In a room filled with 37 police inspectors, members of the press, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, promise was in the air.
Announced today was a new plan for GMP, to bring about more police officers with dedicated teams for residents to get to know, rebuild, reconnect and rebuild trust with the force.
In the ‘back-to-basics’ approach, the force promises a dedicated team per ward, who will be visible and accessible, with a commitment that they will be ‘ringfenced’ to focus on their specific neighbourhood, instead of backfilling other duties.
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They can also be contacted directly, through a new app, ‘Bee in the Loop’. It will allow those who sign up to be amongst the first to know about incidents and emergencies, they will also be able to get involved in local priorities and receive targeted crime prevention advice.
Following a press conference this afternoon, it was said that 35 neighbourhoods will be serviced 24/7 by 89 teams, made up of 1,148 police officers and staff. Despite reducing the number of PCSOs to a minimum of one per ward, they will instead have the option of moving over to different roles, GMP said.
It will see 264 more warranted police officers, but will also see a loss of up to 333 PCSOs.
Mayor Andy Burnham said it was the ‘biggest change’ to policing in a generation. He said that as a result of the public’s contribution to council tax, it’s possible to ‘restore front line policing’.
“As a result of that we have brought over 1,000 police constables back to the front line,” he said.
“We asked the public what they wanted to see. They want to see present serving policing and accountable policing on all counts. We can say we can deliver that. The public wants to see this kind of policing and we want to see this kind of policing.”
He said that it was important that people know ‘who their officers are’ and that there is accountability.
Burnham also said that he wanted to see accountability of policing work with Black communities where concerns have been raised around joint enterprise and the disproportionate use of powers.
He said there was a ‘duty of candour’ with officers in Greater Manchester and that officers must not be fearful of speaking out.
He added: “I believe this police force is going to go far. I want to be quite clear with people, this is to be a permanent structure and needs to be enabled in Greater Manchester and must never go back.
“The public enabled us to get to this point with the contributions they made, we are beholden to the public and we are set to deliver.
Addressing the room, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said that 8,000 residents gave feedback in a public consultation that they wanted the force to be ‘visible, accessible and present’.
“They wanted us to be there and commit to that acknowledgement. They wanted us to do something about it and we are telling them what we have done,” he said.
“There are 37 police inspectors, for 89 teams in 35 areas, seven days a week. When the model comes to fruition, there will be 1,148 police officers and staff. Every area will have a police team and make them accountable.”
He acknowledged the ‘superb efforts’ by PCSOs throughout the region, and said there would be a minimum of one per ward.
“We will be doing everything from village fetes to tackling organised crime,” he added.
Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, Trafford District Commander and Force Neighbourhood Policing Lead said: “We didn’t deliver neighbourhood policing before the Chief Constable arrived.
“We had neighbourhood policing officers, but they were being pulled from pillar to post, and not able to do their jobs. They were equally as unhappy as the public were in our communities.”
She added that the force is committed to being the ‘best of the best’.
And Deputy Mayor Kate Green added: “It’s an absolute delight to make this announcement. I hope and expect residents will start to feel a difference and one day will stop noticing a difference.”
The new model is set to take place over the next couple of years, with some PCSOs to move to different roles.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Chief Supt Colette Rose said: “We want to keep PCSOs right in intelligence, one per ward. They may move forward into other roles.
“There’s a natural attrition. Nobody will be made redundant. It will be gradual. 100 have already moved over, and the proposal will be over the next two years. It is always open for them to become a PC.
“Lots of our PCs have come from PCSOs. We have an apprenticeship scheme. It will not be a redeployment.”
In closing the presser, Burnham said: “I want to put it on record that we appreciate what they (PCSOs) have done, they are of incredible value and we value them.
“The public can see and feel the change in Greater Manchester Police. I acknowledge where we were and what we needed to do and I want our teams to feel able to do your job and feel able to speak up.
“I had been an elected official for the last 20 years and I am confident in saying that this police force is in a better shape now and is better now than at any point in that time.”
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