Residents' fury after Wigan community crime meeting

Bemused residents have more questions than answers after a packed public meeting discussing the ‘worsening’ crime in a Wigan community.

Coun Steve Jones organised the gathering at Bryn Labour Club recently amid concerns that crime in the area was worse than ever.

But the local constable was left to face a grilling after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were unable to arrange for a senior officer to attend, with Coun Jones saying it left residents without answers.

Coun Jones, who represents the area, said: “The meeting had a fantastic turnout with around 200 residents there.

“I’m very grateful to the constable that came as the sergeant couldn’t make it.

“It’s a step in the right direction but I understand residents didn’t always get the answers they wanted.

“The constable did a good job but we need senior officers who have the power to do more about it.

“So residents haven’t really had any answers yet and there was a real frustration due to that.”

Coun Jones said he would be pushing for another public meeting involving a senior GMP officer in the next few weeks.

He has now written a letter to the chief superintendent of GMP and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham calling for more patrols in the area to fight crime.

He said: “Patrol are what is needed and at night when people are more likely to commit crime.

“We were told at the meeting that crime wasn’t going up in the area which is something residents aren’t telling me, as they’ve said it has risen dramatically and got worse.

“We were also told that crimes weren’t always going reported.

“I do think sometimes though that people don’t bother to report crime because they think nothing will be done.

“I know of a shop that has been held up by a robber in this area and they’ve not had a police officer come down there to look at it.

“I would encourage people to report crimes though if they see them.”

His comment comes after the Wigan Post reported that residents in Bryn had become so terrified of crime that they are choosing to stay at home.

Coun Jones said that he had “never seen anything like it” in all his time living in the area, with break-ins, shops held up by knife and gun-wielding robbers and cars being stolen, a daily occurence.