Nearly 20 police cells have been reopened in Bolton, as part of GMP’s drive to ‘catch criminals and lock them up’. The reopening of the Scholey Street custody suite brings the force’s total number of cell blocks up to eight, from seven.
Having been used temporarily over the Bonfire Night period in 2021 — traditionally a very busy period for all three emergency services — the permanent reopening of the 18 cells will help officers ‘keep the people of Bolton safe’. Already, the new block has welcomed ‘a significant number of detainees since opening its doors yesterday evening’, the force says.
They included ‘people arrested on suspicion of burglary, controlling & coercive behaviour, theft, stalking, and public order offences’. GMP top brass says the move reflects an ongoing commitment to improve the force’s performance, which has been slated in recent years by inspectors.
“This is a key element of the Chief Constable’s improvement plan, so the reopening of this site is a significant step towards achieving the vision that has been set out,” Assistant Chief Constable, Chris Sykes, said. “We’re taking the fight to criminals with local initiatives and force-wide operations, such as Op AVRO, so increasing our custody capacity helps allow us to take the positive action that is needed and ensure justice for victims.
“Our new prisoner processing units will also make sure that the increased numbers of people arrested will be processed to face justice in the quickest possible time. We hope that getting suspected offenders off the streets and into custody, will go some way to improving our communities’ confidence in policing as it shows that their concerns are being heard and we’re taking action.”
Chief Superintendent Stuart Ellison of GMP’s Bolton District, added: “It has been a busy first few hours for the reopening, but thanks to the hard work and planning of custody staff, it has run smoothly. The reopening of the suite is important, as it provides us with a site that is well placed to support the delivery of our service to the people of Bolton to help keep them safe.
“A lot of hard work and planning has taken place to get the facility back up and running, and there is a clear strategic approach to custody provision to ensure consistency and professional standards. The reopening of the site provides us with a firm foundation to improve our custody process and provide broader outcomes for detainees.”
