Force ready for tough financial challenges

GREATER Manchester Police says it is prepared for the financial challenges it faces over the next few years.

A new report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) states that both Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Police Authority have “understood the scale of the challenge” when faced with the current financial situation “and have considered a full range of options” in planning for the future.

The HMIC Valuing the Police Preparedness Inspection was carried out with all forces in spring this year and looked at whether the police service was prepared to cut crime while reducing costs.

GMP has to save £134 million over the next four years.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy said: “These are really exceptional circumstances we face and we know that we have to do things differently if we are to meet the budget reductions required.

“A programme of change was already under way and this is now helping to deliver the savings while continuing to reduce crime.

“GMP and GMPA need to save £134 million over the next four years but we also need to ensure that the service to the public is not compromised and that crime does not increase.

“We have already saved more than £30 million by reducing costs at our headquarters, and recently announced further savings of £33 million from operational support units.

“Although this has been incredibly painful for those staff that have been affected we are committed to looking at different ways of doing things to ensure that we remain on track.

“The recent annual crime statistics show that we are achieving this when it comes to keeping crime down — last year saw the lowest crime figures we have had in over a decade.

“However, we must not get complacent. Neighbourhood policing remains at the heart of what we are doing in modernising the force. We face some difficult decisions in the coming months and we are continuing to discuss these with people across Greater Manchester as part of the Policing Today, Policing Tomorrow meetings we are continuing to hold.”