Cheshire Constabulary reflecting on the success of Operation Rise and Shine

Cheshire Constabulary is reflecting on the success of Operation Rise and Shine in 2023, arresting an average of six wanted offenders every day on top of daily demand.

Operation Rise and Shine focuses on those who are wanted, have failed to appear at court, failed to answer to bail, and those who have been recalled to prison.

In the last 12 months, 2,254 offenders have been arrested under the operation – the equivalent of an average of six people per day, outside of normal daily arrests.

This includes 506 arrests across Eastern areas of the force, 738 across Western areas, and 796 across Northern areas.

A further 214 arrests relate to those arrested outside Cheshire and further afield.

One example of policing under Operation Rise and Shine includes the arrest of Andrew Phillips, previously of Abbey Hey, Runcorn.

The 38-year-old was jailed for 14 years in October 2023 for the multi-kilo supply of Class A and Class B drugs in the Runcorn area and beyond.

He was first caught by detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) who monitored and analysed the messages he was sending on the EncroChat communications network.

Arrest attempts were made at Phillips’ home address in October 2021, but officers were unable to locate him. It was quickly established that he’d fled to another country and a manhunt was subsequently launched.

SOCU worked jointly with the National Crime Agency’s international liaison officer network and Dutch authorities. Phillips was ultimately detained and arrested as he left a house in Haarlem, Netherlands, in March 2022.

Meanwhile, in January 2023 officers travelled to Cornwall to arrest 37-year-old Jason Ryan, of Stockdale Road, Blackley, for his role in a burglary in Wilmslow.

Ryan had attempted to evade officers, but his attempts were futile after telecoms data placed him in Cornwall. He was sentenced to 16 months in July 2023.

Another example of Operation Rise and Shine in action was the arrest of Paul Gerrard, who absconded from HMP Kirkham.

He was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 for the murder of David Argent in Runcorn. But the 41-year-old absconded from prison in December 2022 and the case was passed over to Cheshire Police following initial enquiries.

Detectives from SOCU discovered intelligence suggesting Gerrard had travelled to Scotland. Officers from the unit were deployed to the area and in January 2023, they located Gerrard hiding in a bed and breakfast in Irvine.

In February 2023 he was sentenced to an additional 14 months in prison for the absconding offence.

Detective Superintendent Carlos Brunes said:

“Operation Rise and Shine has resulted in more than 2,250 arrests in the past 12 months, which is an incredibly positive result, especially when you consider that this is on top of arrests which come from our normal daily demand.

“This is down to the dedication of our officers and staff, who work hard to ensure Cheshire remains a hostile place for those intent on committing crime.

“But as these figures demonstrate, our officers will go well beyond the boundaries of Cheshire to keep our communities safe and ensure that all offenders are held accountable for their actions.

“The message is clear; we will find you and you will be brought to justice.”