Today, the HMICFRS, or Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, issued a damning report on Greater Manchester Police during the period April to June, in which it revealed that "over one in five of all crimes reported to the police in Greater Manchester are not making it onto the books", and that "the position is worse when it comes to recording violence against the person, where more than one in four crimes are not being recorded...
"Domestic abuse often lies behind these types of crimes of violence, meaning that the victims are especially vulnerable" the report explained "...Importantly, in many cases, when a reported crime is not recorded, victims are denied an effective police response and ultimately they are denied justice. This is wholly unacceptable."
The inspectors estimated that over 80,100 crimes reported to the force went unrecorded over the year. Meanwhile, around one in five non-emergency calls to the 101 number are going unanswered which the Inspectorate found to be "worrying", along with "often not identifying victims as vulnerable at the point of contact", and "failing to identify, record and investigate around one in four reports of violent crime and to safeguard victims of many of these crimes..."
The crimes include 'harassment, stalking and coercive controlling behaviour, crimes amounting to domestic abuse and those reported by other agencies involving vulnerable adults and children'.
The force also failed to "engage and consult with around four in five victims when proposing to use out-of-court disposals when dealing with offenders" and "wrongly and prematurely" closed "substantial numbers of recorded crime investigations, including a high proportion of crimes involving vulnerable victims, as not supported by the victim, but without the evidence to show this to be the case"...
This afternoon, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, Beverley Hughes, ducked questions on whether GMP Chief Constable, Ian Hopkins, should resign...
Hughes said the findings of the report presented a "very serious and very worrying picture...the standards of performance that it reveals are totally unacceptable.
"We expect, and the public has right to expect, that the police will protect the public and that is what the vast majority of police officers want to do, but this report makes clear that GMP is falling significantly short in that regard" she added.
While noting improvements to the force mentioned in the report, particularly with the investigation and recording of rape and sexual offences, she explained that the overall recording of violent crime, including domestic abuse, are "a real cause for concern".
That said, Hughes then talked of "key impediments" to progress from the last damning report, including a six month delay to a new and problematic iOPS (Operational Policing System) computer system, and the pandemic. She added that between July and September there had been an 18% increase in the recording of domestic abuse, 30% for stalking and harassment and 33% for coercion and control...
"That gives me some optimism" she concluded, saying there was now a "detailed action plan that addresses the Inspector's findings and recommendations".
Andy Burnham said the serious failings were not new and had been identified over a number of years..."While there has been some improvement it is not enough" – but, while saying that he didn't want to give excuses, repeated Hughes' comments that the period of the report was "not a normal time", due to the pandemic and the delay to the computer system.
While the Chief Constable hasn't apologised yet, Burnham said that on behalf of Greater Manchester Police "I would want to say 'Sorry' to all of those victims of crime who found that the service has not been good enough...We owe it to them to improve matters and we will, and we will do it fast."
Three times Burnham was asked by journalists if he had still had confidence in the Chief Constable of GMP and whether he should resign, and each time no specific answer was forthcoming...
"Our role is to hold Greater Manchester Police to account" he said "...And that is what we have done and will do", while Hughes spoke of the public being "let down" and that "we cannot and will not let that go unaddressed".
Burnham referenced the increase in police numbers, falls in serious crime and an improvement in the 101 service, while adding that overall performance of the GMP has not deteriorated... "You could say it's a more mixed picture" he said, talking of Government cuts that have 'consequences' and urging people to "look at policing in the round" and "keep some balance"...
"I think the leadership of Greater Manchester Police does have to accept responsibility to bring about the improvements that we need to see" was about the nearest Burnham came to broaching the subject.
Meanwhile, Hughes added that Ian Hopkins is "capable of making the necessary changes and he has to demonstrate that he can do so"...
Burnham concluded that improvements were coming through, that there is a "long term plan" and whether that plan delivers improvements..."will determine whether or not we have confidence in that plan to address the failings in this report, and time will tell...We will expect significant improvements..."
To read the full HMIC Report - click here
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