Help the Police to help you

Darrell Butterworth, Neighbourhood Inspector for Heywood, and John Johnson, Safer Communities Manager for Rochdale

Residents across Heywood are being given the opportunity to influence how their local neighbourhood is policed.

The new Partnership and Community Together (PACT) meetings enable residents to hold authorities to account, and are attended by representatives from neighbourhood policing teams, Rochdale Safer Communities Partnership, Greater Manchester Fire and  Rescue Service and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

They also allow communities to identify their own priorities and have a say on how areas are policed and where resources should be focused.

The process is designed to give police and partners a better understanding of the issues affecting each area, and will enable them to give feedback to residents about any action taken.

Neighbourhood Inspector for Heywood, Darrell Butterworth, said: “These meetings form an essential part of neighbourhood policing, and are an ideal opportunity for people to talk about issues that affect their communities, such as crime, anti-social behaviour, litter, graffiti and criminal damage.

“The meetings also allow police and partners to really engage with people and address any concerns they may have. Key issues will be selected as priorities at each meeting, and then at the next meeting we will assess progress made in dealing with them. If the problems have been resolved, new priorities can be selected, but if they continue then new strategies can be devised to deal with them effectively.”

John Johnson, Safer Communities Manager for Rochdale, added: “We want members of the public to feel safe in the borough of Rochdale and the PACT meetings are a great opportunity for the public to tell us what concerns and issues they have about the area they live in. It is our priority to reduce crime and the fear of crime in the borough, and we can do this by listening to the community and responding to their needs.”

This month’s PACT meeting will take place on Wednesday 8 August at St John’s Church Hall on Manchester Road at 6pm.