Stockport Homes and GMP take action on Serious Organised Crime

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has worked with Stockport Homes Safer Neighbourhoods and Exploitation Team to gather sufficient intelligence against Serious Organised Crime (SOC) in the community.

Collaboration between GMP and Stockport Homes also included working with the control room at Stockport Homes Group to develop intelligence.

On Tuesday 18 June, around 40 Police Officers and The Safer Neighbourhood Service of Stockport Homes Group went to the Mottram Estate in Stockport town centre to conduct a series of warrants due to suspected drug dealing activity.

There were also reports of ASB and fighting from neighbours to housing and concerns around Cuckooing. A Multi-agency protective action was taken at these addresses to keep the residents safe. Several arrests were made on suspicion of possession with intent to supply and a quantity of drugs were seized from the properties.

Later in the day, personalised letters were handed out for community re-assurance. Police and Stockport Homes Group went door-to-door and spoke to residents in neighbouring homes about why the warrants were carried out and to ensure they weren’t unknown victims of cuckooing. As well as seeing Police action, residents were also encouraged to report to crime stoppers or ASB teams and GM Victim Services for confidential emotional support. 

Stockport Central Neighbourhood Inspector John Barber said:

“These warrants and reassurance visits are about communicating to the residents in the blocks of flats that we intend to protect them from harm. There are lots of vulnerable people housed here that criminals see as an easy target for exploitation, it is our job to bring those offenders to justice. Through regular protective patrolling and further prevention work in this location and others across Stockport we will continue to keep an open mind about what we might find.”

Louise Crowder, from Stockport Homes’ Safe Neighbourhood and Exploitation Team said:

“Further prevention work is being planned by Stockport Homes Safer Neighbourhoods and Exploitation Team, to ensure the victims that have been identified are safe within their home. With continued partnership working.”

Alongside reports, this latest action was further prompted by an event Stockport Central Neighbourhood Officers attended in May 2024: a Serious Organised Crime (SOC) in the Community conference, held at the University of Huddersfield and sponsored by Programme Challenger. During the event, both Stockport and Salford shared their learning about responding to victims of cuckooing, its links to exploitation by crime groups and the requirement for a multi-agency intervention to better manage the issue.