Meet Saddleworth’s New Police Sergeant
Sergeant Steve Hall, pictured in the interview room at Uppermill police station earlier this week. He was answering the questions for once!
The new sergeant with the Saddleworth and Lees police team has said the job is a “dream posting” for him. Sergeant Steve Hall also told Saddleworth News that plans for June’s Whit Friday band contests are “going well” and said “more onus” would be put on the contest organisers this year with regard to controlling traffic on the day.
Sgt Hall said: “This district is probably the safest in the whole of Oldham. It’s got the lowest crime figures. We’ve currently got the lowest open crimes, the lowest wanted people, in the division. It is a very safe place to live.”
But he added that the police wanted local residents to “remain vigilant.” He commented: “Work with us, contact us, we’re only as good as the intelligence we receive. With the hot weather as well we’re running a bit of a campaign at the moment asking people to be sure that they’re closing windows and doors when they’re not in.”
On burglaries, Sgt Hall said: “It tends to be groups or gangs from out of the area that come in and are targeting the houses in the district.” He added that police were determined to “keep on top of” both that issue, and anti-social behaviour in Saddleworth at weekends. Officers have recently been making extra patrols on Friday and Saturday nights, and have confiscated alcohol from underage drinkers in villages across our area.
Sgt Hall said that car crime was another issue the police were keen to tackle in the local area, and urged residents to make sure they don’t leave their keys in sight on, for example, hallway tables.
He added: “If people can clear their garages and get their vehicles parked away at night that would help tremendously. Because they seem to be things that these groups are targeting, these high-value motor vehicles.”
Looking ahead to Whit Friday, arguably the biggest day of the year for our local police, Sgt Hall said: “I know it’s a huge event for the area, lots of people visiting from outside. With that comes traffic problems. We’ve got road closures in place, my inspector (Danny Milovanovic) is working very hard at the moment to get those up and running.”
He added: “Plans are coming on well. We’re working closely with the event organisers. There’s going to be a little bit more onus placed on them this year. The Chief Superintendent (Tim Forber) is keen for the organisers to take more on board regards traffic measures and controlling of traffic. Obviously we will still be there to make sure the events go off peacefully, and to support them.”
Sgt Hall has taken over from Sgt Craig Johnson, who recently retired after more than two decades in Saddleworth. And he paid tribute to his predecessor: “It’s a massive act to follow. He was known and liked throughout the community, he had a lot of contacts, a lot of people that he knew and he worked well with those members of the communities.”
He added: “I’ve got no plans to be a moonlight flitter and clear off as soon as possible. I’ve been looking forward to the challenge and it’s something we can really sink our teeth into, and work towards making it a safer and better place for everybody.”
Sgt Hall is originally from Doncaster, and has been with Greater Manchester Police for nine years. He worked as a response police officer in Oldham, and was promoted three years ago to the job of response Sergeant, also in Oldham.
He explained: “With response policing, the best way I can describe it is we’re a quick fix, we’re the plaster that we place on the bleeding wound every so often. The neighbourhood teams seem to pick the issues up and run with them and that’s what appealed to me.”
I interviewed him at Uppermill police station earlier this week. You can listen to our conversation in full here.
For up-to-date information from the Saddleworth and Lees police team, check their website here, or Twitter feed here. You can ring them directly by calling the Uppermill office number 0161 856 4525.
In an emergency, always dial 999. But out of hours, the best number to use for non-emergencies is 0161 872 5050.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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