Greater Manchester Police said the custody suite at Longsight Police Station in south Manchester will be one of the most modern in England and the first to use airport-style scanners
A police force which has doubled its number of arrests after a “back-to-basics” approach has opened another 44 station cells.
Greater Manchester Police said the custody suite at Longsight Police Station in south Manchester will be one of the most modern in England and the first to use airport-style scanners.
The Longsight facility, which closed in 2019, reopens on Thursday after major works to expand and improve custody provision.
It comes after a report in 2024 by Dame Vera Baird KC, the former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, which was critical of the way GMP had handled custody detention, especially involving women and girls.
Her report recommended airport scanners to stop “degrading” strip searches, if possible.
GMP said the Longsight facility has dedicated spaces for youth detainees, provisions in cells for neurodivergent detainees, and CCTV and phoneline in every cell.
On-site technology will speed up processes by conducting court hearings remotely from the Longsight station, instead of having to transport detainees to court for an initial hearing after being charged.
Chief Constable of GMP Sir Stephen Watson said it was a “major milestone” for the force.
He added: “It offers us more space to put suspects and keep the public safe, more safety for our staff and detainees, and a more modern and efficient facility to help GMP continue its improvements in custody provision.
“We have invested significantly in leadership and infrastructure to transform our custody service from being one of concern in 2023, to being one of policing’s leaders in 2026.
“This means those who need to come into our custody, or those who work so hard in our custody, can do so with the safety and dignity they should expect.”
Sir Stephen joined GMP in May 2021, when the force was in special measures.
GMP has since gone from one of the worst-performing forces to one of the best, doubling its number of arrests since 2021, carrying out five times the number of stop-and-searches and solving more than double the number of crimes.