The Standing Together Annual Report highlights the work ongoing to build stronger communities

• Standing Together Annual Report highlights the successes of policing in Greater Manchester from April 2019 to March 2020
• Report demonstrates how priorities set by the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester on community safety partnerships, policing and keeping people safe are being met
• Figures show overall crime numbers in Greater Manchester reduced by 8% compared to the previous 12 months

More than £4m has been invested in community safety partnerships in Greater Manchester as part of a plan to make our communities safer and more resilient, a new annual report has highlighted.

The Deputy Mayor’s Standing Together Annual Report sets out progress in delivering the priorities of the police and crime plan over the last 12 months, while also acknowledging the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges on keeping communities safe.

The report highlights how overall crime numbers in Greater Manchester have reduced by 8% compared to the previous 12 months and victim-based crime has reduced by 6%. Figures also show there has been a 10% reduction in domestic abuse related crimes, as well as a 9% reduction in robbery since the last annual report.  

Meanwhile, over the last 12 months a total of 26,821 victims received help and support, and almost 2,500 domestic abuse victims were supported by STRIVE – a group of trained volunteers who attend homes where police have attended a domestic abuse incident to offer victims and families early support.

It also details how despite the coronavirus crisis Greater Manchester Police continued to tackle crime and disorder in all its forms. A total of 2,800 GMP staff were supported with existing mobile technology to enable them to continue working from home during lockdown.

Measures were also quickly put in place to protect the most vulnerable in our communities as lockdown began. The Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Partnership Board held virtual meetings and worked with schools to support children, produced guidance for GPs and secured additional emergency accommodation for women fleeing abuse. The victim services reassurance and resilience forum was also swiftly established as a response to Covid-18 to commission services across the city-region to monitor demand and need, and respond to emerging concerns.

Bev Hughes, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire said: “I am pleased to present my second annual report outlining the continuing progress we are making in implementing our Standing Together Police and Crime Plan.

“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect every aspect of our lives and could have posed a further barrier in victims accessing the services they need, but this report shows how in Greater Manchester we have acted quickly to ensure police and support services remained available. This has also been integrated into how we work going forward.

“It is evident from the report’s findings GMP officers, staff, local authority partners and voluntary sector organisations have continued to keep people safe and well in our city-region throughout this tough time. This could only have been achieved through strong partnership working and is the hallmark to our success. Over the next 12 months we will commit to continue to listen to local people and work together to solve local issues.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester increased the council tax precept by £24 (for an average Band D property) which has enabled GMP to recruit an additional 320 officers over the last year. GMP is also committed to ensuring the service represents the communities it serves with 18% of the new recruits coming from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background and 37% were female.

Since the last report the force has seen:

• An increase of 50 Neighbourhood Beat Officers
• An increase of 170 Neighbourhood Police Officers
• An increase of 50 officers to establish a new Transport Unit
• An increase of 50 officers to create a Force Pro Active Unit
• Direct entry detective recruitment to support investigations, particularly those into serious and violent crime and violence against women

The new Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) launched back in October 2019, which is modelled on a health approach to tackling violence first developed in Glasgow. It takes a community-led, place-based approach, and sees local residents actively involved in identifying problems and give solutions while being directly involved in investments in their own communities.

Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes will also oversee the development of the Mayor’s Fire Plan, which will set out the priorities for GMFRS over the next four years. The priorities of the plan will ensure the service’s response to emergencies is as fast and effective as possible.

The Standing Together plan, launched in 2018, continues to shape the delivery of schemes and projects across Greater Manchester under the priorities of:

• Keeping People Safe
• Reducing Harm and Offending
• Strengthening Communities and Places

Article Published: 05/10/2020 16:50 PM