New figures reveal big rise in violent crime
ROBBERIES, sex offences and violent attacks have rocketed in Greater Manchester – and serious knife crime is at its highest in seven years.
New figures show overall recorded crime in the region increased by 27 per cent in the year to March 31.
Our communities are bearing the brunt of swingeing government cuts, politicians and police chiefs say.
More than 2,000 officers have been cut since 2010, but demand on GMP continues to grow.
Some say the force is at breaking point. Yet the Home office says GMP has the resources it needs.
Alarming government statistics reveal there were almost 2,000 incidents of serious knife crime recorded in Greater Manchester the 12 months to March 31 – an increase of 18pc and the highest level since 2011/12.
Blades were used in 18 homicides, 38 rapes, 11 sexual assaults and 117 threats to kill during the period.
Robberies increased by 48pc to 6,939; sexual offences up 39pc to 9,550; and violence against a person up 41pc to 94,211.
Vehicle crime is up 19pc to 30,863; property theft up 6pc to 122,948; and burglary up 4pc to 31,970.
Shoplifting, however, was down 3pc to 17,400; bicycle theft down 9pc to 4,343; and theft from a person up 1pc to 6,648.
Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor Beverley Hughes, who is responsible for policing and crime, said it was ‘unacceptable’ that communities were suffering because of the government’s failure to properly fund GMP. The force is facing tough choices on a daily basis as cuts continue to bite.
As of June, there were ●●Deputy mayor for policing and crime Beverley Hughes said it was ‘unacceptable’ communities were suffering because of failure to properly fund GMP 6,199 officers on the force and 4,129 staff.
That is a 25pc decline on the peak, though Greater Manchester now has an estimated population over 2.5m.
Last week, the Home Office said the force had the resources it needs – and that the region’s mayor Andy Burnham was accountable to the public for its performance.
Ms Hughes said: “Official statistics once again show a substantial increase in recorded crime.
“While some of this is down to improvements in how the police record crime, these figures highlight the increasing demand on policing, and the impact on communities.
“But while our police officers and staff remain committed to protecting our homes and streets, over-stretched resources and the changing nature of crime means our communities are bearing the brunt of the government’s failure to fund the police fairly – and that is simply unacceptable.
“Just last week, 250 GMP officers were pulled out of Greater Manchester to police a national operation for President Trump’s visit to the UK, taking away vital resources from local people here at a time when our emergency services are faced with unprecedented demand.
“The government has to stop taking our police service for granted and realise the impact that years of cuts and tumbling officer numbers is having on our communities.”
In a candid interview last week, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said: “We have to try and prioritise and that means on occasion that someone who rings up and reports a crime won’t get a police officer.”
Responding to the latest crime figures, he said: “We understand that members of the public may be concerned about the rise in recorded crime outlined in the latest Home Office crime statistics.
“With that in mind, I think it is important to provide some context as to why we are seeing this trend. Increases in crime are in line with recent national trends, which in some cases can be attributed to higher victim confidence in coming forward, as well as our own improved compliance with national crime recording standards.
“However, there are also some crimes which we believe are showing an increase in real terms.
“Unfortunately, we have fewer officers than we used to and more crime to investigate and this means that we have to be tighter on where we prioritise our reduced resources.
“However, we still strive to provide the best possible service to our communities that we can and we continue to work alongside partner agencies to deliver this.
“This includes working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities and victim services to take appropriate action and not only prosecute offenders that have been identified but also provide support to victims of crime as well.
“We remain committed to delivering the highest standards of policing for the people of Greater Manchester with the resources we have.”
A Home Office spokesman said last week: “We expect police to investigate every crime and allegation thoroughly.
“Police have the resources they need to carry out this vital work and we have provided a strong and comprehensive settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018/19.
“Funding for Greater Manchester Police has been increased by £10.7m this year to £556m, up from £545m.
“The force also had reserves of over £79m in March 2017.”
Mr Pilling said the extra £10.7m equated to just five extra police officers in each of the region’s 10 boroughs.