Decision details

In late 2023, the Home Office announced a new Community Insights Fund for research proposals to understand more about the impact of Grip visible hotspot policing on individuals and communities outside of the impact on crime. This fund sits as a companion to the main quantitative evaluation of the impact of Grip funds on levels of violent crime, which has been conducted by the Home Office and in February 2024 published their first results finding an average 7% reduction in violence and robbery offences in hotspot areas.

The fund invited bids for research pieces to understand how increased visible policing in hotspots is perceived by individuals and communities living in, working in, or conducting other day-to-day activities in hotspot areas, including:

• Whether there is an impact on public confidence in policing
• Whether Grip visible presence has been noticed by the public
• How it has impacted their feelings of safety (whether positively or negatively)
• Any other that would develop a better understanding about how hotspot operations affect the communities they are designed to serve.
• The bidding process opened for a short window from the end of September 2023 to mid-October 2023. The GMCA and GMP submitted a joint bit in this window based on two streams of work:
• Supplementing the existing Policing and Community Safety Survey with 3,000 new surveys in hotspot areas conducted by DJS, and additional geographical analysis of the 55,250 survey responses to date. This was intended to build on an existing rich and unique dataset in Greater Manchester and enable us to mobilise the research quickly.
• A series of interviews and focus groups with marginalised communities in hotspot areas conducted by MMU’s Manchester Centre for Youth Studies, allowing for richer qualitative insights and empowerment of community voices in line with the VRU’s commitment to community led approaches.

Following a bid submitted by GMCA with support from GMP, in February 2024, the Home Office notified us that we were successful in this bid, for a total of £73,500 to be spent in 2023/24 and £140,000 in 2024/25. The remainder of the funding will be awarded to DJS to fulfil the other asks of the Home Office grant agreement with GMCA, and a separate Decision and Exemption for that funding has also been submitted.

A professor at MMU has a specialism in Participatory Youth Practices and has written a Participatory Youth Practice Framework previously. This professor leads the MMU’s Manchester Centre for Youth studies and is well placed to conduct interviews and focus groups within marginalised communities across GM’s hotspot areas at pace. A project plan has been agreed between MMU and GMCA

The GMCA is seeking to award Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) the following funding amounts via a new contract following a successful bid to the Home Office for funding to understand more about the impact of GRIP visible hotspot policing on individuals and communities outside of the impact on crime:

• £20,000 for financial year 23/24
• £70,000 for financial year 24/25