What GMP says...
GMP’S assistant chief constable Rob Potts said in a statement: “We prioritise our workload to focus on the most serious crime which represents the greatest threat, harm and risk to the public. We also make decisions on investigations based on “solvability factors” which basically assesses the realistic likelihood of a positive outcome to ensure we maximise the impact of what are public resources at a time when reported crime has significantly increased.
“In many crimes there are no witnesses, CCTV or forensic opportunities, which means there are often no leads for the officer to investigate further.
“Where strong lines of enquiry exist, officers will investigate and we rely on the public to help us do this by reporting suspicious activity or telling us about anybody they know who is involved in crime. The fact that we choose not to continue certain investigations following an initial assessment does not mean that no positive action is taken. Investigation is only part of the support that is available to victims of crime; the Victim Services Partnership in Greater Manchester helps support and signpost victims of crime.
“I cannot emphasise enough that it remains vital that the public report all crime to the police; the overall picture of crime is carefully considered when targeting offenders and crime hot-spots. We will continue to work closely with our partners and communities to problemsolve within neighbourhoods to prevent crimes reoccurring.” DEPUTY mayor Bev Hughes, who leads on policing for Andy Burnham, said: “Every victim of crime rightly expects their report to be taken seriously. But these figures lay bare the stark reality of years of central government cuts – the police simply cannot investigate every crime and have to take difficult decisions about where best to focus their time and resources. They – and I – wish this were not necessary but unfortunately it is. However, it is a priority for me and for the Chief Constable that the most serious of crimes that cause the most harm to our communities are fully investigated with no effort spared to bring the perpetrators to justice.”