Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner’s report is out today and About Manchester takes a look.

“Crime is going up in Greater Manchester. There are 1,500 fewer police officers on our streets despite rising demands. Those most in need in our society appear to be facing the brunt of the austerity agenda.”

The words of Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester’s PCCC as he presents his annual How are we doing report.

It covers thirty one pages but here are some of the main issues which you may wish to know.

The worrying ones centre around money.In 2014-15 GMP lost an average of five officers per week which means that, since 2010, there are 1,500 fewer officers on our streets. By 2019 that will have dropped to below 5,500 officers.

We are now paying an extra £3 a year from our council tax that is being used to fund fifty extra local neighbourhood officers but this is, says the report not nearly enough, with four hundred officers a year being lost.

A little good news though, for says the report, since taking office in 2012 the commisioner have saved more than £900,000 per year compared to the former police authority.

“In 2014-15 I undertook a restructure of my office, reducing the number of staff and relocating to GMP headquarters, saving money and time previously wasted travelling between the two offices. This has resulted in £400,000 of savings.”

Meanwhile the nature of policing is changing.GMP officers and staff are spending more time on protecting people and dealing with complex crime
.40% of demand for police response concerns safety and welfare of vulnerable people, missing adults and children and mental ill health
.GMP records 356 public protection incidents a day.

In December, police, health and local authorities across Greater Manchester firmed up their promise to improve care and support to people with mental health problems with the signing of the Crisis Care Concordat, a framework for agencies to work together and share information to make sure people suffering a mental health crisis get the right care when they need it.

Vitally, the commitment to work together has already translated into real results on the ground, with pioneering initiatives across Greater Manchester. This includes the rollout of the mental health triage scheme following a successful pilot in Oldham. 

The scheme gives police officers 24-hour telephone contact with specialist mental health teams. This means officers attending an incident that potentially involves a person suffering from a mental illness can ring the triage
number for information to allow the officers to direct the individual involved to the most appropriate service on attendance.

Releasing the report, “This is an exciting time for Greater Manchester. Devolution brings with it the prospect of real and meaningful powers being transferred from the corridors of Whitehall to the streets of Greater Manchester – where it belongs.

“But it’s not a cure-all for austerity. Devolution gives us more control, but not more money. That is why I will continue working with partner agencies to radically reform our public services, ensuring we work better together, do more with less, and put people and families at the heart of all we do.

“My annual report shows you some of the fantastic projects that are making a real difference to the lives of people across Greater Manchester. It explains how I scrutinise Greater Manchester Police on behalf of local people, and sets forward a positive vision for Greater Manchester as a place where we all feel safe and know where to turn in times of crisis.

“Our focus must be on keeping people safe from harm and the work we are doing delivers this. By working together we can rise to the challenges we face, and seize the opportunities before us.”

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