Decision details

The HMICFRS Victim Services Assessment report, published in December 2020, described GMP’s service to victims of crime as ‘a serious cause of concern.’ In response, GMP initiated a comprehensive plan to support and intensify ongoing improvement activity, including resource and time-consuming Quality Assurance checks of all reported incidents. The implementation of Criminal Investigation Teams (desk-based investigators) across Districts, resourced through agency staff at an annual cost of £4.5million, allowed the desk-based investigation of low-risk crimes with no named offenders, away from response policing teams. Whilst this surge activity has delivered some key benefits, including much improved crime recording oversight, as identified by the more recent 2022 PEEL Inspection, the Force continued to receive inadequate gradings, including how the Force investigates crime.

This subsequent Crime Futures project has set out the intention to establish a new operating model for crime recording, investigation and finalisation across GMP. It is proposed that a centralised Crime Management Unit is formed to replace the existing District based model.

The Deputy Mayor is asked to consider the proposals set out in the Crime Futures full Business Case and to note and support the necessary investment for the creation of a Crime Management Unit within the Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch (formerly FCC) to enable the Force to address the challenges it in sustaining a resilient, high quality, responsive and consistent service.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Consider the proposals set out in the Crime Futures business case;

Approval for the creation of a ‘Force Crime Management Unit’ aligned to the Force Contact,
Crime & Operations Branch (FCCO), formerly the Force Contact Centre (FCC).

Confirm approval in principle of the required investment;

22/23 One-off Capital Investment
• £78,547 – laptops and associated hardware/software

22/23 One-off Revenue Investment
• £134,638 for estate related configuration and implementation

23/24 Revenue Investment
• £2,613,356 - 38FTE new Staff roles and an uplift in grade for all CRRU police staff (this will be a recurring cost but will be funded in future years from savings realised through the FCCO Optimisation Project)

Ongoing Revenue Investment
• £5,500 – estate related costs

The proposal includes a request to establish a number of new Police Staff roles within the Crime Management Unit.

In total, the request is for an uplift of 38 Staff posts across the CRRU and FCCO Hub Support (Secretariat).

In addition, there is a request to increase the grade of all CRRU staff from the current grade C-D to grade D, after HR evaluation of the CRRU job description, aligning with the current pay reviews undertaken within the FCCO for the 22/23 Investment project.

As part of the FCC Investment recruitment plan, recruitment and training activity has been scheduled to rapidly attain the required establishment position in the Crime Recording and Resolution Unit from April 2023.

As part of the National Police Uplift programme, Crime Futures will benefit from the allocation of 170 police office posts, for deployment in the crime investigations functions proposed as part this business case.

The Crime Management Unit will operate within the existing rental estate at GMP, within Unit A at the GMP Central Park campus.

A number options for the operation of crime recording and investigations were considered.

District model as an interim measure with staff remaining on Districts – Option not supported
A number of interim measures were introduced in response to the HMIC inspection report. One of these measures was to introduce desk-based investigators on Districts. Although clear improvements were made, mainly around victim satisfaction levels, variations in working practises emerged, preventing consistence approach across the GM area for crime investigations.

Cluster model with teams divided over three or four separate Hub locations – Option not supported

The cluster approach was explored, however, the Force moved away from this approach with the removal of the territorial command areas, returning Chief Superintendents for each district and does not align with the Force strategic objectives.