account for a large proportion of street robbery victims.

Greater Manchester Police aims to reduce the opportunity for and incidents of crime committed against students Force-wide. Operational tactics will include videoing and photographing of known or suspected offenders, providing high profile policing, student safety talks and crime prevention materials.

Detective Superintendent Peter Minshall, Operation Hawk co-ordinator, said, "We work closely in partnership with Greater Manchester's universities and colleges to communicate a personal safety message and provide practical advice and help to students across the region. Operation Hawk encourages young people to be street wise and delivers a robust deterrent message to potential offenders making the streets of Greater Manchester safer."