Bolton Custody Suite is already starting to fill up after it was reopened this week - five years after the doors were controversially slammed shut five years ago because it 'was no longer needed'.
In the few days it has been opened it has already had a 'significant number' of people coming through its doors, including people arrested on on suspicion of burglary, controlling and coercive behaviour, theft, stalking and public order offences.
The last time Scholey Street Police Station had full-time cells on its premises was back in 2017, but Greater Manchester Police have now reopened the facility.
Custody suite at Bolton Police Station, Scholey Street, to close
The 18-cell suite will increase custody capacity in support of, what is said to be Greater Manchester Police's, renewed focus on investigating crime, looking after victims, arresting offenders and protecting neighbourhoods.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Ellison of GMP’s Bolton District said: “It has been a busy first day for the reopening, but thanks to the hard work and planning of custody staff, the day has run smoothly.
“The reopening of the suite is important, as it provides us with a site that is well placed to support the delivery of our service to the people of Bolton to help keep them safe.
“A lot of hard work and planning has taken place to get the facility back up and running, and there is a clear strategic approach to custody provision to ensure consistency and professional standards."
Assistant Chief Constable, Chris Sykes, said: "The reopening of Bolton custody reflects our commitment to Bolton and the wider community to improve GMP's service to the public, which includes catching more criminals and locking them up.
“This is a key element of the Chief Constable’s improvement plan, so the reopening of this site is a significant step towards achieving the vision that has been set out.
“We’re taking the fight to criminals with local initiatives and force-wide operations, such as Op AVRO, so increasing our custody capacity helps allow us to take the positive action that is needed and ensure justice for victims.
“Our new prisoner processing units will also make sure that the increased numbers of people arrested will be processed to face justice in the quickest possible time.
“We hope that getting suspected offenders off the streets and into custody, will go some way to improving our communities’ confidence in policing as it shows that their concerns are being heard and we’re taking action.”
Chief Superintendent Stuart Ellison of GMP’s Bolton District said: “It has been a busy first day for the reopening, but thanks to the hard work and planning of custody staff, the day has run smoothly.
“The reopening of the suite is important, as it provides us with a site that is well placed to support the delivery of our service to the people of Bolton to help keep them safe.
“A lot of hard work and planning has taken place to get the facility back up and running, and there is a clear strategic approach to custody provision to ensure consistency and professional standards."
Ahead of its permanent reopening, the suite was temporarily utilised during last year’s Bonfire Night weekend as part of the force’s planned capacity boost for cells.
It was a busy period, with a significant number of arrests, which demonstrated to GMP the need for such a facility.
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