Operation Vulcan has been such a success in Derker, why can’t we do the same in more places?

Efforts made by the GMP in Operation Vulcan in Derker to crack down on crime are hugely appreciated. While just focused on one area, it has had significant a significant impact across our borough, not least of all through the tram network which I saw first hand at a visit to South Chadderton last year with the neighbourhood team.

With around 144 vehicles have been seized, 500 people have been stop-searched, more than one hundred care plans put in place, and dozens of bladed weapons seized; the operation has been proven to work well.

While we know this more heavy handed approach can only work with proper preventative measures alongside it, nonetheless, this work should be celebrated and we are calling for it to be expanded.

In late October, during a meeting with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Deputy Mayor for Safer & Stronger Communities Kate Green, Head Of Estates at GMP Peter Bannister, and Oldham Council Leader Arooj Shah, we discussed the work being done to tackle Youth Knife Crime, Gangs & Child Criminal Exploitation in our borough, which I also spoke about in a Westminster Hall Debate earlier last month.

That is why the next step in our work has been to write to Deputy Mayor Kate Green for Safer & Stronger Communities directly since we are keen that the success in cracking down on anti-social behaviour and organised crime in Oldham is expanded to include hotspots in the Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton constituency. Limeside, for example, has been subject to the largest number of Section 60 notices of any area in Oldham and one of the highest in Greater Manchester, with 6 in the area since mid-2023 alone.

There are terrific organisations across the three towns in my constituency who do great work, often unseen, to support young people in sports, arts, culture and other rewarding activities. We believe these are part of the solution alongside the police, the local authority, and others such as schools. Operation Vulcan has been such a success in Derker, why can’t we do the same in more places?