Force tops the table of complaints

ALLEGATIONS against the conduct of Greater Manchester Police have risen by 5 per cent over the past year.

Between September, 2007, and August this year there were 3,186 new complaints.

The main allegations relate to incivility, neglect/failure in duty, assault, impartiality, unlawful arrest and harassment.

Abusive

Greater Manchester Police tops the table for the number of incidences of each type of complaint except unlawful arrest, which is higher in Northumbria.

There were 85 incivility allegations, which include abusive language, insulting or inconsiderate behaviour misconduct and off duty conduct, between September, 2006, to August, 2008.

North Manchester, the city centre, Salford, Tameside, Bolton, Wigan, the operational communications branch and the specialist operations branch recorded higher incidents of incivility.

There were 90 incidents of neglect of duty in the same period, which includes failure to take action/record information, death/serious injury, escape from police custody and breach of lawful orders.

Oldham was ninth in the divisional table.

In the assault category — which covers police dog bite/attacks and unnecessary force — Oldham recorded 60 incidents and fell just behind North Manchester and the specialist operations branch.

There were 40 allegations of lack of fairness and impartiality, which includes threats of arrest/ assault, being biased and behaving in an aggressive manner, in the oldham division.
Bias

A total of 15 incidents of unlawful/unnecessary arrest were recorded in Oldham from September, 2006 to August this year, which was one of the lowest in GMP, while there was also 15 allegations of discriminatory behaviour which includes racial abuse, unfair judgement and bias because of gender, religion, sexuality and disability.

Only the specialist operations branch, Bolton and North Manchester had more incidents in this category.