“GMP officers are having to try and carry out the additional work of others”

A damning new report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) confirms what the Police Federation has been warning for years: chronic underfunding, excessive workloads and a retention crisis are crippling frontline policing and undermining public safety.

Mike Peake, Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: “The demands that a police force the size of GMP has to deal with is huge, and whilst it has over 8,100 police officers that simply isn’t enough to service that demand. 

“GMP officers are having to try and carry out the additional work of others as many departments are understaffed as police chiefs try and balance thrifty budgets. 

“Current retention figures are concerning as around 31.5 per cent of student officers are leaving GMP to find alternative careers that carry far less risk for the same or more money, and many experienced officers are looking for an exit strategy. 

“To achieve the necessary support that is needed to take the ongoing pressure off our hard-working officers retention and experience in GMP is key.” 

The Inspection into How Effectively the Police Investigate Crime report reveals that officer workloads have skyrocketed, increasing by more than 32% per constable since 2015, with some officers carrying unmanageable caseloads. 

The inspection also finds that over the past decade, police-recorded crime rates per 1,000 population have increased by 44%, whereas since 2010, after accounting for changes in the population, the number of police officers in England and Wales has decreased by 6%.

Under these conditions, investigations are being delayed, evidence is being missed, and victims are being let down. Positive outcomes from police investigations have plummeted from 25% a decade ago to just 11% in 2024. More than 9,000 officers quit in the year ending March 2023—the highest number on record. 

Mike added: “When working on the frontline many officers are concerned about their safety with many being singled crewed when being deployed to violent situations. 

“Police officers are there to protect the public but how can they do that if from the outset they are not protected themselves. GMP in the first instance needs to protect its officers, this starts with ensuring that officers are deployed in safe numbers. 

“Alarmingly stress related sickness absences in GMP is on the increase as the level of burnout is becoming unsustainable.”