GMP

“Police claims are nothing more than a smear campaign” says Justice for Grainger team

Taaliah · December 12, 2014 · Local News n Views, Uncategorized · #MemoryStickMurder, #NoJusticeNoPeace, Anthony Grainger, GMP, Justice for Grainger, Manchester · No Comments

It’s two years since Anthony Grainger was murdered by a police marksman using a sub-machine gun, in March 2012 – unarmed and shot at close range, Anthony was hit in the chest with the bullet entering both his heart and lungs as he sat with two friends in a parked car.

The Justice 4 Grainger Campaign is still going strong

Both the other occupants, along with a third person, were tried and later cleared of plotting a robbery.

The family of Anthony have always maintained his innocence, claiming that he was murdered, in what has been termed ‘The memory stick killing‘ and have set up a campaign, Justice for Grainger, in a bid to clear his name and uncover the truth.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report into the shooting of Anthony back in 2013 was ‘highly critical’ of Greater Manchester Police, stating that police ‘intelligence’ was flawed when the firearms officer shot the unarmed dad-of-two.

Wesley Ahmed, of the Justice 4 Grainger campaign was horrified when the Manchester Evening News ran a story this week claiming that he and other campaigners had ‘put a £50,000 bounty on the heads of firearms cops‘ – an apparently unsubstantiated claim by Greater Manchester Police.

Wesley totally refutes the 'slanderous' claims made by GMP

Wesley refutes claims made by GMP

In response to these claims Wesley has released the following statement:

“The Justice for Grainger campaign completely refutes the empty allegation by GMP that it is somehow implicated in a threat to the life of GMP firearms officers and condemns the Manchester Evening News for the sensationalist and uncritical coverage of the claims made in court.

“The fact that the police made their baseless claims during a case that has no connection to the killing of Anthony makes their actions even more repugnant.

“The December 9, 2014 edition of the Manchester Evening News carried a front page splash, complete with massive typeset and hard hitting, inflammatory headline: “£50,000 BOUNTY TO KILL POLICE” and underneath “Fears firearms officers could be targeted by criminal gangs

Anthony Grainger

over deaths of Jordan Begley and Anthony Grainger.”

“The actual article, on page five of the newspaper actually stated that this was only a ‘police claim’ before going on to quote the fraudulent claims of GMP with no critical examination.

“The claim is unsubstantiated and unproven. If this threat was real why have GMP not arrested anyone in the two years since they first made them. It is clearly an attempt to smear the Justice 4 Grainger Campaign and those associated with it, as well as giving the court an excuse for refusing to name the police officers involved in the killing of both Jordan Begley and Anthony Grainger.

“There is no evidence at all, two internal GMP memos between staff that talk of ‘rumour’ do not constitute evidence.

“Our fight is about justice and nothing more.”

Here is a video where Wesley tries to find balance with the MEN story.

A morning with the police…

Taaliah · June 25, 2013 · Local News n Views · Action Fraud, Altrincham, Altrincham Constabulary, Altrincham police station, bike theft, Claires law, community reporter, Crime and Disorder Act 1998, crimestoppers, Data Protection Act 1998, day on the beat, fly tipping, GMP, immobilise.com, Irwell Valley, Manchester, Police, public, Sale West, SaleWestVoice, Trafford Council · 2 Comments

Have you ever wondered what the police do behind the scenes or how they prioritise issues in your area?

Greater Manchester Police recently began a new initiative where members of the public could go out on the beat and share the experience via social media, as community reporter.

I decided to apply as I was intrigued as to what the role of police officer in my local area (Sale West) would be and how they play their part in keeping our community safe and crime free.

The first community reporter, Harriet Blake, went out with the police in Chorlton and shared her experiences via Youtube and a blog post on Netmums.

As you can see Harriet really got behind the scenes, had a camera crew, attended a team brief and also met with Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins.

I was very excited and a little nervous when I received an email in April telling me I had been successful and a date would be made for me to go out with local police.

After a long wait I finally got an email asking me to be at Altrincham Police Station on Wednesday June 19 at noon and also to sign and return the disclaimer, indemnity and other related documents attached.

It was at this point that I began to realise that my experience was not going to be at all like the one portrayed by Harriet.

No camera crew for me, no team brief and certainly no meeting with the Deputy Chief Constable.

Arriving at Altrincham Police Station around 11.30am, I was greeted by the officer on the desk who then went to find out who was expecting me. Having no name as reference this took a while.Eventually I was informed that someone had forgotten to pass the information on regarding my visit and they couldn’t actually accommodate me that afternoon.

The officers that I spoke to had not heard of the community reporter role and I had to explain why I wanted to go out with them also, why I had specifically asked for Sale West.

I explained that the role of community reporter was something the police had initiated and that I was to share my experience on social media. I clarified the choice of area by pointing out that I am co-founder of SaleWestVoice and, having recently shared my experience of visiting the cctv office covering Sale West it seemed a logical choice.

We rearranged for Friday June 21 at 10am and I was assured that I would accompany an officer in and around Sale West, perhaps focussing on fly tipping and bike crime as they are among the current issues faced.

Friday morning was crisp and bright as I once again set off for the police station, this time I was indeed met by an officer who was to take me out on patrol around Sale West and discuss what the police are doing to keep us safe.

We set off towards Sale and were soon on the estate where we drove around as the officer explained that he was looking for suspicious vehicles or anything else untoward as is part of the daily routine.

I am happy to say that there were no suspicious vehicles and all was peaceful and quiet.

Whilst we were on patrol in the car a motorist flagged us down to say that she had seen a man acting suspiciously nearby. After taking a description of the male and the reason for her concern the officer thanked her and went to look for him.

I asked on what grounds would he stop the man, should we find him and he explained that whilst the police can not stop anyone without a valid reason, the fact that he had been reported as acting suspicious was reason enough and, if found, the man would be stopped and possibly searched.

We did not find the man and nothing else was reported whilst we were out, other than an older resident expressing his concerns about the speed some people drive down Firsway which, I have to agree, is a valid point.

The officer and I discussed the fact that bike theft is a problem and he advised me that anyone who owns a bike can register it online with immobilise.com. If your bike is then stolen you have a much greater chance at getting it back, when it is unregistered it can be harder, sometimes even impossible to match it back with the rightful owner.

Registering only takes a few minutes and could save you a lot of hassle, not to mention cash. You can also register other gadgets on the site, click on the link above for more details.

Addressing fly tipping is an ongoing issue and there are many incidents of it taking place in and around Sale West. Not only is it an eyesore and a blight on the community as a whole, it is also an offence which can lead to a fine or imprisonment.

Fly tipping can be reported via the council website, and they have a rapid response unit available in all areas to deal with rubbish dumped on council land. As much of the rubbish is actually left on Irwell Valley land this can become an issue and should be reported to them directly.

The officer that took me on patrol was very professional and was happy to offer general advice on crime and communities. He pointed out that the key to low crime includes a strong community where everyone pulls together, having respect for each other as well as the immediate environment.

We finished our patrol just after lunch time and returned to Altrincham station, marking the end of my time on the beat….

I wish I could share more about what goes on behind the scenes, or what future plans the police have for Sale West. The fact is I can’t because I just don’t know. Whilst my time out with the police was interesting and totally different to my usual Friday morning, it wasn’t quite what I had imagined.

On a brighter note there is lots of useful information on display at the station, here are some links that you may find useful:

INTERNET FRAUD AND SCAMS…If you have been affected by a fraudster or online scam you can report it to Action Fraud 24 hours a day, seven days a week on action fraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 1232 040. The website also lists a handy A-Z of different fraud types as well as their Top Tips to protect yourself from fraud.
DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998…The ACT covers personal information from which an individual may be identified. The information may be held on computers, other applications which process information automatically, paper records and other media, such as video and cctv. The police use personal information for a variety of purposes. In addition to holding personal information for the prevention and detection of crime, apprehending and prosecuting offenders, public safety, maintaining criminal record disposal histories and investigative and intelligence purposes.This information may be shared with other agencies and individuals, under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REQUEST ACCESS TO ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU BELIEVE THE FORCE MAY HOLD ABOUT YOU AND TO BE TOLD WHAT IT IS TO BE USED FOR. To request this information simply visit THIS PAGE and download the application form, returning it to the address shown.
VIOLENCE…If you, or someone you know is at risk of violence from a partner YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK about an individual who you think may have a violent past. “Claire’s Law’ can be used by anyone and is a new scheme to protect victims of domestic violence. For more information on requesting a disclosure under this scheme visit gmp.police.uk or endthefear.co.uk.

On a final note, much of the intelligence the police rely on comes via CRIMESTOPPERS. They are also available on 0800 555 111 and any information can be given anonymously…..

Pic of police emblem with thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/jza84/ via creative commons.:)

CCTV in Sale West……The Facts

Taaliah · June 5, 2013 · Uncategorized · anonymous, cameras, CCTV, community, council, crime, facial recognition, Facts, GMP, images, Irwell Valley, mini moto, neighbourhood, Police, safe, safety, Sale, Salewest, SaleWestVoice, Stretford, Talbot Road, trafford, Video analytics · No Comments

After months of speculation surrounding the cctv on Sale West I am pleased to say that we finally have some facts and figures that will hopefully reassure the residents that they are indeed being “looked after” by fully operational cameras and dedicated council staff.

I arrived at Stretford police station this morning just before 10.30am to meet with Colin Wright and be allowed unprecedented access to the cctv office, on the understanding that I would pass on what I learnt to the residents…:)

The office is a hub of activity within Stretford police station on Talbot Road.The station itself is rather grand and deceptively spacious once inside…(think Tardis).

Equipped with loads of technology including multiple screens, projected images, police radio and much more Colin and his colleague were more than happy to show me ALL of the cameras on Sale West and beyond working and recording in real time and with crystal clear images.

Here are some facts:

1. The cctv does not have video analytic capacity. This means there is no facial recognition or cross referencing of faces from camera to camera.

2. There is no audio capacity enabled on the cameras…..they can’t talk to you and they can’t hear you either:)

3. The images captured by the cctv are recorded and are kept for 28 days. During this time the recordings can be requested by the police in order to detect and prevent crime. I can bear witness to this as two local officers called in to collect some footage whilst I was there today.

4. All of the cameras can pan, tilt and zoom in. I was shown many of the cameras in action and can clarify that Magnolia, Chepstow (Community Garden) and the Community centre area are all covered, as is the rest of the estate.

5. The cameras can see as well at night as they can during the day…I saw footage of Thirsk at night and can clarify that is was pretty clear…;)

6. The cctv is connected by both wire and wifi….wired at source and sending signal back to the station.

7. Whilst Colin is not originally from Sale it is apparent that he is very familiar with the area and is on the ball for matching cameras to locations etc. Other staff are local and also have a vested interest in the safety of everyone on Sale West.:)

8. The cctv is manned 24 hours a day 7 days a week, even at Christmas……these guys have that many cameras they are sure to have caught Santa doing the rounds to all our well behaved children many a time…..:)

9. Irwell Valley originally helped with the installation cost of the cctv on Sale West, with the balance funded by the council. Irwell Valley staff do not monitor the cameras and have no access to them, it is all viewed in house by the council staff that have full control over the cameras, in the police station.

10. Colin and his colleagues are responsible for over 100 cameras around Trafford and so this means that they are not always focused on Sale West. However, if they are alerted to something either by the police, public or simply spotting something on screen they can react quickly.

11. Whilst the off road biking has been picked up by the cameras it is often a fleeting glimpse as they head towards the more covert areas not covered, alleys, some car parks etc.

However…Colin did show me a log of mini moto related incidents that has been complied from sightings, public calls and police reports. It is a priority and will continue to be so, they just can’t see all the cameras all the time….

If you have any concerns about specific problems such as fly tipping, persistent dog fouling, off road bikers ripping up the pavements etc you can always report it, anonymously.

The cctv office can be contacted on 0161 912 1111

Calls are in confidence and will be acted upon.

General information regarding cctv in Trafford can be found on the council website.