GMP had the second highest number of complaints of sexual misconduct by officers in the country, according to a watchdog.
There were 20 such allegations made against officers by the public.
The incidents were not assaults but misconduct which did not meet the threshold of criminality.
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This can include abuse of powers for sexual purposes - for example befriending a victim of domestic violence and having an inappropriate relationship - which can lead to misconduct hearings and dismissal.
The highest was 31 in the Metropolitan force. In Cheshire there was one case.
In total, from April 2020 to April 2021 there were 2,161 complaints logged against GMP by the public, which involved 3,581 allegations. This represents 189 complaints per 1,000 employees. The force has 11,406 staff.
This was lower than comparable forces. In the West Midlands there were 4,102 complaints and in West Yorkshire, 3,234.
GMP took an average of five days to log complaints and four days to contact complainants.
The figures were published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct today in its annual ‘Police Complaints Statistics’ report for England and Wales 2020/21.
The allegations against GMP break down as:
- Complaints regarding delivery of duty, 1,516
- Police powers and procedure, 780
- Handling of or damage to property, 116
- Access or disclosure of information, 94
- Use of police vehicles, 20
- Discriminatory behaviour, 191
- Abuse position,corruption, 41
- Individual behaviour, 721
- Sexual conduct 20
- Discreditable conduct 64
- Other, 18
Cheshire Constabulary logged 1,719 complaints involving 2,331 allegations. The equivalent of 430 per 1000 employees - it has 4,000 staff.
Nationally the totals for all the forces in England and Wales were 67,732 complaints and 109,151 allegations.
Commenting on this year’s figures, IOPC Director General Michael Lockwood said: “Today, the IOPC has published its Annual Police Complaints Statistics for 2020/21. This is the first report since significant changes to the police complaints system were implemented in February 2020.
“An effective complaints system and independent oversight of it, is a vital part of securing public confidence in policing.
"Now, more than ever, the public need assurance that policing is listening to their concerns and taking action to put things right. They want to know that there are checks and balances to police powers and there is accountability and learning when things go wrong.
“Given the significant changes to how complaints are recorded and handled by police forces in the last year, more time is needed to ensure the consistency and completeness of this data. Therefore, these figures are what the Office of National Statistics defines as ‘experimental statistics’ - they are in the testing phase and not yet fully developed.
“Notwithstanding that, I am encouraged that widening the definition of a complaint to any expression of dissatisfaction and removing many of the barriers to recording, has seen the expected significant increase in the volume of complaints being received.
“What is equally positive is that many more complaints are now being resolved quickly and informally, with fewer resulting in lengthy investigations. These are being replaced with more tailored responses such as explanations and apologies which address the concerns raised.
“Given the experimental nature of the statistics, we must be careful in drawing firm conclusions on outcomes at this stage.
"However, it is notable that very few complaints resulted in an investigation into an individual’s conduct and fewer still (18), a misconduct outcome for an individual. As more outcomes data becomes available, we will be seeking assurance that there is an appropriate response when concerns about conduct are raised.
“I am concerned that so few cases have resulted in learning for individuals, or the police force concerned – and particularly that very few cases (815) resulted in use of reflective practice as an outcome.
“The introduction of reflective practice was central to the reform of the complaints system. It is a process intended to provide an open environment to encourage all those involved to reflect, learn and, where necessary, put things right to prevent issues reoccurring .
“I would ask all Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to consider how they can use the data in this report to further improve their handling of complaints and demonstrate to the public that there is an appropriate response when issues are raised."
GMP and Cheshire Police statements
Detective Chief Superintendent John Chadwick, Head of Professional Standards Branch at GMP, said: "We welcome being held to account and expect anyone who receives a service that breaches our moral and professional standards to report it to our Professional Standards Branch - where it will be dealt with thoroughly - or the IOPC. Where misconduct is found, we will take robust action to preserve a force that predominantly comprises thousands of officers and staff who carry out their duties respectfully to protect the public and prevent crime.
"Any abuse of position for sexual purpose is absolutely unacceptable. Greater Manchester Police is the second largest force in the country, and we will not stand for any behaviour which does not reflect the high level of professionalism and integrity we expect of our officers."
"We will not shy away from demonstrating to the public that we are taking action against this behaviour. We know we have work to do to rebuild trust with the public, and by publicising any incidents whereby an officer has not performed to the level of professionalism we expect, we will continue show that this will not be tolerated."
Detective Superintendent Alison Ross, of Cheshire Constabulary Professional Standards Department, said: “The overwhelming majority of police officers and staff perform a highly professional job on a daily basis and quite often in challenging circumstances.
“This is reflected in compliments that we often receive from the public.
“However, when someone is unhappy with the service they have received from the force we take this very seriously and will always listen to those who come forward to report any issues.
“The figures released today (Tuesday 16 November) by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) highlights the fact that when complaints are made to the force they are recorded quickly, dealt with promptly and finalised as soon as possible.
“This is great news for the force, but we must not be complacent and we will continue to strive to improve wherever we can.
“Cheshire Constabulary record allegations of complaints in line with IOPC and Home Office guidance and we are committed to making the complaint process as open, honest, transparent and accessible as possible.
“If anyone is unhappy with the service they have received from the force then they are urged to report this. This can be done via an online form on our website or by contacting us directly via 101.
