GMP Federation outlines policing concerns to Mayor Andy Burnham

Greater Manchester Police Federation has met with the Mayor to discuss the concerning lack of respect for police officers on the streets every day and the alarming number of police assaults.

Mike Peake, Federation Chair, met Mayor Andy Burnham and Deputy Mayor for Policing Kate Green at the Federation offices on Friday 6 June.

1,861 officers in GMP were assaulted last year. That’s an average of more than 35 every week. More than 5 every single day.

Mike and GMP Federation Secretary Neil Clarke also alerted the Mayor to the worrying increase in stress-related sickness absence, with 1,028 days taken in the last year, and the fact that there are almost 53,000 of rest days owed to police officers who consistently see their days off cancelled.

They discussed the lack of Government funding for GMP and the inadequate number of officers compared with demand, understaffing in departments and concerns around the sustainability of GMP performance as officers experience burnout.

The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime also heard from the Federation about poor retention and how poor pay is driving officers from the role as they search for less stressful and lower risk work elsewhere.

Also in attendance were a mixture of full time and workplace reps, many of whom are also operational police officers.

Mike said: “We were very grateful to Andy Burnham and Kate Green for coming to visit us and listen carefully to these many pressing issues. They were both very receptive to the concerns raised and have committed to further meetings and an offer for a combined approach to tackle them.

“We look forward to meeting them again and will continue to press those in power for solutions to the problems that affect our members every day.”