Ethics Committee

To help build trust and public confidence in policing, Greater Manchester's independent Ethics Committee advises the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kate Green, and Greater Manchester Police on the complex dilemmas that policing faces in the modern world.

The committee has been given a wide remit, with GMP pledging to give access to the service's systems and people. When established, it was the first of its type in the country.

The committee decides which issues it wants to consider, as well has having issues referred in by both GMP and the Deputy Mayor. Members of the public can raise issues with the committee - but it does not consider individual complaints about police.

The committee considers both broad thematic issues - such as discrimination, safe drug use, and surveillance - and practical day-to-day issues, such as the use of body-worn cameras by police officers.

Professional ethics is far broader than integrity alone. It incorporates the requirement to give an account of one's judgments, acts and omissions. In simple terms, it is not only about doing the right deed but also about doing it for the right reason.

By having an ethics committee, the Deputy Mayor Kate Green is making an explicit and public commitment to transparent, ethical policing in Greater Manchester that is subjected to rigorous independent scrutiny.

 

Chair of the Committee - Bishop David Walker

Chaired by the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd David Walker, the committee's membership has been drawn from across Greater Manchester's diverse communities and members have extensive experience and expertise in a range of fields.

"As a diverse group, we seek to bring together our varied skills, experience and connections in the community. We believe we can strengthen and add value to the work of GMP for the benefit of all Greater Manchester people."

The Committee's work

Since it has been established, the committee has delivered a significant programme of work, on both a planned and responsive basis. Work the committee has conducted includes:

Body-worn video

One of the first major pieces of work carried out was into the ethical considerations of police officers using body-worn videos. Technological advances mean that police can now use affordable cameras which provide high-quality images and audio which can be used for evidential purposes.

The committee considered the ethical dimensions of if, when and how these cameras should be used by police officers and police community support officers. As part of its research, the committee held focus groups with a range of community representatives and police. The committee published a report which summarised its findings and made 14 recommendations for GMP and the PCC's office to consider before deploying the technology widely.

The research helped formulate GMP's policy on the use of the technology, which has now been issued to all frontline police officers.

The committee revisited this topic in 2021 to review GMPs progress against the recommendations made.

Body-worn video - A report by Greater Manchester’s Independent Police Ethics Committee (PDF. 3.2MB)

Use of force and weaponry such as Tasers

The committee has previously reviewed a random sample of incidents involving Tasers to ensure GMP's use of the weapon was appropriate and ethically-sound. This was generated from a wider look at how GMP deploys weaponry, and how force is used within policing. 

The committee has continued to monitor how force is used within policing and has also contributed to the development of the GMP Achieving Race Equality report.

Human tissue retention

Following a request from GMP regarding human tissue retention, the committee provided advice on the proposed policy and action the service could take regarding communication with family members. 

Whistle-blowing

Committee members reviewed GMP's policy and practices around whistle-blowing, as well as meeting with a range of police officers of varying ranks, and the Professional Standards Branch.

Children and policing

The committee has considered the ethical issues around how the police interact with young people in general, and specifically the treatment of young people in custody. This work has involved focus groups with young people and engagement with custody staff, appropriate adult volunteers, and independent custody visitor volunteers.

Use of data

The committee considered the way in which the police used personal information in both the public and private domain when carrying out activities such as vetting, gathering intelligence and issuing public appeals, and provided advice to GMP on the ethical handling of personal information.

Police employment of people with criminal records

The committee looked at how people are vetted for careers within policing, and what considerations are given to grant employment to those with criminal records. The committee considered whether decisions or processes made by GMP's vetting section were grounded in ethical principles and standards, and how that compliance is measured.

The committee reviewed GMP's processes, other national guidelines, and the approach taken in other professions. They met with GMP's vetting unit and produced a report with several recommendations around transparency, sustainability and equality.

Engagement with police officers and staff

The committee always aims to ensure it does not have to rely on the word of senior officers from GMP or the Police and Crime Commissioner's office and, where possible, hears from the front-line when considering ethical dilemmas.

The committee has also directly engaged with front-line officers with specific learning sessions around ethics and integrity where officers were able to speak openly and frankly about how they can embed ethics into the day-to-day business of policing.

Ethics Committee Members

Join the committee

Bishop of Manchester, Rt Revd David Walker

Bishop David Walker was enthroned as Bishop of Manchester in November 2013, which marked his return to his home city of Manchester. Bishop David has campaigned on social justice issues for many years, taking a particular interest in social housing. He has served on the Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Panel for the College of Policing. Bishop David chairs the committee.

Cym Dsouza

Cym is the Chief Executive of Arawak Walton Housing Association, which specialises in meeting the complex housing needs of black and ethnic minority communities. Cym also chairs BMENational, a collective of more than 60 BME housing associations in England and is a member of the advisory group for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's research into housing and poverty.

David Arnold

David Arnold MBE is an independent consultant specialising in Holocaust education and commemoration, cultural awareness and diversity training. He has delivered this work in a range of organisations from schools to the police service. Until recently he served as Chair of an Independent Advisory Group for Greater Manchester Police.

Dr Dane Anderton

Dr Dane Anderton is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Programmes at the University of Manchester. He lectures in Strategic Management and Place Leadership and has experience of managing and analysing research data.

Dr Iestyn Shapey

Dr Iestyn Shapey works as a doctor in the NHS and is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Manchester. His main research interest is in complex decision-making and has published widely in this field. He has a wealth of experience using mathematical modelling and artificial intelligence to analyse information from large data-sets and DNA to facilitate better decisions leading to improved clinical outcomes. Iestyn is experienced in applying ethical principles to challenging real-world situations and understanding how to address high-risk ethico-legal dilemmas. He previously sat on the Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee for the Health Research Authority and is a member of the UNESCO Chair in Bioetheics at Edge Hill University.

Maneer Afsar

Maneer Afsar is an independent member of the Parole Board, considering cases for release and transfer. She has previously worked as an Operational Manager for the Parliamentary Health Services Ombudsman leading a team of investigators reviewing complaints about the NHS or parliamentary bodies. Prior to that Maneer worked for the HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Sally Lester

Sally Lester worked in Probation Services for many years, latterly as Assistant Chief Inspector of Probation. She is now working as an associate inspector with HMI Prisons and as an independent consultant in criminal justice. She has worked as a short term expert in a number of international projects developing probation services.

Victoria Yates

Victoria Yates is a solicitor and former Senior Crown Prosecutor in Manchester. She also provides independent advice in the Social Entitlement Chamber of the HM Tribunal Service. In addition, Victoria is an active member of the GM NHS Brest Clinical Pathway Board and created a network to support younger women following breast cancer diagnosis.

Members receive an allowance of £1,000, and an attendance allowance of £211.50 per day or £104.50 per half day. This allowance is in line with Home Office guidance.

Contact the Independent Ethics Committee

The Independent Ethics Committee can be contacted via email at Ethics.Committee@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk