The Common Statement of Performance
Introduction
The police are responsible for responding to calls for assistance from the public and other agencies,
initiating activity to ensure the safety of the community and, ultimately, reducing crime. In practice, this
involves: preventing, investigating and solving crime; understanding the experiences of victims; keeping
communities safe and building relationships with the public; maintaining public order and policing public
spaces; understanding offender behaviour and dealing with the activities that can lead to criminality; and
other commitments and responsibilities associated with emergency services, such as preparing for and
responding to major incidents and, in rare cases, natural disasters. This statement is intended to represent
these demands and contextualise the statistics available to the public.
In common with the wider public sector, police forces are implementing new and more cost-effective
working practices and processes which meet public requirements and sustain quality of service.
Restorative justice (or community resolution) is a noteworthy example; this initiative can be used to reduce
reoffending, lessen financial implications and more effectively address the needs of victims where an
offender has been identified. The use of restorative justice and similar schemes across England and Wales
mean that ‘official’ statistics (such as detection rates) under-represent forces’ success in solving crimes.
Police are also placing more emphasis on understanding criminals, particularly those who pose a major risk
and operate in organised groups; offenders do not recognise geographical boundaries, and so forces work
in collaboration to prevent serious crime (including terrorism), which is relatively rare but takes considerable
effort and resources.
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester, a mainly urban conurbation which encompasses some semi-rural areas and
moorland, covers 500 square miles and has a population of almost 2.7 million; geographically, the cities of
Manchester and Salford are surrounded by the eight metropolitan boroughs of Rochdale, Oldham,
Tameside, Stockport, Trafford, Wigan, Bolton and Bury.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) serves a diverse community; the area is densely populated, and
extremes of affluence and deprivation are often juxtaposed. Sixteen per cent of the population belong to a
minority ethnic group; this includes one of the UK’s largest Jewish communities in Bury, and large Asian
populations in Manchester, Rochdale and Oldham. The residential population is augmented by a
substantial transient community; Greater Manchester has one of the largest student populations in Europe
(numbering over 100,000, of which approximately twenty per cent are international students), and the
area’s transport infrastructure puts a further five million people within one hour’s commute for work or
recreation.
Manchester was the world’s first industrial city and continues to be the North West’s administrative,
financial and commercial centre. The MediaCityUK development, situated in Salford, now houses parts of
the BBC, the University of Salford and a variety of businesses, and the city is a major part of the road, rail
and air transport infrastructure. Continuing regeneration in both Manchester and Salford is expected to lead
to increased investment, further business and housing developments and greater visitor numbers.
Greater Manchester is also a centre of leisure, entertainment and retail; it is the third most popular city in
the UK for international visitors after London and Edinburgh, with over one million tourists each year. Based
on visitor numbers, the top five tourist attractions are: the Museum of Science and Industry; the Lowry, an
entertainment and retail complex situated on Salford Quays; Chill Factor e, an indoor skiing and
snowboarding centre; Manchester Art Gallery; and Manchester Museum. Greater Manchester is home to
conference centres, sports grounds (including the National Velodrome and three Premier League football
stadiums), music venues (including the Bridgewater Hall, the Apollo and Manchester Academy), retail
centres (including the Trafford Centre and Manchester Arndale), and numerous shops, restaurants, cafes,
bars and clubs.
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The Common Statement of Performance
However, the geographic and socio-economic features of Greater Manchester make it a complicated and
challenging area to police. Organised crime impacts on communities across the Force area and a range of
public services, instilling fear and driving further crime; its influence is reflected in drug addition (and the
acquisitive crime committed to fund it), sexual exploitation, gun crime, corruption and disruption to local
economies. The inner city regions also have a documented street gang problem, consequences of which
include anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, violence and, in extreme circumstances, murder.
Greater Manchester Police
GMP was formed in April 1974 and is one of the largest provincial police forces in England and Wales,
reflecting the size of the population and subsequent demand for policing services. GMP is accountable to
the office of the newly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Tony Lloyd, which replaced the
Greater Manchester Police Authority in November 2012.
The Force budget for 2011-12 was £585.2 million; of this, almost twenty per cent came from local council
tax, with the remaining balance comprised of central Home Office and Government grants. The
Comprehensive Spending Review has led to a reduction of £134 million over the four years to 2015; the
Force budget for 2012-13 is £561 million. At the end of September 2012, GMP had: 7,323 FTE (full-time
equivalent) police officers; 3,257 FTE police staff; 787 FTE police community support officers; 709 special
constables; and 201 police staff volunteers. Staff levels for 2012-13 remain lower than in preceding years,
and will reduce further over the next three years to achieve the required budget cuts.
In June 2012, a restructure reduced the number of divisions covering Manchester from three to two,
creating a more streamlined service for the communities located in these areas; consequently, for the
period covered by this statement, GMP was organised into eleven territorial divisions, with the remaining
nine covering the other metropolitan authority areas. These eleven territorial divisions have a combination
of: neighbourhood policing units, which are organised into smaller neighbourhood policing teams and
provide a localised service to the community; dedicated response teams, which deal with emergency and
non-emergency calls; and local investigators, responsible for crime investigation alongside the
neighbourhood policing teams. Customer service desks keep victims updated on the progress of crimes,
and deal with concerns regarding service delivery.
Territorial divisions are supported by specialist departments, such as intelligence, custody, forensics,
serious crime and public protection. Some resources are shared with forces across the region, including: a
helicopter and plane; underwater search and marine units; dog and mounted units; an emergency planning
team, which prepares for major disasters; and a Design for Security team, which aims to prevent crime
through the design of the built environment. GMP is also the headquarters for the North West Counter
Terrorism Unit.
GMP exists to protect society and help keep people safe.
The social networking site Twitter is now used extensively to publicise good news stories (including arrests
and convictions that will have a positive impact on local communities), campaigns and initiatives. All
neighbourhood policing teams and a number of senior officers use the site, giving immediate access to an
enormous number of people, and the Force has received national plaudits for its continued use of Twitter
as a means of communicating with the public. GMP also uses a number of other social networking sites;
the Force’s Facebook page has received over 28,000 ‘likes’, and the GMP channel on video sharing site
YouTube and the photostream on Flickr have received over one and a half million and three million hits
respectively.
Summary of performance
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In the last twelve months, GMP has received almost 1.1 million calls for service, of which 173,000 were
associated with a criminal offence and a further 132,000 to acts of anti-social behaviour. The police also
protected millions of people at events including political party conferences, public demonstrations, rallies,
major sporting events, international festivals, and religious and heritage events.
GMP has six priorities of: counter the threat of organised crime and terrorism; reduce and solve crime; help
keep people safe; reduce anti-social behaviour; increase confidence in policing; and deliver value for
money.
There has been a ten percent reduction in the number of recorded crimes, and the proportion successfully
solved by the police has increased to thirty-one per cent. In the twelve months to the end of September
2012, GMP has recorded statistically significant improvements for both victim satisfaction and public
confidence that the police are doing a good job, which have been achieved with a reduced police budget.
Gun crime levels remain low compared to historical performance; GMP recorded 420 offences in the twelve
months to the end of September 2012. During this period, there were 45 firearms discharges, six of which
resulted in a fatality; this included the murders of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, which the Chief
Constable, Sir Peter Fahy, described as, “one of the darkest days in the history of Greater Manchester
Police, if not the police service overall.” The tragic events of 18th September 2012 prompted an outpouring
of support from members of the public and police colleagues across the world. Dale Cregan was charged
with the murders of Nicola and Fiona, and those of David and Mark Short, and a trial will be held in
February 2013.
Together with West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police Service, GMP is part of the Communities
Against Gangs, Guns and Knives Programme, a two-year Home Office-led initiative aimed at reducing
knife, gun and gang-related violence involving 10 to 19 year olds. GMP’s approach to tackling gangs is well
documented, and the success of the multi-agency Xcalibre initiative has had a significant impact. Complex
investigations have led to the successful prosecution of serious offenders and organised criminals, with
seizures of cash and assets worth over £7.1 million in the twelve months to the end of September 2012.
GMP has also undertaken a number of serious investigations over the last twelve months, such as:
investigations into a number of high-profile murders, including those of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona
Bone, David and Mark Short, Anuj Bidve, and Bob and Patricia Seddon; child sexual exploitation in
Rochdale; the gas explosion in Shaw; and continuing inquiries into deaths at Stepping Hill hospital.
CRIME
Violence
Violence is a broad category with includes offences ranging from murder and manslaughter, assaults
causing injury, and stalking and harassment (which do not cause physical injury); this definition does not
include sexual offences. This crime type accounts for nearly twenty per cent of total crime in GMP, and in
England and Wales overall. Violence has reduced in previous years but there has been a slight increase in
the twelve months to September 2012; the incidence of violence (crimes per thousand population) remains
high compared to non-metropolitan force areas.
Crime figures are based on the number of offences reported to the police; however, some crime types are
under-represented due to victims’ reluctance to come forward. Domestic abuse, which involves threatening
behaviour, violence or abuse where the victim and offender are, or have been, intimate partners or family
members, is estimated to be under-reported. There were more than 15,300 domestic abuse crimes
recorded in the twelve months to September 2012, which is four per cent higher than the previous year; of
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these, over three quarters constituted violence, and a further eleven per cent were criminal damage and
arson. GMP uses a nationally recognised and accredited risk assessment for victims, known as DASH
(Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment); this provides a consistent and robust approach to all reported
incidents of domestic abuse and, consequently, a greater degree of protection for vulnerable victims. GMP
has also rolled out the use of Domestic Violence Protection Orders following a successful pilot undertaken
on behalf of the Home Office; these are civil orders which can be issued to provide emergency protection
for victims, and can exclude a person who commits domestic abuse from the family home for up to 28 days.
GMP has a proactive approach to licensing and the night-time economy, and employs a zero tolerance
policy to alcohol-related violence and problem licensed premises. The Pubwatch scheme involves: the
proactive distribution of plastic drinking glasses; publicity for safe drinking campaigns through radio and
other local media; and test purchases to tackle sales of alcohol to underage and drunk people. In
September 2012, as part of Operation Harvest, GMP visited over 650 licensed premises to promote better
working relationships between licensees, police and partners and, consequently, to reduce alcohol-fuelled
violence.
In the twelve months to the end of September 2012, GMP achieved a statistically significant improvement
for violent crime victim satisfaction; this rate remains low compared to other forces, and GMP is committed
to developing a better understanding of, and consequently improving, victims’ experiences.
Stealing
Stealing is based on a motivation to take money or property, and includes burglary, robbery, vehicle crime,
shoplifting and other thefts; it accounts for approximately fifty per cent of total crime in GMP, and in
England and Wales overall.
Until recently, the incidence of stealing (crimes per thousand population) in Greater Manchester was one of
the highest in the country; however, GMP has recorded one of the greatest reductions in England and
Wales over the previous twelve months and levels are now comparable to other areas (particularly other
metropolitan police forces). One sixth of Greater Manchester’s acquisitive crime occurs in North
Manchester, which includes Manchester city centre; while this area is relatively small, there is a very low
residential population juxtaposed with a concentration of shops, restaurants, clubs and bars, creating a
comparatively high incidence.
Stealing is not exclusively opportunistic; the theft, and subsequent disposal, of goods is often attributable to
organised crime groups, which present distinct challenges to the Force and are the focus of continuous
police activity. GMP uses the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize cash and assets from offenders, and money
raised via this process funds further investigations into serious and organised criminality, benefitting the
communities directly affected by these crimes. Similarly, a relatively small number of prolific offenders are
responsible for a large proportion of stealing, and GMP works with partner agencies to reduce the harm
caused by these individuals by addressing the underlying causes of their offending and rehabilitating them
into the community.
GMP uses a number of tactics to reduce acquisitive crime, improve the solved rate for this crime type and
bring offenders to justice, including: partnership working with Trading Standards to target stolen property
markets, including scrap metal dealers, eBay and second-hand vehicle markets; Automatic Number Plate
Recognition (ANPR), which uses dedicated vehicles and fixed cameras to identify stolen vehicles; and
restorative justice.
Burglary and vehicle crime victim satisfaction rates have remained stable over the previous twelve months
but remain low compared to other forces.
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The Common Statement of Performance
Other crimes
Other categories of crime recorded by the police include criminal damage, drug offences, public order and
fraud and forgery; this accounts for approximately thirty per cent of total crime in GMP, and in England and
Wales overall.
Criminal damage accounts for approximately seventeen per cent of total crime, and GMP recorded a
reduction of fourteen per cent in the twelve months to the end of September 2012 when compared to the
previous year. The Force’s neighbourhood policing teams, in conjunction with partner agencies, run local
operations, initiatives and days of action to tackle criminal damage and associated anti-social behaviour.
The ‘you said, we did’ campaign, which allows members of the public to inform the police about problems in
their area, has yielded many local improvements in relation to criminal damage, guiding GMP to areas
where increased patrols or other preventative measures are required; Twitter is also used to keep residents
updated on relevant issues.
Drug offences account for almost six per cent of total crime, and have decreased by over twelve per cent
over the last twelve months. The size of the Greater Manchester conurbation, including pockets of
deprivation and the night-time economy, has resulted in an illicit drugs market; in addition to local initiatives
to target street dealers and problem drug-users, Serious Crime Division works closely with the North West
Regional Crime Unit and the Serious Organised Crime Agency to tackle organised crime groups involved in
large-scale drug supply.
Offences under the Public Order Act 1986 include riot, violent disorder, affray, fear or provocation of
violence and harassment, alarm or distress; these crimes account for four per cent of total crime recorded
by GMP and, of this, nearly eighty per cent is the lowest level public order.
The potential for public disorder, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour is heightened when large
numbers of people congregate, at organised events or around entertainment venues, which is exacerbated
further by alcohol consumption. Police officers are trained to national standards to deal with more serious
public order, and the Force’s tactical aid unit can be deployed anywhere across Greater Manchester or, if
necessary, the country. There is also an extensive briefing and debriefing process for major events, which
is used to refine and improve the service provided to the public; this includes working with other forces,
such as the work undertaken in association with neighbouring forces to gather and assess intelligence
relating to English Defence League demonstrations that have taken place in Greater Manchester.
Hate crime refers to any offence perceived by the victim or any other person as motivated by prejudice or
hate; the number recorded in the twelve months to the end of September 2012 is one per cent higher than
the previous year. GMP continues to raise awareness of hate crime, encourage reporting and bring
offenders to justice using a number of tactics, including: the publication of details of hate crime reporting
centres on the Force website and True Vision, a national self-reporting hate crime initiative; regular
meetings between GMP and representatives from groups such as the Community Security Trust; the use of
restorative justice to mediate between victims and offenders; and the establishment of a hate crime
steering group to oversee progress against the hate crime strategy and action plans. GMP is also
developing a smartphone app as a new way to report hate crime.
GMP assisted with the Equality and Human Rights Commission disability-related harassment inquiry,
reflecting the Force’s commitment to addressing this type of crime.
QUALITY OF LIFE AND SERVICE
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour groups a variety of incident types, including: rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour;
malicious or nuisance communications; inappropriate use of vehicles, and abandoned vehicles; noise; and
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hoax calls to emergency services. Although it does not constitute criminal activity, anti-social behaviour can
have a devastating effect on the safety of individuals and communities and their quality of life, particularly
where it is recurrent. A complicated relationship exists between anti-social behaviour and crime; the former
is often a precursor to the latter, and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between anti-social
behaviour and lower level crimes such as criminal damage and some types of public order.
One of GMP’s current priorities is to reduce residents’ perception of high anti-social behaviour; in quarter
two 2012-13, there was a significant reduction in the proportion of residents who perceive a high level of
anti-social behaviour compared to quarter two 2011-12 (based on a sample of more than 20,000 residents
through the Neighbourhood Surveys).
Anti-social behaviour is often associated with young people, and GMP works with partners to prevent the
development of criminal behaviour. The Force’s Safe4Summer campaign continues to assist young people
to get involved in local activities to ward off boredom and the anti-social behaviour that can sometimes
follow.
Vulnerable people
GMP is committed to protecting small groups and individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable. GMP
has received approximately 24,000 missing person reports over the last twelve months, which referred to
just under 11,000 individuals. While some of these reports referred to individuals who returned or were
found without police involvement, the majority concerned vulnerable people; almost 45% of individuals
reported as missing were under eighteen years of age, including children in care. GMP works with
numerous organisations to develop prevention and intervention strategies, placing appropriate emphasis on
safeguarding individuals.
Safety of public spaces
In contrast to issues of vulnerability and the protection of individuals, the police are also responsible for the
safety of larger groups, both at organised, pre-planned events and in emergency situations; the police work
closely with other agencies (including other emergency services) to provide the flexibility to respond to
dangerous situations or criminal behaviour which may arise as a result of these large-scale events.
In the twelve months to the end of August 2012, GMP recorded 4,630 road traffic collisions; 707 people
were killed or seriously injured as a result of these collisions, including 93 children. GMP is part of the
Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership, alongside the ten local authorities, Greater
Manchester Fire and Rescue and the Highways Agency; the partnership is intended to improve safety and
reduce collisions and casualties on the roads of Greater Manchester through the promotion of safety
initiatives and educational activity including: seat belt awareness; visible road patrols to enforce speed
measurement, and drug and alcohol roadside testing; and GMP-led multi-agency operations to tackle
unsafe vehicles, insurance, driver behaviour and regulations. In September 2012, as part of Operation
Harvest, GMP officers made roadside checks on over a thousand vehicles, leading to 117 seizures and 444
fixed penalty notices, and issued 418 tickets for speeding.
In the twelve months to the end of September 2012, GMP policed a considerable number of large-scale
events, including: the Olympic Torch Relay through Greater Manchester; Olympic football fixtures at Old
Trafford and Premiership, UEFA Champions League and Euro 2012 football matches, the Super League
Grand Final and other sports events; the Conservative Party political conference; the Stone Roses concerts
in Heaton Park; Manchester Pride; Manchester City’s victory parade; Royal Jubilee celebrations; the
Manchester Day parade; Manchester International Festival; English Defence League demonstrations; the
Great Manchester run; Eid celebrations; the Caribbean carnival; the bonfire at Platt Fields park; the
Christmas Markets and the switching on of lights across the Force, and New Year’s Eve celebrations; Mega
Mela; and numerous smaller events.
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The Common Statement of Performance
As part of its lead force responsibilities for the North West region, GMP maintains a capability to respond to
major incidents and disasters; this includes the provision of a dedicated unit known as a casualty bureau for
any force in the area if required. In recent years, GMP officers and staff have assisted with major incidents
in Cumbria including: the train derailment in 2006; floods across Cumbria in 2009; a coach crash near
Keswick in 2010; and the fatal shootings in West Cumbria in 2010. The casualty bureau also provided
resources for the GMP appeals hotline following the disorder in Manchester and Salford in August 2011.
GMP hosts the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, which is responsible for managing and tackling the
threat of terrorism across the North West of England; although there is no specific terrorist threat to Greater
Manchester, it is a very serious issue and, due to the nature of the threat from international terrorism, major
cities across the UK are potentially a more likely target for attacks. The North West Counter Terrorism Unit
has had considerable success in keeping Greater Manchester and the North West region safe from
terrorism, including a number of prosecutions. However, as the threat level in the UK remains at substantial
(meaning that an attack is a strong possibility), the police continue to work tirelessly to prevent terrorist acts
locally, regionally and nationally.
The most important and effective partner for the North West Counter Terrorism Unit is the general public;
while terrorist attacks remain a rarity, those who seek to commit acts of terrorism live within our
communities, and it is the public who are most likely to recognise unusual behaviour. Both GMP and the
North West Counter Terrorism Unit work continuously with communities to ensure they are safe from
terrorism and to publicise ways to report suspicious or terrorism-related activity (including the confidential
Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321).
Further information about GMP’s performance can be found via the following links:
Greater Manchester Police website
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester website
Police.uk website
HMIC Crime and Policing Comparator website
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