Manchester Chief Constable quits as force is put into special measures for 'outstandingly bad' results

Labour Mayor Andy Burnham says 'SORRY' promises to improve!

LAST THURSDAY the Greater Manchester Police force (GMP) was placed into an "advanced phase" of monitoring, after inspectors found it had failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.

Yesterday, the Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, who earlier revealed he was on sick leave, said he would now step down with immediate effect.

Inspectors had said GMP's service to victims of crime was a "serious cause of concern".

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.

It said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.

Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that the force's failures were "outstandingly bad".

She said crimes like stalking and coercive control were "profoundly traumatising" and 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".

She added that "none of that was happening" and vulnerable people had "simply been deserted".

In a statement, Mr Hopkins has said that these are "challenging times" for the Greater Manchester Police 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.

He said "given my current ill health", he would bring his retirement, which he was due to take in autumn 2021, forward, adding that it had been "an honour to serve the public for 32 years".

Mr Hopkins has been chief constable of GMP since October 2015, leading a force of almost 7,000 officers.

"Throughout my career, I have been committed to achieving the best outcomes for the people I serve [and] the decision to stand down is not one I have taken lightly, but I feel the time is right," he said.

The Blame Game Continues!

Meanwhile, the Conservative MP for Bolton West Chris Green has urged Andy Burnham, who oversees policing in the area, to step down.

Earlier, Mr Green said Mr Burnham should 'resign now' as he has 'absolute responsibility for policing, its failures'.

'His role ultimately is to ensure that GMP is delivering. He is in a position if he doesn't think GMP is performing and is delivering then he can challenge and if necessary he can sack the chief of police,' he said.

'That is Andy Burnham's power over policing in Manchester. He has absolute authority.'

But the Labour mayor said he would not be stepping down.

Following the publication of the daming report earlier in the week, and Mr Burnham had apologised on behalf of the Greater Manchester Police.

'I would like to say sorry to all of the victims of crime who have found that the service has not been good enough. We owe it to them to improve and we will and we will do it fast,' he said.

The 'Culture of Arrogance and Cover-ups'

A former GMP detective Maggie Oliver, who resigned over the way grooming cases in Rochdale were handled by the force, has said she and two ex-colleagues had a meeting with Mr Burnham in 2018 to highlight "serious concerns" and were "treated with contempt".

She said they gave him 26 examples of victims being failed by GMP, including "people dying as a result of gross neglect" and he "basically slammed the door in our face".

There was a "culture of arrogance and cover-ups" at the force, she said, and a "radical overhaul" was needed.

Ms Oliver said victim's "trust in the police had gone" and her charity, she claimed the Maggie Oliver Foundation, was "drowning in cries for help" from people who "have nowhere else to turn".

Sir Richard Leese, Manchester City Council leader, said the watchdog's findings indicate there are "major issues" that need to be addressed.

"I think it kind of says it all that GMP so far have not put up a spokesperson to explain what the situation is, what's been going on," he added.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the mayor and deputy mayor said they were "putting in place the necessary actions to improve standards of service to victims of crime in Greater Manchester".

Mr Burnham announced that a dedicated hotline for victims who have any complaints was also being set up.

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