POLICE ENFORCE STOP AND SEARCH POWERS IN HIGHER BROUGHTON AND CHEETHAM HILL AFTER A STRING OF INCIDENTS BETWEEN RIVAL GANGS

Officers have enforced stop and search powers Higher Broughton along with Cheetham Hill after a string of incidents which police say are due to a dispute between rival gang groups.

In response to a dedicated operation - codenamed Operation Haemus - police from the City of Manchester have taken the decision to implement Section 60 powers under the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. This disruption tactic comes after what officers believe to be an ongoing dispute between two local crime groups and follows three recent incidents which occurred over the last two weeks. This includes a Section 18 assault, whereby a 17-year-old sustained serious injuries after being attacked with a machete, and two reports of a firearms discharge, where thankfully no one was injured. 

The implementation of the act means that officers in the Cheetham Hill and Higher Broughton areas will have extended stop and search powers for a period of time. 

Superintendent  Rebecca Boyce, of GMP's City of Manchester division, said:

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"These incidents are the first significant occurrences that we have seen in the area for a number of months, and bringing these powers into place is not a decision we have taken lightly. However, I hope this decision demonstrates to the community our commitment to ensuring their safety and protecting them from this kind of reckless crime.

"Disputes of this kind are incredibly dangerous and can have serious consequences for all involved. We have a range of tactics at our disposal when working on a complex operation such as this, and by bringing preventative measures such as these powers in to action, we will hopefully encourage people who are tempted by this type of lifestyle to think twice before brandishing a weapon on our streets.

"Operation Haemus remains very much ongoing and our officers continue to work tirelessly to proactively execute warrants and carry out arrests as well as conducting high visibility patrols in the area to protect the community and ensure their safety. However we cannot do this alone. I would like to plea to anyone who has any information, or witnessed any of the three incidents mentioned above, to please come forwards and speak with police.

"We hope the community support us with this decision and continue to report any suspicious activity."

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 1146, quoting incident number 1108 of 30/08/20.

Reports can also be made anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.