Supporting You - By Chief Constable Ian Hopkins

12 March 2018

Chief Constable's article from the latest ManChat

Policing has always been challenging but after events in 2017 people are starting to recognise the contribution that it makes to protecting people.

It is good to see the positive feedback on social media to the Federation’s campaign #ProtectTheProtectors. Every day officers and staff are putting themselves in difficult and threatening situations and while many recognise this it is important to continue to raise awareness.

One of the things we are looking at is to develop impact statements when officers are assaulted so that we can fully detail the consequences that these events have on the individual and the force.

These incidents do not have to be physical assaults – officers can become the target of online abuse on social media.

People can often face harassment online because they are in public roles and that is not and should not be acceptable. I am sure that working with colleagues around the country we can put the spotlight on the issue and gather the support of the vast majority of the public we serve.

Increasing Taser

Being able to protect officers is part of the reason we are looking to increase the number of Taser trained officers.

We will be putting in place plans for an uplift to ensure people can be available quickly to help defuse situations and to protect colleagues and the public. It will mean GMP has 1,100 Taser-trained officers. We already have an increased number of firearms officers that can be deployed to support across Greater Manchester.

I have for some time, along with a number of other Chief Constables, been asking the College of Policing to put measures in place to allow student officers to be trained to use Taser. I am pleased to say this is now something that they are looking at pursuing.

What Do You Think About GMP?

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack last year we postponed the staff engagement survey but it was launched on 21 February.

The survey is everyone’s opportunity to highlight issues and to say what they think about working for Greater Manchester Police. The results from the previous survey have helped us to review a number of areas across the Force, including the promotion process. We also have an increased focus on the wellbeing of all officers and staff, and professional standards are prioritising education rather than enforcement.

I appreciate that everyone is feeling the pressure of the demand for police support set against the loss of nearly 2,000 officers and a continued stretch on the budget.

We have a programme of transformation that will bring us a police force that is able to deal with the changing nature of crime and the financial challenges. We will be able to use your feedback in the survey to help develop this programme of work.

We need the support of the public on a daily basis and particularly when we are highlighting the issue of attacks on police officers and staff.

We can only continue to have this if we demonstrate the highest professional standards and ensure that we are working within the Code of Ethics. Confidence and trust come from knowing that we are working ethically to do all we can to make Greater Manchester safer.

When we are under pressure and facing challenges, that is when we have to make sure we are still keeping the principles of the Code at the forefront of our minds.

There is a huge amount of support for the police among our communities and it is important that we do all we can to maintain that in the future.

See new edition of our Federation magazine featuring Ian Hopkins's article here http://online.pubhtml5.com/ncsw/wpwu/