Staff learn fate as GMP to cut £134m

POLICE staff in Oldham were learning today which posts were under threat as part of job cuts across Greater Manchester Police.

It was announced yesterday that 616 support jobs will go and 270 officer posts will be cut in departments including forensics, intelligence, communications and criminal justice.
The Specialist Operations Branch, serious crime division and GMP’s 12 local divisions will also be affected.

More than 4,000 staff attended a meeting at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium yesterday, where Chief Constable Peter Fahy and police authority chairman Councillor Paul Murphy outlined the plans.

Staff set to lose their jobs will have face-to-face meetings today.

The cuts are part of a second phase of plans to save £134 million over the next four years.

In November last year cuts affecting 400 back office staff were announced.

GMP needs to slash a fifth of its workforce in total, with 3,000 jobs expected to go.

Mr Fahy said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for the force and for the individuals concerned.

“However, we need to make £134 million savings in the next four years and as such, some challenging decisions need to be made.”

He added: “We have been working closely with the police authority, Unison, the Police Federation and the Superintendents’ Association and will be doing all we can to support those affected and minimise any compulsory redundancies.

“We have a number of existing vacancies, are seeking expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies and will also be redeploying staff where possible.”