From Match Policing to Proactive Arrests: Busy Week for Piccadilly Gardens Team

It has been another busy and productive week for the Piccadilly Gardens Neighbourhood Policing Team, with officers responding to major policing commitments while continuing to proactively target offenders in Manchester city centre.

On Wednesday evening, the team was abstracted to assist with the policing operation surrounding the England v Argentina fixture. While officers were left disappointed by the result on the pitch, they remained focused on keeping the city safe as celebrations and frustrations spilled into Manchester city centre. As disorder developed in several locations following the match, officers responded swiftly to incidents across the city. PC Micklewright arrested an adult male after he assaulted a member of the public in Piccadilly Gardens. During the same operation, PC Lomax identified and arrested a wanted adult male in connection with a rape investigation from elsewhere in Greater Manchester, ensuring he was brought into custody to face questioning.

Thursday was largely dedicated to completing the significant amount of administration generated by the previous evening’s operation, allowing officers to progress investigations and prepare case files while maintaining their neighbourhood policing commitments.

The proactive work continued on Friday, with three further arrests made by the team. PC Duffy arrested a man for drug offences following proactive patrols, while PC Lomax arrested two separate offenders—one for breaching a court order and another for failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.

Reflecting on the week’s work, Sergeant Jon Wyatt said:

“This has been a fantastic effort from the entire team. Wednesday presented a challenging policing operation which required officers to adapt quickly while continuing to deal with incidents across the city centre. Everyone stepped up and worked exceptionally hard throughout the week. I would also like to make special mention of PC Lomax, whose determination and proactive policing led to three significant arrests over the course of the week, including locating and arresting a suspect wanted in connection with a rape investigation. His work has been outstanding and is a great example of the professionalism and commitment shown by the whole team.”

The Piccadilly Gardens Neighbourhood Policing Team remains committed to tackling crime, protecting vulnerable people and keeping Manchester city centre a safe place for residents, workers and visitors.