As night falls in Oldham, GMP Chief Superintendent Chris Bowen is standing outside the Civic Centre with a camera pointing at him from an awkward angle as he gears up to deliver a public service announcement to residents of the borough.
“Oldham is the safest place to live and work in Greater Manchester,” the Supt says as snow patters across his face. It’s a bold statement but one he confidently delivers following a successful targeted police operation throughout the borough yesterday (March 31).
The message follows a statement Bowden released earlier in the day where he dropped references to Winston Churchill and a leading suffragette. Operation Avro - a police initiative tackling crimes which have been reported by local residents - is running across every borough of the region each month.
