Almost 150 employees of Greater Manchester Police were accused of behaviour relating to violence against women and girls in the last six months, the force has admitted.
In the last six months to February, there were 117 complaints and misconduct allegations relating to 141 members of the force - equating to one per cent of the workforce.
And in the same time period up to March last year, the force recorded 108 complaints - accounting for 9.1 per nationally, relating to 143 employees.
READ MORE: Arrests and man injured after huge fight outside pub and gun reportedly fired
It comes as complaints about police officers' treatment of women and girls are highly unlikely to result in action, according to new police data for England and Wales.
The National Police Chiefs' Council says nine in 10 complaints were dropped in the six months to March 2022.
According to the new figures, where cases were completed, no further action was taken against police officers and staff accused of violence against women and girls in more than nine in 10 complaints from the public, and seven in 10 internal reports from police against colleagues.
During the six months to March last year, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) found 1,539 officers had been implicated in alleged police-perpetrated violence against women and girls.
The report says the true figures are likely to be far higher because of under-reporting by police staff, and inaccuracies and inconsistencies in data collection across forces.
Among the complaints from the public, 63% were accusations over use of force, 9% overbearing or harassing behaviour, and 6% sexual assault.
The NPCC concludes it is highly unlikely a police officer will face proceedings over an allegation, with only one in 100 sacked.
Following the publication of data from the NPCC, GMP bosses say the force is 'reiterating the promise to ensure those who are entrusted with the privilege of keeping people safe and caring for victims are fit to do so.'
In the 12 months to December 2022, the force said they more than doubled dismissals for sexual offences or misconduct.
Head of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, said: “Greater Manchester Police is taking ever-increasing steps to ensure police officers and staff do not pose any risk of threat or harm to those they come in to contact with.
“The Force Vetting Unit plays an essential role in ensuring only the right people wear the GMP uniform, and the branch’s Assessment and Investigation teams work together to respond to reports, whilst the Anti-Corruption Unit proactively gathers intelligence about any employees whose behaviour falls below the high standard rightly expected of police.
“With the help of the Misconduct Proceedings Unit, GMP is a force which now imposes the toughest possible sanctions on those, like Simon Rose and Ernesto Ceraldi both jailed and sacked, whose actions so badly damage vital public trust and confidence in policing.”
Rose, who had been with the force since 2007, was jailed for three years after being convicted of misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course o justice after a nine-day trial last year.
The officer formed a secret sexual relationship with an alleged rape victim and tried to thwart a raid on her home.
Ernesto, a married police dog handler, was jailed for five and a half years last year, after violently attacking and trying to rape a woman he met at a pub.
He left the woman, who said she thought she was going to die, bloodied and bruised after repeatedly throttling and punching her during the terrifying ordeal.
Chief Superintendent Nicky Porter, force lead for tackling violence against women and girls, said: “It is absolutely imperative that women and girls feel safe whenever they come in to contact with the very people who are entrusted with the privilege of caring for victims - police officers and members of police staff.
“With a strategy in place, Greater Manchester Police is taking strides in the right direction, but there is more hard work to be done.
“With my oversight, I promise that we will continue to do everything we can to ensure women and girls feel and are safe. That being said, it’s important victims come forward – I understand how hard that can be but can assure them that any allegations will be taken seriously and they will be fully supported.”
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, said: “Sadly, we live in a world where women and girls can too often feel unsafe as they go about their daily lives, but the very least we need to do is ensure they can trust the very people who are employed to keep them safe.
“I’ve been appalled and disgusted to hear of some of the offences committed by police officers against women and girls across the country and in my first few weeks as Deputy Mayor I asked Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to provide a report detailing all officers under investigation for sexual misconduct, so I knew the scale of the issue locally.
“If we have police officers committing offences like this, we risk women and girls losing faith in the force altogether and we cannot allow this to happen.
“The Chief Constable treats this matter with the utmost seriousness, and GMP are imposing the toughest punishments possible on those found guilty of these offences. Alongside this, GMP’s vetting unit will play an integral role in ensuring police officers recruited are fit to protect the public.”
GMP’s Professional Standards Branch can be contacted via the force’s website: Complaints | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk), Reports can also be made anonymously via Crimestoppers - Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org) or 0800 555 111.
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