A joint operation between Greater Manchester Police and TravelSafe took place on Friday 16th December to keep people safe in the lead up to Christmas. It was all part of the continued TravelSafe Partnership operation to target crime and antisocial behaviour on the public transport network.
As well as Metrolink stops at Piccadilly Gardens and Cornbrook, officers were at Piccadilly and Victoria railway stations as well as at Bury and Bolton interchanges and the surrounding town centres to provide reassurance to the travelling public.
Over 12,000 members were engaged with during the operation which saw Metrolink issuing 600 fines to passengers who failed to produce a valid ticket. Greater Manchester Police stopped and searched 18 people with seven arrests made for a range of offences including possession of drugs and weapons, aggressive begging and being drunk and disorderly. A high risk missing person was also located and returned to safety.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Ensuring the safety of everyone who uses and works on the public transport network will always remain a key priority for me and the TravelSafe Partnership as we continue to deliver the vision for an integrated Bee Network. The people of the TravelSafe Partnership work incredibly hard to keep the public and colleagues safe and to look after vulnerable people on the network. I want to thank all operational staff at TfGM and our industry partners and the officers who spend over 5,000 hours a week patrolling public transport and active travel networks. This is central to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and reassuring passengers that everyone has the right to travel safely in Greater Manchester.”
This was the second “Operation AVRO” to be delivered by the TravelSafe Partnership alongside Greater Manchester Police and other partner agencies following previous two day deployment on 27th and 28th September.