Polls open on November 15th to elect a Police Commissioner for Greater Manchester.
Opinion polls show that voters across the UK want someone with Police experience to be the first Police and Crime Commissioners.
Here in Greater Manchester the choice is between former Stockport Police Inspector Matt Gallagher and Labour’s former MP for central Manchester.
See more about what Matt would do if elected on Thursday at his website, and back his campaign to cut costs – not bobbies:
Ann Smith is campaigning for an official government apology for the policy of forced child adoptions in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.
These forced adoptions took place because of social pressure on women who had given birth to children outside of marriage.
To make things worse, no information was provided to many of these women about any support that existed that might have prevented the forced breakup of their families.
Now Ann is taking part in a campaign to get a government apology about the practices, and took her campaign to the airwaves on Stockport’s Pure Radio.
“An apology won’t reverse the past,” Ann told listeners, “but women who had children outside of marriage were often stigmatised and then ignored. An apology can go some way toward helping the children and parents who were victims of this practice.”
Stockport Lib Dems are bacing former policeman Matt Gallagher in this month’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Stockport.
The elections on November 15th with postal voters receiving their ballots in the post soon.
The election in Greater Manchester is expected to be between former Stockport Police Inspector Matt Gallagher and Labour’s former MP for central Manchester.
“The last thing the job needs is another politician,” said Ann Smith.
“The Police Commissioner should have Police experience, and Matt Gallagher is the right man for the job.”
See more about Matt’s police career and what he will do for residents if elected, at his website:
http://mattgallagher.mycouncillor.org.uk/key-moments-from-matts-police-career/
A car seized from a criminal under the Proceeds of Crime Act (pictured) was used by Stockport’s Safer Stockport Partnership (SSP) togive local residents insights into the minds of potential car thieves.
The car was parked in Mersey Square displaying the sticky ring left by a stolen sat nav on the windscreen, a lap top on the floor of the car, loose change, a mobile phone, sunglasses on the dashboard and window partially wound down.
The partnership consists of the Police, the Council and Greater Manchester Fire Service, and arranged the display to make people aware that most vehicle crime takes place where valuables are on show and the car is insecure.
Councillor Mark Weldon Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Supporting Communities, said: “Crime has fallen in Stockport for the 8th consecutive year and we are committed to reducing it even further. This event was a great way of getting the message to residents about how to avoid becoming a victim of vehicle crime. Taking simple measures such as removing valuable items from vehicles and ensuring vehicles are locked with the windows fully up will reduce their chances of becoming a victim of crime.”
Chief Inspector Leon Jacobs of Greater Manchester Police’s Stockport Division, said: “People can take some really simple steps to protect their property, such as parking in secure or well-lit areas wherever possible. They should also close all windows, use a steering lock and remove all valuables, especially sat navs and their mounting cradles. All doors should be locked and the immobiliser activated if you have one.
“It is a good idea to register valuables at www.immobilise.com and to security mark them with your postcode and house number or vehicle registration number. Motorists should also keep a record of the make, model and serial number of such items. Finally, car keys should be kept hidden at home and away from doors and windows to prevent hook-and-cane thefts.”
This event launched an extensive crime prevention campaign in Stockport to help prevent vehicle crime. Other activities taking place over the summer include:
· Distributing Safer Licence plate kits to local residents to secure licence plates and prevent their theft
· Talking life-sized cardboard cut-outs of Police Officers in foyers of stores with large car parks reminding people to remove their valuables and secure their vehicles.
· Posters and leaflets with crime reduction advice placed in community buildings and handed out at events.
To find out more about how to prevent your vehicle being targeted by thieves, visit www.saferstockport.org.uk or call 0161 474 3143.
Manor councillor Daniel Hawthorne is leading Stockport Council’s latest efforts to pilot a new way of supporting people with dementia who live in care homes.
The Council is working in partnership with Borough Care Ltd on a pilot scheme at Bruce Lodge in Offerton – a residential care home for older people with dementia that is owned and operated by Borough Care Ltd.
Residents at the home are offered a more personalised service and a chance to direct their own care on a day to day basis in a way that makes sense to them. It also gives them more choice over how they spend their time, including trips out in the community and supports them to make their own choices and decisions.
A key factor in the success of the project is the development of a one-page profile for each resident that details what is important to them, what they like to do and information on how best to support them. This is then shared with staff at the home who at the same time, are also being encouraged to develop their own profiles that are used to match staff with residents with the same or similar interests.
Daniel Hawthorne, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Adult Care Services, said: “I am pleased that we are part of this ground-breaking work and that we plan to extend this to other care homes in Stockport to help deliver services that focus on the needs of the individual. By focusing on what they enjoy doing on a day to day basis it not only makes the individuals in care live happier lives, but also makes life easier for the staff who look after them.
“I look forward to sharing the learning and good practice in delivering more personalised services for people living in care homes not only locally but regionally and nationally.”
The work between the Council and Borough Care Ltd is being supported by Helen Sanderson Associates, a Stockport based consultancy which have spent the last 12 months developing this new approach to personalisation.
Visit www.stockport.gov.uk/myhome for more information about the project and to watch the introductory video.
Stockport’s famous town centre Library will be celebrating a landmark anniversary next month as 1 August marks the 100th anniversary of its foundation stone being laid.
To mark the occasion, residents are asked for ideas on what should go into a modern time capsule to mark the library’s centenary.
The original time capsule, placed beneath the foundation stone, contains newspapers from 1st August 1912 as well as coins and a programme of the day’s event at the library.
Stockport Council wants your ideas for items representing today’s Stockport for a 2012 time capsule.
When items have been collected, they will be on public display before being stored in the archives for posterity.
Councillor Mark Weldon, Executive Member for Supporting Communities, said: “To highlight the centenary of the opening of Stockport’s famous and prominent library next year, we would like to create a ‘Stockport 2012’ time capsule to complement the original one. We want local people to tell us what they think should go into the capsule – items that represent today’s modern borough.”
If anyone has ideas, or memories of Stockport Central Library down the years, or photographs or other memorabilia connected with the library, they are asked to phone 0161 474 4530, email localheritagelibrary@stockport.gov.uk or log onto www.stockport.gov.uk/libraries
