Three Decades of Service
Inspector Adrian Hopkins from the Neighbourhood Policing Team will be hanging his hat up for the last time and waving goodbye to Wythenshawe as he retires after 30 years service in GMP.
Adrian has been the Inspector of Wythenshawe Neighbourhood Policing Team for more than five years and in that time he has had some fantastic successes, so much so that crime is at the lowest it has been in 10 years. We look back at some of his successes…
Summer Garden, an annual police and partnership initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour in the summer holidays has continued to reduce crime and disorder year-on-year. In 2009 there was a 42.9 per cent reduction in youth related anti-social behaviour, which was a significant drop.
Similarly Operation Motorcross, which tackles the use of off-road bikes across Sharston, Woodhouse Park and North Benchill, saw officers from the Wythenshawe Neighbourhood Policing Team working with GMP’s Off Road Bike Unit and Willow Park Housing Trust to crackdown on illegally ridden bikes by seizing them and dealing with offenders. This year the operation led to a 52 per cent reduction in the number of incidents being reported.
The Wythenshawe Neighbourhood Policing Team continues to work closely with Manchester City Council and other partner agencies on Respect Action initiatives. These days and weeks enable police to completely blitz an area to find out what residents would like to see changed, as well as making improvements to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Inspector Adrian Hopkins said: “I will be very sad to leave Wythenshawe. In the past five years I have met some wonderful residents and partners without whom I could not have done this job.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the partners that I have worked with, especially on Summer Garden, Garden City and Respect Action initiatives. These have had outstanding effects on crime and anti-social behaviour in Wythenshawe and because of excellent partnership working, we have been able to have a positive impact on the quality of life for residents.
“Similarly I’d like to thank the residents of Sharston, Woodhouse Park and North Benchill. By following crime prevention advice and talking to police about your concerns, you have helped us in our fight against crime.”
Chief Inspector of Neighbourhood Policing, Peter Jones said: “Adrian has been a great servant of GMP and, in the last few years, the Wythenshawe community. He has worked tirelessly to reduce crime and incident levels with great success and is a much respected member of the South Manchester Division. While he is a difficult act to follow, he has created an efficient and effective regime and I am confident that his successor will therefore be able to continue his good work. Adrian will be sorely missed and I wish him well for the future.”
Manchester City Council deputy leader, Councillor Jim Battle said: “We’ve enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Adrian in his role as Neighbourhood Inspector and we are delighted to welcome him to his new post within the council.”
Adrian won’t be going far. He’ll be taking up a new role with Manchester City Council as a Community Safety Manager and using his expertise as an experienced Neighbourhood Policing Inspector to work alongside police and continue to reduce crime.
His successor, Inspector Caroline Hemingway takes up her new role this month.