I stood and watched as GMP raided four new homes at 5am on August 20. Six arrests were made for possession of a class A substance; possession with intent to supply a class A substance; burglary; possession of an offensive weapon; and failing to appear in court.
Watching the raids unfold
We were on Hopwood Street in Pendlebury with officers from GMP's Tactical Aid Unit and the Salford Neighbourhood team, watching them execute four dawn raids on properties suspected to be linked to drug dealing and burglaries in the area, with a fifth taking place in Clifton nearby.
After watching the officers suit up in pads and helmets, half an hour later we were in the back of a panda car and being kindly driven by the chief inspector to a residential street nearby. Then it was standing in the downpour for an hour or so, watching officers smash in doors and haul out the suspects, one by one, and place them in the back of vans.
The contrast between the buildings and their inhabitants
The buildings those brought out in handcuffs today were living in are barely two years old, built for a housing association in July 2024 as 'primarily move-on accommodation' for homeless people living in Salford. Electric car chargers sit optimistically outside each door, looking out onto immaculately tarmacked drives, all devoid of electric cars - or any car for that matter - and now sprinkled with shattered glass. Half a sawn-through door was resting gently on a bed of lavender.
Through the windows and open doorways were glimpses into some of the lives lived here. A messy bedroom with an indoor security camera pointing out at the front window; framed photos on the fridge; a mattress and bedding on the kitchen floor beneath. Those led out in handcuffs were clad in joggers and sliders, squinting in the grey dawn light, faces pinched, shoulders tense and twitching, ducking away from the cameras and even on one occasion - perhaps not unreasonably - giving us the middle finger.
A reflection on vulnerability and criminality
It was depressing to watch this spectacle and ponder how vulnerable these people were; how new this development was; the fact that it was designed for people trying to rebuild their lives; and lastly, the fact that those running these criminal operations will likely just move on to another street and to more vulnerable people, who are sadly in abundant supply.
Chief Inspector Lee Gridley, of Salford's Neighbourhood team, told reporters: "We have to work out who is involved and what their level of criminality is. People like this are preyed on by others. That isn't lost on us. These may well be vulnerable in their own right and we will investigate this. Modern slavery and cuckooing is always at the forefront of our minds with any drug investigation. We hope that this will disrupt the supply of drugs in Salford, but unfortunately those that take drugs will find other opportunities to get them. All we can ask is that communities continue to provide us information. We will act robustly to target it."
