Greater Manchester Police are good at keeping people safe and reducing crime andhas good arrangements in place to tackle serious and organised crime.
That’s the verdict of the latest report from Her Majesties inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) into Police effectiveness 2015 which graded one force, Durham Constabulary, as outstanding; 24 forces as good including Greater Manchester and 18 forces as requires improvement.
The report adds that the force works well to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour. The force is also good at protecting vulnerable people from harm. However, the way in which the force investigates crime could be improved, most notably the investigation of non-complex crime.
Commenting on the report, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “This is the second inspection report in a week to rate the Force as good for the service it provides which is extremely positive. The latest report found GMP was good at ‘keeping people safe and reducing crime’ and also protecting vulnerable people.
“It is pleasing that the work of officers and staff investigating serious and organised crime was highlighted as being of a ‘very high standard’. The report also recognised that this was a considerable threat and that we have invested significant resources in to dealing with it.
“The dedication of officers and staff has led to serious offenders being jailed for many years including for rape, drug supply and firearms offences. Just a couple of weeks ago we had a man jailed for 10 years after a DNA hit for a rape from more than 30 years ago.
“We face challenging serious crimes on a daily basis and put a huge amount of effort into bringing offenders to justice. This includes dealing with new areas of criminality including cyber-crime and cases of human trafficking that are complex.
“There is a huge amount of work taking place to transform policing in Greater Manchester so we can provide the best possible service. The developments have been highlighted as positive and this is a strong position for the future.
“The support of people across Greater Manchester is vital to continue to tackle all levels of criminality. Last Friday we saw a man from Moss Side jailed for five years for drug and firearms offences which we could not have achieved without help from the community. If we work together we can make our streets safer.”
Police and Crime Commisioner Tony Lloyd added:
“HMIC’s report is a good news story for the people and communities of Greater Manchester. Their professional assessment says GMP is ‘good’ at keeping people safe and reducing crime, a very creditable rating. It is a testament to the hard work of police officers, PCSOs and staff who, despite the challenges they have faced, continue to be dedicated to protecting local people.
