College of Policing analysis of police demand

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins

The College of Policing has published analysis of police work across the country.

It shows in the past five years the number of police officers has fallen by 11% - Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has 1,500 fewer officers than four years ago.

Officers within an average force will make 50 arrests, deal with 101 anti-social behaviour incidents, respond to roughly 12 missing person reports, carry out 37 stop and searches, deal with nine road traffic collisions and respond to 14 incidents flagged as being linked to mental health issues - GMP receives around 2,500 to 3,000 calls for assistance every day.

An increasing amount of police officers' time is directed towards public protection work, such as managing high-risk offenders and protecting at-risk victims.

Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “The findings from the College of Policing analysis reflect our experiences and the changes that we have been trying to explain to people over the past four years.

“Many incidents are now involving people with mental health issues and this places extra demands on officers trying to find the access the right help and advice out of hours.

“Domestic violence and dealing with cases such as child abuse need a significant investment of police time which also doesn’t get reflected in crime figures. Much of our work involves tackling serious and organised criminals and the growing problems of cyber-crime all of which are challenging.

“Technology is also increasing the time taken to complete investigations for example smartphones hold substantial amounts of data and take time to be examined. In addition, more disputes and criminal behaviour is now happening through social media which is increasing demand.

“Despite the issues they face, GMP’s officers and staff continue to show commitment, patience and compassion, but they have concerns about the impact that any further reductions may have. We need even more support from people as well as to continue to change the way we work if we are to get through the next few years.”