Greater Manchester Police to be placed in special measures

Damning report found force failed to record 80,100 crimes in 12 months

The report found the service provided to victims of crime was a ‘serious cause of concern’ (Getty)

Greater Manchester Police is to be placed in special measures after a report found it failed to record more than 80,000 crimes in the space of a year.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the decision came after its report last week highlighted the “poor service the force provides to many victims of crime”.  

A spokesperson said: “The level of scrutiny on Greater Manchester Police has been raised and the force has been placed in the Engage stage of the HMICFRS monitoring process.  

“This is due to the causes of concern raised in HMICFRS’s recent reports which have highlighted the poor service the force provides to many victims of crime.  

“In the engage stage, a force is required to develop an improvement plan to address the specific causes of concern that have led to it being placed in the advanced phase of the monitoring process.

“The process is intended to provide support to the force from external organisations including the Home Office, College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council to assist in achieving the required improvements.” 

The report found the service provided to victims of crime by Greater Manchester Police, particularly vulnerable victims of crime, was a “serious cause of concern”.  

HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham, the report’s author, said HMICFRS had been urging Greater Manchester Police to improve in this area since 2016.

The force failed to record more than one in every five crimes reported by the public and more than one in every four violent crimes, according to the report.  

Between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020 the force also failed to record an estimated 80,100 crimes reported to it, amounting to about 220 incidents a day. 

Inspectors estimated the force recorded 77.7 per cent of reported crimes – a drop of 11.3 per cent since 2018. 

A high proportion of violent crime was not recorded, including domestic abuse and behavioural crimes, such as harassment, stalking and coercive controlling behaviour, according to inspectors. 

They found the force wrongly and prematurely closed some investigations, including those where the victim was vulnerable.  

A proportion of these were domestic abuse cases, where although a suspect was identified, the victim did not support, or withdrew support for police action.  

In too many cases, inspectors found no evidence to confirm the victim’s wishes had been properly considered before the investigation was closed. Without this evidence, inspectors could not be sure that victims were properly safeguarded and provided with the right service or support. 

Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.