@gmpolice
Manchester Airport Section Operations Inspector & Tactical Lead for the Armed Forces Covenant. Also a huge fan of Gibraltar. Views are my own
No words can explain how I feel receiving this. I could try, honoured, privileged, humbled, thrilled, delighted but they don’t even come close.
Served Her Majesty for 25yrs & now serve His Majesty, to be invited to a royal garden party will be the absolute pinnacle of my career
Most embarrassing moment of my
#police
career, turning up for my promotion board with my ironed shirt on a hanger then putting it on & realising it was my wife’s size 12 police blouse. No option but to be interviewed wearing it. Can you top that?
#laughteristhebestmedicine
It's not every day you become a grandad for the first time. Can't believe he was only born at 0100hrs this morning. Welcome to the big wide world Harry.
After over 10 years of haemorrhaging officers I can't tell you how happy I am to see so many officers in
@gmpolice
February's intake. A huge challenge for our trainers but still great to see.
#ThinBlueLine
#policefamily
New Years Honours list there’s 23 x Queens Policing Medals being awarded. Only 2 Constables received the award with 13 Supt rank and above. So many frontline officers making a huge difference but it looks like medals for the retiring senior officers club. Hugely disproportionate
I' devasted Jon, one of Bury
@gmpolice
finest officers lost his fight against COVID last night.
Thoughts & prayers are with Gaynor & the boys.
The community & GMP family have lost a hero. Stand down, your team have it from here.
#ThinBlueLine
just got thinner
#RIP
#OfficerDown
Took a call today about a
#veteran
with severe PTSD and his Emotional Support dog. Is going to be arrested and if the dog is taken it'll destroy him. Liaised with custody, we will treat it like a guide dog and it can remain with him.
#mentalhealth
In 1997 I swore an oath that I would serve Her Majesty the Queen. I have seen many significant events come and go but never has there been a time where I have felt so helpless to be able to support Her Majesty in her hour of need.
#RIP
HRH The Prince Philip
Almost 13 and on Tuesday she couldn’t keep anything down, couldn’t stand unaided and her breathing was laboured. I had to carry her to emergency vets and we all thought she was gone. This was her watching my bacon sandwich this morning. So pleased but can’t believe it.
Serving
@BritishArmy
Soldier reached out to me, unable to make his final interview to become a
@gmpolice
officer due to being posted abroad. He thought his application would be cancelled. Spoke with recruitment and exceptional military circ's applied, final interview rearranged
Took Dad for a steak for his birthday. He usually has a burger because his
#parkinsons
means he can’t use a knife and fork properly. With a bit of help it was great to see him enjoying a steak. Such an awful disease but we can’t let it dictate his life.
#familyiseverything
My step daughter has just completed a speed awareness course for being caught speeding. It was an online course completed on Zoom. Of all the platforms they had to choose that one 😂😂😂
This week a housing officer was messaging a vulnerable veteran. He told her he was a missing person but won’t speak to police. She asks if he would speak to an officer if they were a veteran, he said yes. Knowing my role she calls me, within an hour officers are in touch with him
On Wed a post appeared about a veterans stolen medals appearing on Ebay & the Seller refusing to hand them over.
@gmpolice
armed forces lead
@Crownservant22
jumped all over it and the medals are now in police hands & will soon be reunited with the owner 👏👏👏
Police screensavers show the faces of murder victims ‘failed’ by officers.
Can’t comprehend why a leader would punish their staff trying to do the best they can. What about taking responsibility for the organisational failings that led to these deaths.
I’m delighted
@gmpolice
has taken the decision to reintroduce the IPLDP entry model meaning you can apply to be a police officer with a minimum of a GCSE in English. For those who know me and my desire to harness military skills into policing PLEASE SHARE
The picture on the left is our amazing UK Armed Forces allowing us and the democratic world the freedom we take fro granted. The picture on the right is our amazing UK Police defending our freedoms from groups determined to harm our society. We owe so much to them all.
Stabbed in the line of duty like our very own
@K9Finn
. If its anyway doable it would be amazing for Finn to meet Pyro and a real boost for
#Finnslaw
. Hoping Pyros road to recovery is fast.
@finnforchange
Update on K9 Pyro, he is rehabilitating at the Animal Referral Center in Appleton. Police say medical staff are giving him around-the-clock care. Pyro's handler Officer Salzmann has reportedly been sleeping at the animal center for the past few days to help the dog recover. 💙🐾
I remember going to a concern for an elderly female. Forced entry to her house & found her lifeless in bed. Just as I was radioing the unfortunate news, she woke up and screamed. Don’t know who was more scared, her seeing me in her bedroom or me seeing her wake up. 😂😂💀
Messaged by a 24yr Army veteran knocked back from applying to
@gmpolice
because he'd lived outside the UK in the last 3yrs asking for any help. A conversation with recruitment & agreed exception for UK service personnel serving abroad invoked. Application now progressing again
Our officers found paperwork belonging to this veteran discarded in a bin with other items that looked like they were from a house clearance. If anyone knows how to trace possible next of kin through the details, let me know. We couldn’t leave them to go to landfill.
Most forces in the UK now ask the question on arrest “Have you ever served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces?” because there is additional support available.
I think the time has come to add “….or Emergency Services?” to this question. Many vulnerable ex first responders out there
I was contacted by an inspector who has an officer on long term sick with severe PTSD asking if I knew of anywhere we could get him help. It made me realise and sad that although there's much to do for our veterans, support for emergency service workers is non existant.
One of our PCSOs became aware of an elderly
#veteran
on her patch in deteriorating health, socially isolated through disability & on a 5yr waiting list for sheltered accommodation. Confirmed his service history informed housing provider and he's now been rehoused.
#vulnerability
Yesterday I lost my Dad to
#Parkinsons
. Pictured joining the
@RoyalAirForce
, some R&R during the Cyprus crisis, his last posting in the Avro Victor Tanker simulator, speaking about the
@pmnw1
charity he helped establish & my last ever photo of him.
#RIP
dad,
#myinspiration
💔
Officers tonight have attended several incidents of people hanging off motorway bridges. Those spoken to claim it’s a Snapchat challenge to post pictures leaning over bridges. How irresponsible can you get. Please help nip this in the bud and RT
Incident reported which initially sounded serious. Covering D.I. recognised it was a
#veteran
with
#PTSD
in crisis and not malicious. Sent an Armed Forces Lead. Veterans persona changed immediately. Lost 6 mates in Afghanistan and was struggling. Referral to
@ProjectNova_UK
Merry Christmas to all and a shout out to all those on the frontline working today. A particular thanks to the crew of
@HMSPWLS
, away from their loved ones supporting the Border Force Operation at
@manairport
.
#MerryChristmas2022
Despite my dads
#parkinsons
dementia, he was in his element at
@RAFConingsby
yesterday and could recount like it was yesterday the last flight of an RAF Lightning (pictured) when the pilot flew low & pulled up maximin throttle smashing windows at the airbase.
I joined the Police in 1997, the picture on the left is what I thought I would be cruising the streets in within a few weeks, the reality was the picture on the right. 😭
Doing student officer interviews today. One tells me I interviewed her a year ago and she didn't get the job. She then said she had failed 3 job interviews and I was the only one who gave her feedback. She used my feedback & passed her next interview.
#relieved
I was just discussing workload with my detective wife and she said “If you remember Kerplunk, I’m one straw away from losing all my marbles”.
Those who know, know 😂😂😂
When you cut police numbers by 20% the consequences aren't immediate. The feeling of impunity by those who commit crime grows because many low level offences go uninvestigated and eventually they begin to attack police because they can.
I worked alongside Jon until recently at Bury. This virus is psychological hard to deal with as much as it is physically but it hits home on another level when it's one of your own. Come on Jon, you've got this 🙏
Last year I supported a service leaver through
@gmpolice
recruitment process after he failed the first time. I later found out he was ex special forces. I can’t help but question the process for someone with that level of determination to fail. He’s in now.
Probably one of the last times I will formally say it but as we move to the new
@gmpolice
crest this week, I say with sincere respect for my old boss. “Rest in Peace Ma’am”.
The commitment to my new boss remains unrelenting when I also say “God Save the King”.
Daughters boyfriend left
@LANCS_REGT
in March after 4 years serving his country with his head held high. CVs sent to countless companies and jobs applied for with not a single interview. Watching him face constant rejection & trying to remain positive is heartbreaking.
Let's hear it for our fantastic
@manchesterfire
fighters and neighbouring colleagues and their heroic efforts protecting us and our property on the moors without a thought for their own safety. We are right behind guys.
#unsungheroes
please RT and add your own thoughts
Over 40yrs serving Queen and country and 30yrs charitable work supporting the vulnerable. Rest in peace dad, the world has lost a gentleman and an unsung hero.
@RoyalAirForce
@pmnw1
@hmpps
Two years ago I was immensely proud to see my daughter attested as a
@gmpolice
student officer and tonight that was pride was doubled with my step daughter joining the GMP
#PoliceFamily
. Still the
#bestjobintheworld
This is my dad, proud 22yr
@RoyalAirForce
and 15yr
@hmpps
veteran. These photos are only 5 yrs apart and a result of Parkinson’s disease. I don’t know how long I have left with him but it has made me realise how precious every moment is. Family is everything.
Respect to step daughter who is self isolating but being concerned for demand on her
@gmpolice
frontline colleagues is using my laptop to work late shifts after I finish, picking up any prosecution file work or admin to lessen their load where she can.
Today a veteran arrived in Manchester, homeless, with nothing and in crisis. A huge team effort by
@gmarmedforces
@gmpolice
armed forces leads,
@supportthewalk
and
@NHSuk
Op Courage staff was put in place & he now has accommodation with more work to follow.
Martin is a detention officer at Bury. He is the hardest worker you’ll ever meet. He has a severely disabled son but never complains and can’t do enough to help others. Please circulate so local businesses can come forward and make this life changing for Martin. Please RT
So today I was asked if I would 'mind' laying the wreath on Remembrance Sunday on behalf of
@gmpolice
in the town centre. It would be an absolute honour.
I was honoured today to hear
@RossKemp
speak at the presentation of the Forcer Protocol to ministers in London & humbled when he thanked me for the work
@gmpolice
are doing nationally to support our vulnerable veterans and the wider armed forces community.
#armedforcescovenant
COVID19 has me baffled. My wife tested positive in April and my step daughter last month. When I developed a temperature on Wed I didn't expect it to be COVID but the test is positive. How can I not have caught it from 2 people I live with and isolated with. The mind boggles
“With all due respect” one of those phrases when someone says it, you know what’s coming is without any respect at all. What other phrases do you hear which mean the complete opposite?
We all went to visit dad at his nursing home today to celebrate his 78th Birthday. Its hard to know if he knew it was his birthday but important we were all there. Also put his poster up outside his room so staff know a bit about his background.
#dementia
#veteran
I had an update today about an officer & veteran who was on his knees & homeless. Hard to believe it happens. Rallied round by his colleagues & charities he now has somewhere to live and new furniture. He was reduced to tears by the response. Absolutely amazing. Second this year
A heartbreaking week this week with Dad moving into a residential nursing home. There’s no winners in a case like this, he may have become too much for Mum and the day carers but the guilt outweighs any sense of relief.
#Parkinsons
One of our
@gmpolice
PCSOs spent hours last night finding accomodation for a homeless
#veteran
and then paid his rail fare herself. She's got her money back now and been shown how to avoid having to do that in the future but bravo to her for her compassion.
#proudofyou
Just had an email from an officer apologising for the time but he's just interviewed a veteran in a bad place who's alcohol dependant & wants to help him.
@ProjectNova_UK
form sent. A few minutes of my time to change the life of a veteran. Absolutely fine
A contact not on Twitter needs help with a French Legionnaire veteran who’s cycling from Scotland to Plymouth to raise money for
#PTSD
. Some shooting nearby has sent him into relapse and he’s in a tent in Pitlochry with only whiskey to help. Anyone in that area able to help? RT
It gets harder taking Dad out for his weekly half pint. His
#Parkinsons
disease & dementia means he struggles to move and gets confused but whilst there's still a glimmer of him we will continue. He's given so much to his family and country, he deserves it.
#Veterans
Mick an army veteran was arrested by Ellen in his darkest hour. He said "She's a legend", listened to him talk of his PTSD struggles & referred him to
@OpNOVA_UK
. He came to HQ to thank her and give her a specially made poppy. "I wouldn't be here without her help" Mick said 👏👏
Did I think when I swore an allegiance to Her Majesty 25yrs ago that I would still be serving her a quarter of a century later, probably not. I’m glad I am and still immensely proud to serve this remarkable lady. Happy Platinum Jubilee boss.
#PlatinumJubilee
Do ‘Human Rights’ groups who constantly call for police powers to be taken away ever consider the Human Rights of victims being Murdered & Raped. Why is it they never mention this. It’s easy to criticise, much harder to actually protect the public from those who want to harm them
This weeks trip to give Dad some exercise and mum some respite took us to the pub for lunch and to the duck pond to feed the ducks. His
#Parkinsons
disease means he doesn’t show facial expressions but he really enjoyed it.
#family
Took Dad to his Parkinson’s Dr today. After a thorough exam he told us his physical symptoms are minor but his Parkinson’s dementia is severe. Once brain cells have died, no medication can bring them back he told us. So hard to see this
@RoyalAirForce
veteran slowly slipping away
Yesterday I lost my boss, my role model, my inspiration and my Queen.
Ma’am it has been an absolute honour and privilege to serve you.
Your duty to our amazing 🇬🇧is more than fulfilled, stand down and the King will take it from here.
God save the King.
Although the UK is not at war or engaged in military conflict with any other country we mustn’t forget those
#armedforces
personnel who are away from their families all over the world preventing future conflict and keeping us and the free world safe.
Merry Christmas to you all
One of these guys is a veteran
@TheParachuteReg
and retired
@gmpolice
who a few months ago was homeless and in a very dark place. After loads of support from his
#veteran
&
#policefamily
this was him at Arnhem. I am immensley proud of him and all who have supported him.
Spoke with a complainant who was upset at being stopped at the airport. Apologised for them being upset but explained how processes worked & officers were acting on information received. They were really grateful but anxious about being stopped again on their return so I met them
2
@gmpolice
newly qualified Firearms Officers started at Manchester Airport this week. 4yrs ago, both were in the army. Both joined our armed forces network, both received support to help them pass selection for Firearms. In a nutshell,
#armedforcescovenant
in action.
Does anyone know if the person who invented wood chip wallpaper was ever captured and prosecuted. They deserved a 20 years + for all those poor victims (including me). 🥵🤬
Spent an hour chatting with a WO2
@BritishArmy
currently in Kenya, retiring with 22yrs in 2024. Was asking about a career in
@gmpolice
& turned out to be a firearms instructor & explosives expert. Explained how we would want to maximise those skills. He’d be a great asset
9 student officers in
@gmpolice
February intake have declared military service, the highest number for a long time. As well as already having served their country they bring so much into policing and I look forward to welcoming them into our armed forces network.
The
@RoyalHumane
awarded
@gmanacf
Cadet Hayden Jones a bravery award for defending his mum from a domestic abuser and stemming bleeding from stab wounds until paramedics arrived saving her life. Respect Hayden, your mum must be so proud.
#recognition
#bravery
#DomesticAbuse
When our new intake of student officers start on Monday, the five who have previously served in Her Majestys Armed Forces will be met with a personal letter each from Assistant Chief Constable Sykes recognising their military service and thanking them for choosing
@gmpolice
.
I have been absolutely god smacked at the responses to support for a cop with PTSD. I must have 30+ organisations wanting to help in an area I thought there was nothing.
It shows the positive power social media can have but also highlights the lack of knowledge about this help.
One thing I love about the veteran community is how they rally round to support each other. When the armed forces network in
@gmpolice
learned of dad's passing, one of our
@RoyalAirForce
reservists has leant me this for the top of dads coffin. Mum will be so happy.
23 yrs ago today I joined
@gmpolice
. There've been some challenging times not least
#COVID19
but I still wear this badge with pride. It represents the amazing people who but themselves in harms way to protect our communities & some have paid the ultimate price
#bestjobintheworld
I met my first Emotional Support Dog today at
@VBafc4
and heard how she knows when her
#veterans
#PTSD
is bad and will even grab his arm to stop him leaving the house. Such amazing and affectionate animals. Worth their weight in gold.
Weekly 60 miles round trip to give dad some exercise to help his
#Parkinsons
. A walk to see the cows today and we practiced his
@RoyalAirForce
drill. His left wheel has definitely gone a bit rusty 😂
A
@gmpolice
detention officer emailed after I'd given an input on looking for signs, identifying & referring vulnerable veterans to
@OpNOVA_UK
. He'd chatted to a detainee who was a former high ranking officer in the RAF & when he asked if he needed help he said 'Yes'. Brilliant
Remember when we had a dangerous drug dealer who fled bail. Eventually found he was visiting a mate in
@HMPFullSutton
under a false name. Prison officers hid 3 of us in a cupboard in the sterile visitors area. Once the doors were locked, out we came. I’ll never forget his face😱
Did a home visit of one of our
@gmpolice
military veterans who’s been struggling. Long chat and plans to support but when I turned to their partner and asked “What about you, how are you coping?”. The tears in their eyes said it all. So often forgotten.
We have enjoyed another safe Christmas Day with our loved ones and we often take that for granted. We all owe a huge thanks and debt to our
#armedforces
and
#policeofficers
who leave their families behind to protect us from those who want to do us harm.
#thankyou