THE second in command at Greater Manchester Police sent a simple three-word statement to criminals in Trafford on Tuesday – 'pack it in'.
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said it on the doorstep of a house on Shrewsbury Street in Old Trafford as police searched it for drugs.
The raid was a part of Operation Avro, a day of action which comes to a different district of Greater Manchester once a month, with the aim of catching criminals 'on the back foot'.
Tuesday saw around 220 officers in action across Trafford responding to residents' concerns including anti-social behaviour, dangerous driving and drug dealing.
On Shrewsbury Street, where the raid was complicated by the presence of five big dogs, DCC Woods told The Messenger: "I've got two messages. One is to the community – please tell us, please trust us, and we will do something about it."
"One is to the criminals – now's the time you're going on the back foot. We'll be doing this forevermore. This isn't a month and then it's gone.
"And next month, if you carry on doing what you're doing, you'll end up with a door smashed in at seven o'clock in the morning or whatever time we choose to come. So pack it in."
DCC Woods's role in the raid was not an idle one. At one point, he was seen to secure a door to stop the biggest of the five dogs getting out.
He said: "I try to keep my hand in because I know it gives me some personal energy. It's why I joined the job.
"My wife is a police officer and I tell her it's leading from the front, but she says it's interfering from the front.
"I love doing it. I can't do it every day, but I think it's good to see the community first hand, to see the reality, and for the staff to see that the leadership team is up for getting stuck in."
Later, The Messenger attended another raid, this time at a house on Beechlands in Timperley.
Beechlands is described as a problematic area due to persistent tension between neighbours.
After breaking down the door of the house with 'the big red key', officers discovered a small amount of cannabis, as well as an amount of cash and two BB guns.
Elsewhere in Trafford, there were other, significant finds such as cannabis farms on Premier Street, Old Trafford and Great Stone Road, Stretford.
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