Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has received praise from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) for its commendable and innovative approach to tackling serious and organised crime (SOC).
The assessment, conducted earlier this year, highlighted the effectiveness and efficiency of GMP’s response to SOC in the North West.
The report, released today, categorises GMP as ‘good’ noting ‘significant improvements’ made since the 2021 inspection.
Innovative practice
It specifically mentions two areas of innovative practice:
- It commends GMP for effectively targeting SOC in high-risk locations, citing the success of operations Vulcan and Avro.
- GMP is recognised for its successful targeting of criminal finance.
GMP’s Economic Crime Unit (ECU) plays a crucial role in freezing bank accounts and confiscating criminal assets. In the 2022/2023 financial year, the unit recovered over £15 million from offenders.
Notably, the ECU contributed to the development of a process to return money to victims, recognised nationally as a best practice example. The ECU is on track to secure a position in the top three best-performing police forces in the country for asset recovery for the second consecutive year.
Through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), confiscated assets are reinvested into communities to fund projects aimed at preventing and reducing crime. Recent initiatives include supporting youth zones, sports clubs, and theatre companies educating young people about the dangers of carrying knives.
Economic Crime is just one unit within GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Team, comprising 130 police officers and staff, supported by district-based colleagues in local Challenger teams.
Satisfaction
Detective superintendent Joe Harrop, head of serious and Organised Crime, expressed his satisfaction with the recognition, acknowledging the significant progress made in recent years. He expressed GMP’s commitment not only to responding to incidents and investigating crimes but also to preventing offenders and protecting vulnerable individuals.
The report also highlighted achievements by GMP’s County Lines team, recording the recovery of drugs and weapons, numerous arrests and charges, and the sentencing of offenders.
GMP’s dedication to early intervention and collaboration with partner agencies to safeguard vulnerable individuals was underscored as a vital aspect of their strategy.
