North West Police Chiefs working together to help communities

Police & Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables from Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and North Wales discussed the best ways to tackle serious organised criminality round the region and support victims.

Police & Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer said, “I am putting victims of crime at the centre of policing, and I think it’s important that myself, Cheshire Constabulary and our regional partners do everything we can to ensure victims get the service they deserve. The Chief Constable Simon Byrne has made a vow that Cheshire officers will be there for people when and where they need them. I think this is a fantastic commitment and one that shows our communities that we have them at the heart of everything we do.”

A discussion took place surrounding the collaboration of tackling organised crime gangs across the region.

John added, “Police forces recognise that they have local boundaries which they stick to. However, organised crime gangs and other criminals aren’t restricted by these boundaries; they regularly use the motorway networks, crossing into our various counties. Recently Cheshire Constabulary teamed up with officers from both Greater Manchester and Merseyside Police to tackle criminals who were using our motorway networks. During both operations officers had access to technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) which is a fantastic tool to help identify offenders and bring them to justice.

“The collaborative work that has taken place further demonstrates that like myself and the Chief Constable, our counterparts across the North West want to keep our communities safe and are willing to come together to provide the best possible service that we can.”