Greater Manchester Police: review says victims of crime 'were rarely thought about first'

Chief Constable Stephen Watson has laid out his plan for a rebirth of Greater Manchester Police. Video report by ITV News correspondent Rob Smith:

Greater Manchester Police's new Chief Constable has outlined plans for “building a new GMP” on the day a new, critical report on the force was released.

The review, carried out last Spring but published today, says victims of crime were “rarely thought about first” by GMP, and it “missed opportunities to safeguard vulnerable victims.”

The force was placed into special measures last year following a damning report which found it had failed to record 80,000 crimes in 12 months.

Stephen Watson, who became Chief Constable in May, acknowledged that GMP is "currently underperforming its vast latent potential."

But Mr Watson said the force has improved on its position in the first half of the year, including a marked increase in the number and speed of crimes recorded, and the number of crimes being investigated.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson Credit: MEN Media
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Mr Watson also announced a series of public promises on the things communities should expect to see, feel and experience if the force is delivering on its plan.

"These promises are designed to be practical, of value, reflective of what the public have a right to expect and their delivery is capable of being straightforwardly measured.

"Some of these promises will be delivered relatively quickly, some may take more time to achieve, but they will all require a genuine collective effort from everyone in GMP."

Credit: MEN Media

The Chief Constable also revealed:

  • The budget for call handling had been increased, average call times have fallen and more people are accessing services digitally.

  •  A greater focus on improving, preventing and detecting crime, bringing offenders to justice and keeping communities safe.

  • This includes a commitment that in all cases where there are reasonable lines of enquiry, officers will pursue the offenders relentlessly.

  • To help manage the anticipated increase in arrests, he confirmed an earlier announcement to re-open the Bolton custody suite, which was closed in 2017.

"One element I have seen clearly is the passion, commitment and determination of the many thousands of officers and staff who are wholly dedicated to serving our communities and making people safer and it is this that will drive Greater Manchester Police to reach its true potential.

"I am confident that now our plans are in motion, the people of Greater Manchester will see a demonstrable difference in the force and the service it provides."

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, spoke of a culture of "defeatism" at GMP which had been in place for 20 years.

He said the mayor and police chief had "faced up" to all the problems, pledged greater scrutiny and oversight of the force, and promised a "new era" for GMP.