By Gabriel Princewill-
Greater Manchester Police’s chief constable, Ian Hopkins, has been forced to stand down after the police force was placed into special measures.
Mr Burnham said deputy chief constable Ian Pilling would assume the operational duties of chief constable ahead of a full recruitment process, after GMP was put into an “advanced phase” of monitoring on Thursday, following the discovery by inspectors that the police force had failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was left “deeply troubled” over how cases handled by GMP were closed without proper investigation.
The Chief Police Commissioner of every police force in the Uk has overall responsibility for leading the Force, creating a vision and setting direction and culture that builds public and organisational confidence and trust, and enables the delivery of a professional, effective and efficient policing service.
The remit of the duty is broad, and the test of its fulfilment is reflected in overall outcomes. The scale of the failings was so troubling that it would have been an affront to both the public and the integrity of the police force if nobody stepped down over the shambolic state of affairs which came to light.
More heads really should roll over the debacle, but that’s not likely. The Mayor Of Greater Manchester’s faced calls to resign over the revelation, but Andy Burnham said steps have been taken to improve and restore public confidence. Home Secretary Priti Patel, accused Mr.Burnham of throwing Mr.Hopkins under the bus.
The Eye Of Media.Com has also heard there are journalists and researchers trying to establish whether there are other top figures in the police force who should step down over the failing.
Domestic Violence And Stalking
The report revealed that an estimated 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020. Many of the crimes included reports of domestic violence, stalking. The failing is deeply embarrassing and exposes a very negligent and reckless system at the Greater Manchester Police force.
Bad And Traumatizing
Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that the force’s failures were “outstandingly bad”, highlighting crimes like stalking and coercive control, which she said were “profoundly traumatising”
She said victims needed “not only the support of police to get orders restraining the perpetrator and to take them to court, but they also need to be safeguarded and referred to appropriate victim’s services”.
Challenging Times
A statement from the Chief Constable he said: “These are challenging times for Greater Manchester Police. The force has a long-term strategic plan to address the issues raised by the HMIC and I believe this plan should be led by a Chief Constable who can oversee it from start to finish”.
The failing is deeply embarrassing and exposes a very negligent and reckless system at the Greater Manchester Police force.
Difficult Times
Mr. Burnham said Mr Hopkins had led the force during “one of the most difficult periods in its history” and had dealt with budget cuts and “complex threats”, such as the Manchester Arena terror attack, but GMP had not made the progress needed “in other important areas”.
Mr Burnham, who has responsibilities around the force’s governance and budgets, said he “did not run GMP on a day-to-day basis” and his job was to hold it to account.
Untenable
Retaining such a high and exalted position becomes untenable after that when serious failings of this nature occur in an organisation, and comes to public attention.
It is common practise for those at the helm of authority and responsibility over an organisation so badly tarnished by such woeful incompetence to step down when unacceptable heavy shortcomings like those revealed at GMP become known.
Mr Hopkins also cited his ill health as one of the reasons he had to bring his retirement, originally due to take in autumn 2021, forward. However, many believe the real reason for his stepping down was the deeply shocking and embarrassing judgement for Greater Manchester Police- the Uk’s biggest and expected most resourceful police force.
Challenging Times
In a statement, Mr Hopkins, who had been on sick leave, said these were “challenging times” for GMP and he believed a chief constable should oversee the force’s “long-term strategic plan” to address the issues raised from “start to finish”.
Mr Hopkins revealed on Wednesday he had been suffering from labyrinthitis – an inner-ear infection which affects balance – since the end of October.
Force Performance
Mr Hopkins began his career in Staffordshire Police in 1989 and has served in Northamptonshire Police and Cheshire Police.
He was appointed deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester Police in December 2011 with the responsibility for force performance, the Force Change Programme, and corporate communications. He was promoted to chief constable of GMP in October 2015, leading a force of almost 7,000 officers.
Conservative MP for Bolton West Chris Green earlier called for Mr Burnham, who oversees policing in the region, to step down over the HMICFRS findings.
Mr Burnham said deputy chief constable Ian Pilling would assume the operational duties of chief constable ahead of a full recruitment process.
Efforts
Stu Berry, the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said the issues that had been reported about the force’s failures “should not – and must not – detract from the efforts of our hard working officers”.
He added that it had been “an extremely busy, difficult and demanding year for Greater Manchester Police and our members have worked tremendously hard to keep our communities safe during this extraordinary Covid pandemic”.