What we have done in our first year in government to create A Safe Place

Tomorrow marks a year since Labour won the 2024 general election. After 14 years of Tory chaos & decline, we campaigned on a promise to deliver economic stability, rebuilt public services, and rising living standards.

Locally, we put forward four priorities for change, with one of those being to create A Safe Place in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, and this is what we have done so far to deliver safer neighbourhoods & high streets for local people:

Campaigned locally to 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 in our borough where a small minority use local roads as racetracks and act with impunity. We have pressed the GMP in late-2023 and April this year, campaigned directly on the issue in the election last July, attended a roadside operation last month in Chadderton, and have highlighted what we are doing to prevent incidents throughout, including in March.

Acted on our plan to 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞, nationally by legislating to ban ninja swords, lethal zombie-style blades & machetes; regionally by launch of the GMCA’s Violence Reduction Unit; and locally with the successful GMP operations AVRO and Venture to seize weapons & make arrests.

Confirmed the timeline for delivery of our neighbourhood policing guarantee, with 𝟑,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 will be in post within the next 12 months. Our guarantee is a named, contactable officer in every community.

Ensuring 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 through new powers both for judges and the Victims’ Commissioner by legislating for the Victims, Courts, and Public Protection Bill.

Secured the 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 into group-based child sexual exploitation which put forward 12 recommendations, including a new national statutory inquiry, all of which the government have accepted – supported by a local inquiry in Oldham which is already underway.

Succeeded in our Co-op party campaign to bring in 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 to give the police the power to properly deal with retail crime.

Delivered 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲𝐧’𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐰 to improve security and preparedness at publicly accessible locations against terrorist attacks – named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena Attack.

Given local councils the power to 𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐯𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, to take the ‘Don’t Trash Oldham’ campaign further, which since 2021 has identified 38 hotspots – 29 in residential areas – and implemented intensive engagement & enforcement strategies.

Helped the Council & GMP to do more to tackle unacceptable anti-social behaviour linked to 𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬, such as tightening regulations on the sale & misuse of fireworks, enhanced licensing checks at shops, and taking forward initiatives by Labour MPs to reduce the legal decibel level of fireworks.

Giving the police stronger powers to tackle antisocial behaviour by introducing 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 in the Crime and Policing Bill which is moving through Parliament.

Introducing 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 in the Crime and Policing Bill to protect vulnerable children and adults, as well as setting up the Knife Crime Coalition and soon rolling out Youth Futures Programme as part of a prevention strategy for young people.

While being encouraged by this progress, we are not complacent. Our decade of national renewal is only just underway and there is still much more left to do.