Response Policing: Two days in two districts show that no shift is ever the same in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Police showcased response policing by embedding with teams in Oldham and Bolton, revealing varied daily calls from domestic incidents to welfare checks and highlighting improved emergency response times.
To mark Response Policing Week, we spent two days with response teams serving two different districts - Oldham and Bolton.
Across a 48-hour period, no shift is the same in Greater Manchester and we want to share some of the calls our officers responded to during a shift.
PC Nightingale has been an officer for three years. She spent the morning with Oldham Chief Inspector Chris Fowler to conduct proactive vehicle checks and patrols.
PC Nightingale & CI Fowler
After being called to reports of a domestic incident, PC Nightingale attended and entered the property to conduct a welfare check and take a statement.
The team were then called to a grade 1 incident, a concern for welfare. PC Nightingale arrived and on entering the property she assisted the woman and looked after her until our colleagues in the North West Ambulance Service arrived. Thankfully the woman was safe.
Officers were then called to incident where a person was found in distress in the street. PC Nightingale comforted him and took him to Oldham Civic Centre.
Over in Bolton, PC’s Baybutt and Swaires have been working on response for four and five years respectively.
PC’s Swaries & Baybutt
PC Baybutt said he ‘loves’ response policing and ‘couldn’t imagine a career doing anything else’. He added: “You’re always wondering when that next job is coming in and what it’s going to be, the variety of what you get called to is what I enjoy the most.
“We are able to be proactive and build relationships in our communities, and that is what the job is all about.”
Officers were called to reports of a concern for welfare of a child in Tonge Moor. Working with colleagues on the Bury district the child was identified and accounted for.
A vehicle was then stopped on Bradshaw Road following a routine check as the keeper’s details did not match up to the registered address of the vehicle. The driver was reminded to update his details.
Across the district of Bolton from April 2025 - April 2026, officers were called to 15,021 grade 1 incidents attended and attended 96% within 15 minutes, up from 86.8% in 2023/24.
From 2025-26, attendance was required at 11,194 grade 2 incidents, 76.6% of those were within one hour - another significant year‑on‑year rise from 70% for the previous financial year.
Chief Inspector Chris Boyd, overseeing Operations for Bolton, said: “Response officers work at the sharpest end of policing, managing unpredictable and often demanding incidents under constant pressure.
“The role requires resilience, judgment and compassion in equal measure, and our teams in Bolton show those qualities every day. They take real pride in the job they do and the difference they make to the people they serve.
“Response officers are often meeting people on what may be the worst day of their lives. In Bolton, our teams deal with an enormous range of calls - from urgent emergencies to safeguarding those who are most vulnerable - and they do so with professionalism, compassion and determination.
“Even under sustained demand, they respond quickly, protect people, and make a real difference to communities across Bolton. I’m incredibly proud of the service they provide and the impact they make every single day.
“They take enormous pride in being there for people when it matters most, and the difference they make to victims and communities across the Bolton is something they should be incredibly proud of.”
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