Greater Manchester Police have set up an operation to protect and police students in Fallowfield. Operation Glaven, headed by Sergeant Andrew Tunnicliffe, was set up for the prevention of anti-social behaviour, violent crime and drug offences. The operation also aims to raise consciousness of Rape Awareness Week.
Sgt. Tunnicliffe said: “Operation Glaven is to combat public order offences, anti-social behaviour, violent crime and drug offences. The operation is run in the Fallowfield area and in student accommodation. Since the operation has started, we have been invited onto Owens Park and into three bars.”
The University have permitted police presence at Owens Park for the first six weeks of term. GMP said police presence led to a sharp decline in anti-social behaviour. They were also there to talk to students, giving advice and handing out personal attack alarms to female students.
The operation involves officers, with a drug-detection dog, patrolling bars and clubs that are popular with students in the Fallowfield area. The team talk to the licensees and staff, as well as students and other customers.
When asked which bars or clubs were worst affected by violence and criminality, Inspector Sarah Morton from the Rusholme, Fallowfield and Whalley Range Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “It depends on the night, but generally the worst are Queen of Hearts, Baa Bar, Revolution and Robinski’s. Anywhere that is open late. But all four have come on board [with Operation Glaven]. They have better door staff and stop serving people who are clearly drunk.”
Lucy Czok, Assistant Manager of Revolution in Fallowfield, discussed a stabbing that had happened at the bar a few months ago. She said: “To be honest, it’s the first time that an incident like that has happened in this bar, and it has been here for 10 years. It’s a one-off occurrence. We’ve now put measures in place so it won’t happen again. We were quite shocked when it happened. We weren’t expecting it.”
She added: “We’ve built up a good relationship with [Operation Glaven]. They come in once or twice a week; have a walk round and a chat. It makes us feel a lot safer, the customers feel safer, the staff feel safer and hopefully the community feel safer. If it puts people off [coming into the bar] then they are not the sorts of people we want in.”
Fallowfield Revolution has changed its door team and also added a new scanning system for student IDs. Only students will be allowed into the bar in the near future.
GMP commented that they wanted to be a positive force for students, as well as policing anti-social behaviour. Sgt. Tunnicliffe said: “Students are starting a new chapter in their lives, and many will not have been away from home before. Let their first contact with the police be a positive one, rather than them having to report something or be a victim of something. There is a balance required between welcoming the students as part of the community and their need to recognise the permanent residents right to peace.
“The way we look at it is that students are here for three or four years. And we don’t look at them as visitors, but we look at them as part of the community while they are here. We want to make sure students are welcome in Manchester and feel part of the community.”
During Rape Awareness Week, Sgt. Tunnicliffe advised his team to raise awareness amongst young women about the dangers of drinking, stressing: “If you are going to drink to excess, get taxis or walk home with friends.
“[When] we have had reports of [sexual assault], it tends to be student-on-student. It’s this concept of, if you have had a few to drink, does ‘no’ mean ‘no’ or does ‘no’ mean ‘yes’? This is something we are promoting, and the message needs to be reinforced to people.”
Drug offences are also a target of the operation. Sgt. Tunnicliffe said that people found with drugs “get checked out [for previous offences]. If they have no previous drug-related offence, we give them a street caution, then an £80 fine and finally an arrest. But we try and avoid arresting people.”
The team were also advised on ways suspects could be caught for more serious offences. “Experience has shown that suspects will hand over small amounts of cannabis in the hope of receiving a street caution, but may still have possession of further amounts of prohibited drugs. Therefore we are asking officers to thoroughly search [suspects].”
Inspector Sarah Morton said: “Over the initial period that Operation Glaven has been running, we have seen encouraging results in terms of reducing anti-social behaviour, violent crime and sexual assault in the student bar areas of Fallowfield.
“Compared to the same period last year, there have been four less incidents of assault. This means that at least four fewer people have been victims. To date, this operation has also seen positive results in terms of reducing robbery and sexual assaults/rapes, with no incidents of this nature being reported in the area where the operation has been running.
“However, we will not be complacent and the Glaven team will continue to be on hand when the bars close to help ensure people take a sensible route home and stick with their friends.”
Hazel Kent, the University of Manchester Students’ Union Women’s Officer, gave a mixed reaction to Operation Glaven and the work they are doing. She said: “It’s great the police are taking an active interest in student safety. Hammering home the message of ‘no means no’, irrespective of alcohol intake, is really important to preventing sexual assault.
“I am a little disappointed however that I wasn’t consulted on this campaign, as it is something I would have liked to take an active role in. Many women do feel unsafe in these areas at night, and often come to my office for personal attack alarms. However most rapes are committed by someone who knows the victim, rather than a stranger. The change in police rhetoric from telling women what not to do, to putting the emphasis on the potential assailant to get consent is a refreshing and important development.”
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