Greater Manchester Police: Force 'monitored' over poor victim support

Inspectors said Greater Manchester Police's service to victims of crime was a "serious cause of concern"

A police force that failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year has been placed in an "advanced phase" of monitoring over its poor service to crime victims.

In a report last week, inspectors said Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) service to victims of crime was a "serious cause of concern".

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.

GMP has been contacted for comment.

Inspectors found officers prematurely closed some cases without a full investigation and the force did not properly record evidence that victims supported the decisions particularly in cases of domestic abuse.

A HMICFRS spokesman said GMP had been placed in the "engage" stage of its monitoring process.

This means the force, the second largest in England, must "develop an improvement plan to address the specific causes of concern that have led to it being placed in the advanced phase of the monitoring process."

"This is due to the causes of concern raised in HMICFRS's recent reports which have highlighted the poor service the force provides to many victims of crime," the spokesman said.

External organisations including the Home Office, College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council can also provide GMP with help to make the improvements.

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