GMP operation that ‘shut down counterfeit street’ wins national policing award

GMP launched Operation Vulcan last autumn to clear the areas of Cheetham Hill and Strangeways of the counterfeit goods trade and organised crime gangs that were embedded into the local community.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said there was “a nexus of no less than 32 organised crime groups operating in the area”, which had become famous across the UK  as “the place to go for counterfeit goods”.

In just 11 months, the team has seized almost 1,020 tonnes of counterfeit items with an estimated street value of more than £137 million – described by GMP a “staggering loss of funds to the criminals wishing to sell these items”.

More than 200 counterfeit shops have been shut down, over 100 warrants  executed, and 221 people arrested in connection to a range of offences in the area, including false imprisonment, trademark offences, and possession with intent to supply.

In addition, more than half a million pounds has been seized, and violent crime and public order offences have been reduced by 50 per cent.

GMP said: “The area today paints a very different picture, and this is down to relentless efforts from police and partners who combined resources, powers, and policies to target every level of criminality.

“Placing prevention and problem solving at the core of this operation has enabled police and partners to make real, long-term changes to the area by tackling the root issues.

“The operation was launched in November 2022 to tackle the organised crime gangs who were embedded into the local community, causing misery to local residents who were often caught in the midst of gang violence.”

The force said following the operation’s success in Cheetham Hill, it has now been rolled out to the Piccadilly Garden’s area of Manchester city centre.

The Tilley Awards acknowledge and celebrate the best examples of problem solving in UK policing.

Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, who leads the team of specialist officers, said: “I’m incredibly honoured to accept this award on behalf of the Operation Vulcan team.

“Over the past 11 months, I’ve had the privilege of working with a team of dedicated officers and partner agencies who have given their all to tackle the organised crime associated the counterfeit trade to create sustainable changes in the area.

“The area feels completely different to where we were 11 months ago, but the hard work isn’t over yet. We’re committed to staying in the area and making sure no criminality can creep back in.

“The community has always been at the heart of this operation, and I hope residents feel supported and can be involved in the next stages of Operation Vulcan, which will be to improve the overall area for the fantastic communities who reside there.”

GMP’s chief constable said he was “proud of Operation Vulcan and everything the team has achieved since it was set up in late autumn last year”.

“Operation Vulcan is about solving problems and it is about being ambitious and working with partners to set out what we can do and how we’re going to do it,” said Mr Watson.

“Cheetham Hill in Greater Manchester was an area where problems had become embedded over many decades. It created an environment that felt unpleasant, unsafe and was not right for the people we serve.

“As little as 12 months ago, Cheetham Hill and Strangeways had a nexus of no less than 32 organised crime groups operating in the area. The manifestation of their activity was counterfeit goods and the trade had become so pervasive that Cheetham Hill was famous across the UK, and even in some places in Europe, as the place to go for counterfeit goods.

“This trade was only the tip of the iceberg and we found that organised crime groups were also involved in the manufacture of false prescription and illicit drugs that were being distributed across the country and were killing people.

“Organised immigration was another key element and very often people who were being trafficked into this country were then being savagely exploited for their labour.

“This is why Operation Vulcan was founded and in the 11 months of its existence we have seen over 200 counterfeit premises closed down and over 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items seized, which accounts for tens of millions of pounds taken from organised crime groups and reinvested back into communities.”

Mr Watson added: “Operation Vulcan is a partnership endeavour, and we have from the outset had the support of dozens of separate agencies who are helping make the area of Cheetham Hill unaccommodating to criminals and bringing about positive, dramatic, and lasting change.

“The work is not done and GMP is expanding Operation Vulcan to bring the same determination and ambition to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

“Operation Vulcan marks a new chapter for GMP that focuses on problem solving and prevention. We will continue to work with partners to collectively use this tried and tested method to get a grip of problems in communities.

“We will be consistent, we will be proactive and we will be passionate about taking the leading role and bringing about the positive changes in our communities to which we all collectively aspire.”

The award was presented at this week’s National Problem Solving Conference.

GMP was named overall 2023 winner after receiving the highest combined scored for its written application and presentation on Operation Vulcan, which has transformed the approach to anti-counterfeiting.

GMP was one of the five finalists invited to present their projects at the conference. The other finalists were:

• South Yorkshire Police – Operation Parksafe;
• GMP – Problem solving knife enabled robbery in Bolton;
• Northamptonshire Police – Accident reduction; and
• Police Service of Northern Ireland – Between the lines: Dungannon

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for problem solving, South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney, said: “I would like to congratulate GMP on being awarded as the overall 2023 Tilley Award winner. Their project, along with the other four finalists, are all fantastic examples of how adaptable problem solving methodology can be when used effectively in practice and the positive impact it can have on tackling the root cause of a problem.

“As we know, demand on both police and partner agencies has increased significantly over recent years and we need to ensure we are maximising opportunities to utilise the SARA problem solving methodology, to help reduce some of this demand and continue providing the best possible services to the communities we serve.

“It is fantastic to see the calibre of applicants improving year on year and I’m pleased to see how problem solving knowledge and skills have improved since we relaunched the Tilley Awards in 2017.

“I’m confident through the conference and work taking place both locally and nationally, problem solving knowledge will continue to grow and the principles of this methodology will become further embedded into our ways of working.”

Unlike previous years, submissions to this year’s Tilley Awards were not split into categories and applicants could enter projects on any areas where problem solving methodology was used to address or overcome an identified issue.

Ms Poultney said the decision to change the format of this year’s awards was taken to “ensure we could recognise and award the best problem solving practices taking place across the country, and ensure both police and our partners had a greater opportunity to showcase the initiatives they have implemented”.

All copies of this years’ projects will now be uploaded to the Problem Solving Knowledge Hub.

The Tilley Awards are facilitated by the Problem Solving and Crime Prevention Programme, led by South Yorkshire Police on behalf of all forces.