Two members of staff at Greater Manchester Police will be tasked with stopping civilian workers with itchy feet from leaving the force - after bosses convinced cops not to go with the same tactics. The pair will conduct 'stay' interviews with civvies thinking of jumping ship.
They will be part of a 'retention and insight' team. That squad was put together last year and was successful in persuading officers looking elsewhere not to go, bosses say.
The project, which started in the summer of 2022, has a 71 per cent success rate, it is claimed. Around 40 pc of the officers who approached the team are new, while roughly 40pc have served the force for up to 10 years. Around 20pc have been at GMP for more than a decade.
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Chief Constable Stephen Watson conceded when he took up the top post that an exodus of talent was an issue after the force was put in special measures, which it is now emerging from. Many officers switched to neighbouring Lancashire Constabulary.
The two new posts will be filled by exisiting staff members. Chief Inspector Mike Russell, who heads the team, said the success of the project with cops stemmed from the fact that the interviews were conducted by actual officers.
Chf Insp Russell, an inspector, a sergeant and two PCs carried out interviews with officers who raised questions about their own futures at GMP.
He told the the magazine Police Oracle: "If we are talking to a detective inspector, for example, who has got 18 years service, they want to know that we understand the organisation, what they are going through.
"It's that shared knowledge and experience which gives us credibility." That, the force says, is the reason staff - rather than cops - will be tasked with carrying out civilian worker interviews.
"It should be open to all our employees because it sends a really important message out that everyone is important to the organisation," Chf Insp Russell added. "That's the right thing to do when you've got a model that works."
After initial contact, people who approach the team are checked on every three months. The confidential service can also gather crucial information on the state of the force and how its perceived by frontline officers and staff.
Chf Insp Russell said: "The gold dust in this is the fact that we have an unfiltered view of the organisation. So we can use that to shape it into something really positive. We can think about what we put in place that not only solves issues, but is accessible.
"GMP are committed to this. It's not something we're going to do for just six months or nine months. It shows that officers are important to us, but also I think its sustainable.
"The fact that it's easy to run, but also what you get from it leads to work in other departments, so the scope can go much wider. There's a lot to get out of what is in essence the cost of five police officers."
