Policing Tomorrow - your questions answered from the town hall tour

Some of the questions asked and answered as part of the Policing Today, Policing Tomorrow tour of the region.

Stockport
Salford
Bolton
North Manchester
Wigan
Oldham
Rochdale
Trafford
Tameside
Manchester Metropolitan district
South Manchester
Popular topic: Home Watch schemes

Couldn't make it to an event? You can still have your say online!

'Wordle' of what was discussed

The following word cloud was made by capturing all the text on this page and seeing which words were mentioned most often. Click on the image for a larger view.

Stockport

Q. How will you ensure young people are protected from sexual exploitation?

A. We need to identify the young people at risk early on so we can put steps in place to prevent them becoming a victim. It's not just a role for policing; other agencies need to work with us. There's no doubt we need to protect these young people and work with vulnerable and problem families to break the cycle and put interventions in place.

Q. Should the police pay overtime or should contracts reflect flexible shifts?

A. Through the process of improving the efficiency of call handling, GMP recognises the benefits of utilising shifts in a more effective way and being more flexible. This has resulted in a 60-70% drop in overtime. Flexible working is an area we are keen to develop across the Force.

Q. Can we have cuts at a top-down level?

A. We have already made £30M of savings as part of the first phase of the budget review process which streamlined our back office functions. The Chief Officer team has also been reduced in size.

Q. What are your plans to close police stations / front desks?

A. There are no immediate plans to close police stations. There are proposals to close some enquiry counters and we are trying to find more local bases to improve public access to the police. Enquiry counters can range from 35p to £35 per visit which is why we propose to close some of our less busy ones. But we will be consulting with the public before any final decisions are made.

Salford

Q. Will the frontline remain a priority?

A. Yes, we are committed to neighbourhood policing, embedding it in the heart of communities. We face difficult challenges in balancing this with the back office, but we will continue in our effort to preserve frontline policing. It's about looking at every £1 we spend.

Q. Could you release more POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) funding?

A. GMP has the highest rate of seizures in the country after the Met Police. We continue to put emphasis on this, including training for officers. Unfortunately there are elements of the criminal fraternity who are good at hiding their ill-gotten gains.

Q. Is the budget focussed on reacting to or preventing crime?

A. Both. The key to prevention is arresting people, but we also need to work with youth services, probation and other partners to prevent crime and reoffending.

Q. Who chooses where the cuts will be?

A. The Police Authority makes the decision based on what the public tell us and proposals from GMP. The budget cuts are savage, but we have to get on with it and continue to hold GMP to account and ensure the Force provides an efficient, effective service to meet the needs of our communities.

Q. How are cuts affecting law and order?

A. We are concerned that as cuts are made in other services, more work will fall to the police. Staff morale is obviously affected but despite this officers and staff continue to do a tremendous job.

Bolton

Q. You haven't referred to traffic problems and speeding cars, particularly where I live on Radcliffe Road in Bolton.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is an issue that can be raised with your neighbourhood policing team. The solution could be about deploying traffic officers to tackle the problem or working with the local authority to look at the design of the road.

Q. I have worked in the licensing industry for fifteen years, and for two years I, and other licensees, have worked very closely with the police in Bolton. We would like to work with the police to identify when a police presence is actually needed in the town, as often there are problems when the police are not there.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We want to continue working closely with the pubs and clubs and develop our relationships. Yes, you're right, we do need to deploy when needed, but there may be times when we are out on patrol at certain times of the day or night, and you might not see us e.g. in the early hours of the morning when you're at home in bed.

Q. Will the police do something about underage drinkers in Bolton's clubs?

A. Chief Superintendent Steve Hartley, Bolton Divisional Commander: I don't think we have a disproportionate problem in Bolton but we work with licensees and door staff to prevent underage drinking and we will continue to do this.

Q. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have been very helpful in my area. What will happen to PCSOs in the future?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Funding from the government for PCSOs is ringfenced until 2013. By then the new Police and Crime Commissioner may well be in office and that individual will decide the future funding of PCSOs.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The funding is tapered which means we get 75% from the Government and 25% from you the council-tax payer. And we know that funding is well supported by the public.

Q. I'm disgusted by some of the appalling incidents, some often unreported, against taxi drivers in Bolton, some I think are racist. This is a group of workers who are vulnerable. What are you doing about it?

A. Superintendent Rumney, Bolton Division: We have had an increase in positive resolutions but there is a lot more work to be done and we will continue to work with taxi drivers to tackle this problem.

Q. I'm Chair of the Northern Pub Alliance and we've been led to believe that our link with the police is being taken away.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: The amount of money that we need to save means we have to look at every area of the Force, and this is what we're consulting on at the moment. We have invested in neighbourhood policing so we need to ask ourselves: do we need a specialist role or should neighbourhood officers take this work on as part of their everyday role?

Q. You have officers following cash-in-transit vehicles ‘just in case'. Would the officer's time be better spent elsewhere?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We get a contribution from the security industry for this service. A few years ago cash-in-transit robberies were so high that the industry said they were going to stop delivering. The work we have done has reduced robberies but we need to keep up the pressure.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Greater Manchester used to be the worst in the country for cash-in-transit robberies. Staff were being attacked, even murdered, often in broad daylight. This was also terrifying for members of the public. This is a very serious crime and we need to continue to crack down and put a stop to it.

Q. In the past six months where I live, ten properties have had lead stolen from the roof. Why don't you target scrapyards?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We are targeting scrapyards and enforcing the rules they have to abide by. The problem is that it's difficult to identify lead from specific properties unless it is property-marked in some way.

Q. Are you looking at deployment and procurement as areas where you can save money? For example, using sat-nav technology, single-crewing of vehicles, using Twitter etc.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We are doing a lot with new technology; all our vehicles are fitted with sat-navs and we are rolling out the use of Twitter across the neighbourhood teams.

Q. As a member of the local Pub Watch, I'm concerned that we're losing specialist staff (Neighbourbourhood Watch Coordinators). The danger is that once they go, we will have officers who don't have the knowledge to assist us.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I want your local inspector to act as your local chief constable. I would be fooling you if I said we don't need to make difficult decisions which means looking at every penny we spend. Neighbourhood teams should be taking on this work as part of their everyday duties.

Q. As a Great Lever resident, my concern is that when minor crime happens, such as criminal damage, the police talk a fine talk in attending but when it comes to updating you on the case, it's up to the victim to chase it up.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We recognise that we are not good in terms of customer satisfaction. We have invested in customer service desks who call back victims of crime to find out if they're happy with our service. Updating victims of minor crimes is the responsibility of the officer in charge of the case so we need to do some work with officers to improve this area of service.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: All crimes should be a priority. Even if the police phone you to tell you they're closing the case and why, this is better than not being told anything.

Q. Why consult with the public if you've already decided?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is a consultation period but we do need to save money. Part of the consultation is about asking for alternatives, for example, visiting your local library to see a local officer. We'll make these decisions following consultation with the public and our partners.

Q. Crime prevention is essential but I've been told that Home Watch is being disbanded. What are your plans for Home Watch? I welcome Paul Murphy's comments about neighbourhood policing but there are some areas of Bolton that don't have police surgeries.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We actually want to expand Neighbourhood Watch, but this role should be taken on by the neighbourhood policing teams instead of one single person being responsible.

Q. You want to reduce crime but how are you going to achieve this with less staff?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Because we have invested in neighbourhood policing. Over the last ten years there have been some great achievements and developments in policing but there has also been an increase in bureaucracy, which is something we're trying to address. We also spend £50M on estates and there are savings we can make there. We plan to use every bit of our imagination to make savings while ensuring the criminals don't get an easier ride.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: It's almost an obsession of the Police Authority to drive performance and we won't waver on the commitment to neighbourhood policing.

North Manchester

Q. What value and importance do the Force and Police Authority put on Home Watch?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Home Watch is incredibly important and we want to encourage more people to get involved and be more active. I know there are some people in the audience who are also involved in their community in other ways e.g. lunch clubs, youth leaders etc. We remain committed to neighbourhood policing and increasing the number of special constables. There might be residents here who want to get involved in other ways.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We value Home Watch and I know there are residents in the audience who do some great work in their community. Through neighbourhood inspectors and their teams, Home Watch is a fantastic tool.

Q. The Chief mentioned that statistics aren't taken seriously yet the Force and Police Authority spend a lot of money on collecting and collating statistics, so why not cut down on gathering statistics?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Accountability is important and we want the Police Authority to continue to hold us to account and scrutinise our performance. It has taken a long time to construct performance league tables but things are changing. It's important to record burglary, robbery, sexual offences etc, but not so much for the minor crimes.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: As a Police Authority, because we hold GMP to account, we are interested in local results to surveys for example. If the results are positive, we know the Force is doing a good job. If negative, we drill down to find out why.

Q. What is the future of Home Watch? Will the support now be taken over by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), i.e. communication and sharing of information?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We continue to invest in neighbourhood policing, with 1,200 additional officers working with communities, including Home Watch co-ordinators. We want the role of neighbourhood policing teams to include communicating and working with residents, schools, community groups etc. The strength of feeling here tonight about the role of Home Watch is why we are consulting with the public about proposed changes to the way we deliver policing across Greater Manchester.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The views raised here this evening provide clarity for the Police Authority that you want more support for Home Watch schemes, and this is something that we will consider in our decision-making.

Q. Impressed with ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] and the multitude of illegalities this covers, how is it funded and is this likely to be affected by the cuts?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I've had the privilege of observing an ANPR operation and saw first-hand that operations like this are valuable so this is something the Police Authority will be encouraging. There is no better sight than seeing an expensive 4x4 seized from the local jack-the-lad - who has no legitimate income, no road tax, no insurance - then being driven around the local community on the back of a low-loader.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: These types of operations are funded from the normal police budget and there is no doubt that ANPR is an invaluable tactic that we're now using more and more to target known offenders.

Q. School liaison officers used to be used quite regularly in schools - what kind and level of work is now going on?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We have a number of officers based in schools and in the areas that don't, the neighbourhood teams have strong links within their local schools. This is an area of work we want to preserve.

Q. Anti-social behaviour is a problem - why don't we name and shame the culprits in local newspapers etc?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We do give ASBOs publicity and the government has plans for a website to name convicted offenders. We also publicise local court cases through the media, newsletters and through the neighbourhood policing teams. When it comes to naming and shaming families who persistently cause problems for the community though, this may do more harm than good. This is when we need to be more joined up with partners in order to tackle the problem.

Wigan

Q. Over the last few years, the Force in Wigan has moved from the centre of Wigan to rented accommodation on the outskirts, costing around £1M in rent a year. Why did this happen and are there any plans to move back?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is important that GMP uses buildings based in local communities, or share facilities with other agencies. It is vital officers are based in the areas they are responsible for.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: These new police stations are rented by the police authority for a period of 25 years, and at that point the authority inherits the land. We had to initially rent these building because the authority was unable to raise the capital to finance them at that time.

Q. Why does GMP show such inconsistency in policing walking days (specifically, religious walking days)? In Wigan in particular GMP show unwillingness to fulfil their responsibilities in policing these events.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Firstly, this is a very difficult issue as it does involve road closures. GMP has to ask local councils for permission to close roads, but we also have to try and reduce road closures. I will continue to speak to the police authority and local councillors about this issue and try to get the right balance, as it is vital that officers are involved in their communities. GMP is also recruiting more Special Constables, as the aim is to get these officers more involved in policing such events.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority is aware of this issue, as Councillor Charles Rigby has asked the authority to look into this. The authority will look into this, but I agree with the Chief that the responsibility for policing theses sort of events should involve Specials and PCSOs.

Q. Young people all over Manchester are complaining about how they are treated by the police. I've had officers watch me with suspicion just because I was wearing my hood up. How are you going to engage with young people when you have that attitude?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: An excellent point, but it is worth stating that stereotyping does not just come from the police. The media and older generations play a part as well. The police get a lot of complaints regarding young people gathering together on the streets etc. Police are committed to working together with young people and are already heavily involved by placing PCs and PCSOs in schools. However, relations can be improved through more consultation with young people and the Youth Parliament.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I agree, society is intolerant of young people. I invite the Young Parliament or any young people to get more involved and attend police authority meetings.

Q. Over the last few years, the policing of Wigan has got much better and a lot of that is down to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The public appreciate the intelligence and availability of PCSOs in their neighbourhood. We are very worried about what will happen to them in the future.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Funding is only ring-fenced by the government until 2013. However, the police authority will continue to fund PCSOs, as we know that is what the public think is vitally important. If the government continues to provide the 75% of funding it already does, then the authority will continue to provide the additional 25%.

Q. Did GMPA challenge the amount of funding designated by the government for Greater Manchester policing? What challenges did GMPA make?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We have spoken to the government on many occasions about the cuts, as we believe they are too deep and too quick. However, the government currently does not agree. This is why it is vital we speak to the people of Greater Manchester and get their views, so we can pass that onto the government.

Q. Previously there have been a number of community staff positions dedicated to engaging with groups in the community e.g. BME (black minority ethnic), LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and those with disabilities. What's going to happen when those positions are no longer there?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We are currently in a consultation period regarding the Community Relation Officers. However, my view is that as 1200 more officers have been put into neighbourhood policing, we should broaden their roles to include the work of community relation advisers instead of employing specialists. It is important that the public trust their neighbourhood team to help them solve any problems.

Q. We've seen a lot of police officers dedicating a lot of time to booking people for things like lack of tax or insurance. How can you justify the officer numbers and time?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) is an extremely effective way of catching criminals such as drug dealers as we have their car details. A number of officers are there in order to arrest and if necessary chase any criminals that ANPR finds.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: ANPR is an effective tool as it protects the public. Most criminals tend to not have car insurance etc, and by finding them and taking them off the streets, it lessens the chance of them ever crashing into innocent motorists.

Q. I work in the public sector and understand the impact of the cuts. I have a positive attitude towards the police. The police need to focus more on supporting people and groups like me, when we ask for help or they risk losing that good feeling. They have let us down recently.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Community work is important, as we want to encourage and support people to get involved in their communities.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority very much supports communities working together.

Q. You mentioned that you're trying to support vulnerable people but you also mentioned that you want to move away from face-to-face meetings in stations. How can you support the hard of hearing, those without internet or don't speak English if you're closing public enquiry counters and restricting the opening hours of those that remain?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: While some public enquiry stations are closing, 21 will be staying open. But there are other ways to speak to the police. There are plenty of surgeries people can attend, and people can ring up and make appointments with their local neighbourhood team. We would love to open more public enquiry counters, but we must concentrate the money we do have on the essentials.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: It is important the police and the authority work with agencies and local councils to provide a better service to all communities.

Q. You say you're here to give value for money. I'm facing redundancy, even though I cost half as much money as an officer. Despite this, I'm seeing increasing numbers of officers doing my job. Why isn't the public aware this is happening and discussing it?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority is committed to getting police officers out into the communities and not stuck in police stations. If police officers are not out enough, then we will look into that.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I would actually blame both political parties for increasing police officers numbers, as it has been too controversial to cut numbers even if there is an increase in police staff numbers. There are a lot of voluntary redundancies and vacancies, which we are hoping people who wish to stay within GMP will consider.

I also think that paperwork should be challenged. Police officers should be getting the files right from the start, and should not need checking. We have also challenged the government about the North-South divide in terms of the cuts and suggested there is unfairness. However, we have to get on and deal with the cuts and make sure the standard of service to the public is not affected.

Q. There were no PCSOs at the last Residents' Association Meeting. The one who usually attends said that he found it very useful but had been told by his Inspector that he could not go as he needed to be out on the street.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: There has to be a balance, as we can't have police officers and PCSOs in meetings all the time. Please speak to your Divisional Commander.

Oldham

Q. My local area is a deprived area and yet the police are never seen patrolling the streets. As a result, I feel that community policing is very poor in my area.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is not the general picture we are picking up from surveys and public consultation. These are showing a rise from 59% to 69% in confidence and satisfaction with the police. There is a different way to look at police presence - if police are on patrol when crimes are being committed, then that is better than being on patrol during the day when crime isn't being committed. It is a balance that we have to find. We would love to have more police out on the streets, but GMP has many responsibilities which makes it more complicated.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I'm surprised you are disappointed. The main theme emerging from communities is that community policing is what the police are getting right. I'm sure the Chief and Divisional Commander will look into this for you.

Q. Are the police serious about tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB), or will it be put on the back burner because of the budget cuts?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: ASB is a top priority for GMP and will continue to be so. We are trying hard to bring levels down and prevent any repeat victims. It is key that we get the older and younger generations together in order to forge understanding and break down barriers.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority's top priority is ASB. Cuts to budgets for local authorities could also affect ASB levels, so it is important to get agencies and police working together to tackle this.

Q. My local community is concerned that the budget cuts will mean that we will lose our Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Are there any assurances you can give us?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is vital we keep PCSOs, as they are very well supported and used by the public. As a Chief Constable it will be the last area I will look at to find savings, as we want more people involved in their communities.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I give you an assurance now that the police authority will continue to fund and support PCSOs. The money is ring-fenced by the government until March 2013. The government currently supplies 75% of the budget for PCSOs, and the police authority the remaining 25%. We cannot guarantee the government will continue to do so after March 2013, however the police authority is committed to this and will aim to fund the PCSOs.

Q. I am concerned about losing the Home Watch administrators, as I believe that while PCSOs do a fantastic job in the communities, they simply have too much to deal with to dedicate any real time to Home Watch.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: There are no easy decisions. I have moved 1200 more officers into neighbourhood policing, so I believe the Home Watch role can be incorporated into their duties. I will speak to the police authority about providing more admin support for the PCSOs, so they can be out in the communities more.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We will indeed look into the Chief's proposal to provide more admin support for PCSOs.

Q. GMP says it is committed to community policing, but the removal of Home Watch Administrators will lead to a break down between the public and the police.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Neighbourhood policing is a top priority for GMP, and it is vital the police communicate with communities. We are encouraging officers and PCSOs to use more technology such as Twitter and email so that people have more ways to speak to their local police.

Q. If PCSOs are going to take over the role of Home Watch Administrator as part of their duties, will they receive any special training as the role is a complex one?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We will definitely look into giving the PCSOs any support they require, such as additional training and admin support. We have picked up through these meetings the strength of feeling about Home Watch Administrators, and we will look into the issue.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority is committed to Home Watch, as it is a vital link between the police and the community and provides vital intelligence.

Q. I appreciate the police and understand that the government is responsible for the cuts, so my suggestion is that the police and communities work more closer together to limit the effect of the cuts.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I'm very glad of your support. The cuts are happening, but the police authority are advocating the Greater Manchester people with the government, and trying to produce the best budget possible.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I believe that if communities are working together then less people will be scared and intimidated where they live and will be happier.

Q. We are fearful that with these budget cuts, access to the police will go down and crime levels go up as there is simply not enough police.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: My concern is not the number of officers, but as the cuts are felt in partner agencies more work will become the police's responsibility. When we decide where the cuts fall, it will be with preserving the frontline in mind as much as possible. Ideas such as reducing headquarters costs, red tape etc have been the focus of the cuts so far.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: It is not about the number of police, but what they are doing. If we can limit the bureaucracy, then it will allow for more officers on the streets. Please don't think less police means more crime. If the police are working well then crime will not rise.

Q. How are the police going to get the respect back?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is about your day-to-day experience with the police. How the officer treated you is the moment of truth, and when they treat you with respect and compassion the public will start to give the same back.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We need to work with the media more as the bad stories are always highlighted and not the good stories. We must remember police are human beings and they are doing the best they can do.

Rochdale

Q: Are you having second thoughts about the closure of public enquiry counters, particularly Heywood Police Station? Can you give us a pledge that it will remain open some of the time, with specific opening hours. There is a fear that eventually, the police station will not be accessible to the public.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: This is a challenging issue for us and we need to ensure value for money. This means looking at all public enquiry counters including the footfall and profile of the area it serves. This is why we have extended the consultation period and will listen to the views of the public on this issue.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We have made an investment in improving public contact with the introduction of customer service desks, appointments for officers to visit you at your home, and more people answering the telephones. We are also looking at other ways of improving public contact and we are committed to being local to residents, for example, locating officers in libraries and other community buildings.

Q: Now there are no custody cells at Rochdale, officers have to go to Bury with prisoners, which means we lose officers off the streets during this time. Are you really saving money or is this costing the taxpayer?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We didn't save money by closing Rochdale's custody facility. The cells were not fit-for-purpose and it would have cost us too much to build new ones. We have to meet very high standards in custody now, e.g. medical standards, and maintaining a lot of cell blocks costs a lot of money. In terms of the travel time for officers, this is an area we are looking at more closely to ensure this is minimised.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: One concern the police authority had in relation to custody modernisation, is the impact on relatives who have to pick up detainees when they are released from custody. We have raised this with the Force and is an area they are looking at.

Q: How much support do Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) get from fellow police officers, as we have had problems with intelligence being passed to PCSOs which isn't taken seriously by police colleagues.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I'm sorry to hear that. PCSOs are valued members of the neighbourhood policing teams and are valued by the public and fellow police officers.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The feedback we've had from other meetings is that PCSOs are well-respected. We also know that PCSOs and police officers work well together.

Q: You've mentioned the high number of missing person reports you have to deal with from local authority care homes. Are you investigating the homes where they are going missing from?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is a huge concern for us and we are working closely with local authorities to address it. We need a different way of dealing with this problem but we recognise that it's difficult for social services, particularly when dealing with individuals who repeatedly go missing.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I echo what the chief constable says - we need better ways of doing things.

Q: In my experience, public enquiry counters are used regularly. How are you going to consult and who with?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We are going to consult with local people, elected members and also through AGMA (Association of Greater Manchester Authorities).

Q: I work at Middleton Police Station enquiry counter. Can you guarantee that if you decide to close some counters, the ones that remain open won't be earmarked for closure at a later date? Also, how can staff, whose jobs are in jeopardy, make decisions for the future when you haven't made final decisions yet?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I would like to reiterate that we are currently consulting about these proposals and no final decisions have yet been made. We will be speaking to the public, partners and staff and find out how public enquiry counters are currently used. We will also speak to local authority leaders to see if there are buildings where we can co-locate. Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that all public enquiry counters will stay open because we can't guarantee the financial situation.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I know this is a difficult and uncertain time for staff and we are talking to the police authority, Unison and other staff groups to ensure the welfare of all staff concerned.

Q: What are your views on the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and what is the estimated cost?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: My understanding that for the election alone, the costs for Greater Manchester will be in the region of £1.8M. The Association of Police Authorities (APA) estimates a national cost of £100M to implement. GMPA has made its position clear - PPCs will not be democratically accountable and will not be value for money.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: There is a huge amount of uncertainty in terms of obtaining guarantees and decisions on certain issues because we don't know how and who we will be governed by. We can't have politics interfering in day-to-day policing.

Q: I'm concerned about the disestablishment of the Community Relations Officer (CRO) post. Removing this post will have a big impact and will remove the bridge that has been built with communities.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: If relations with the police are reliant on one person then I think this is a problem. We've put 1,200 extra officers into neighbourhood policing teams and they should know their communities.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We are consulting on these proposals at the moment. I'm not disagreeing with you about the importance of the work done by CROs but we need to make difficult decisions.

Q: Your big plan doesn't say anything about non-serious crime and your response to it. Who is at fault if the police don't respond to an incident?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I don't recognise a difference between serious and non-serious. What might be classed as non-serious to one person is serious to another. As I have said previously, we have put 1,200 extra officers into neighbourhood policing to deal with the issues that matter most to our communities, including antisocial behaviour.

In terms of response times, we monitor this closely and every day we phone people back to see if they are satisfied with the service. We are committed to improving our response times and our satisfaction levels. If the police don't respond to an incident or if you're not happy with our service then I am at fault. We have improved but if you've had a bad service then that's a problem for me.

Q: Visual presence of police is a deterrent to crime. What are you doing to ensure this visibility is maintained?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Neighbourhood policing is the heart of what we do - the bedrock - and the police authority will continue to fund it. We acknowledge that visibility is important and we want to put more officers on the street.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: A lot of policing is unseen, for example, gathering intelligence and managing sex offenders. If you go to the park in the morning and see lots of beer cans, do you want the visibility of officers picking up these beer cans or do you want them there the night before, when you're in bed, preventing this antisocial behaviour in the first place.

Q: People are generally happy with the police but minor crime is difficult to report when you can't get through on the phone, no-one gets back to you or there are out-of-date answer phone messages. This needs to improve.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is one of the challenges of running a large police force. We have the 5050 non-emergency number and you can also contact your local neighbourhood policing team but obviously they are not there 24 hours a day. We are looking at ways of improving this service including administration support for neighbourhood teams. Our 5050 call answering times have also improved.

Q: Do you fine people who create a lot of work for the police, for example, people who report an incident but then don't co-operate with the police? How do you deter them?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: No we don't fine people who place a lot of demand on our service. If you get drunk in the town centre on a Friday night and lose your phone, it's our responsibility to find it. We do fine people £80 for making false reports. In this era of cuts, people should take more responsibility for their actions.

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A resident highlighted the vital contribution of Home Watch Co-coordinators and how public trust in the police in Rochdale has improved. A local councillor also welcomed the idea of shared services and Cllr Murphy's comment about the importance of working together more closely.

Trafford

Q. In his presentation, the chief constable mentioned targeting of crime hotspots. Will this not just displace crime from one place to another?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: All research actually suggests that crime does not move from one place to another. People who live in areas where there is low crime will not act in a criminal way, and research has shown that crime does not disperse. I do understand, however that it is a very difficult message to hear that officers will not be around as much in low crime areas.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: My view is that the police must attack crime where it exists. We need to prevent crime migration, so once we know where crime mainly occurs through research etc, the police need to focus on those areas and make reductions.

Q. Would the Chief Constable agree that there are savings to be made by rationalising the police estate? It is fair to say that some police stations are not necessarily in the correct place. Additionally, when moving mobile units into areas where there are no police stations, it would be helpful if these had details of their opening times on them.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We are looking into making savings in our estate costs, as it does cost £50M a year. We are looking at sharing venues with other agencies such as rooms in supermarkets, and we ask that the public support us in this.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Buildings don't prevent crime, so what the police authority is trying to do is to speak to partner agencies and the public and see if things can be done differently. For example, why do the public need to visit the police? Why not the police visit you instead? Consultation about this issue is still ongoing as it is important we provide an effective service.

Q. Do you feel that you have control over the amount of time spent by officers on paperwork? And do you feel that you have historical working practices?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We do still have fairly traditional ways of working, but we are starting to change. For example, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were not well liked by the public at first, but are now a complete success. We deal with a lot of high-risk situations so recording that accurately is important. However, sometimes we just record to gather statistics which needs to stop. The important thing is that we use technology more often and more effectively, and that as we change we keep public support.

A. Divisional Commander Mark Roberts: We would love to get rid of paperwork, but we have to record everything because of this culture of compensation that is growing. We have to be careful and be accountable.

Q. What care is taken when dealing and releasing sex offenders?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: When a sex offender is released, there is a lot of work that goes into monitoring the offender and safeguarding the public. All agencies meet to discuss the terms of the release and whether the offender will need to go on licence. A risk assessment is also done, so that the police know how often this offender needs to be visited. Sometimes the offender is visited every day. It is a very difficult issue.

Q. The percentages that were given at the start of the presentation, would they include the Trafford business and residential communities? Also, Trafford has recently lost its Crime Prevention/Reduction Advisor, is there anyone else who can take over this role?

A. Divisional Commander Mark Roberts: This advisor is actually being replaced by another person. While this new person is learning about the job, another officer who has a great deal of experience will be assisting. We are looking into giving this issue more attention, and working more closely with Salford Division and businesses.

Q. I share the concerns over the proposals for one directly elected commissioner. Can I ask what the rationale is behind this decision? Also, can the Chief Officer not make some representation to government about this?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: A lot of politicians across all parties do not believe that this is a good idea. Currently the government believes that police authorities are remote from the public, and as a result don't work. Instead, they believe a directly elected commissioner by the public would be better to hold the police to account. However, another view of this could be that it politicises the police. We are currently making representation to the government about this issue.

Q. I am the Chair of the Trafford Independent Advisory Group and have concerns relating to the X-Calibre operation [campaign aiming for gun-free streets]. I am concerned that things are very different on the streets now compared to five years ago, yet the police do not seem to be changing or reviewing their policies in relation to X-Calibre. Do you think that Independent Advisory Groups will continue to exist or will they be disbanded?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We do need to review our policies and get more local intelligence, so we do need to speak to you about this and see how we can take your concerns forward.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority has funded X-Calibre in the Trafford and Moss Side areas, and as it has worked so well it has continued to be funded by us.

A. Divisional Commander Mark Roberts: There is very good unity in Trafford - the best I have ever seen. On a daily basis I get a report about the work X-Calibre are doing, and constantly review and act on the intelligence we receive. The gangs are still there, so we will continue to monitor them. I agree there is a problem, but it is better than it was so we need to find the right balance.

Q. I am a councillor for Trafford and feel that a move away from performance statistics and more towards customer opinion may lead to the wrong areas being targeted for police action. I feel that statistics will always be important as they provide a picture of reality; can you inform me that this will still be the case?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We will always gather statistics. It is important we record accurately, but we must also use our common sense. Statistics are important as we must always check them, and if a pattern emerges we can deal with that.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We will always gather statistics, but we must be more sophisticated in gathering them.

Q. Thinking about customer perceptions and satisfaction I was wondering if there were any statistics available on the professional standards and complaints made against officers?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We do publish all complaint figures on our website and it is taken very seriously. However, confidence levels in the police are going up.

Q. I appreciate that there is a drive to get people involved with policing. Can you comment on the resistance from drawing more special constables from communities?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I am not aware of any resistance; in fact we have had a very good response. The target is to get 1,000 specials, but is it not about policing on the cheap. What it is key to stress is that specials have the same powers as a police officer.

Q. The police are only the first part of the criminal justice system. Do you think the other partners who dispense justice are able to do so effectively?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is very easy to criticise the courts and the police. We do have a good working relationship with the courts, but we must remember they have their own set of rules and guidelines that they must follow. However, I am concerned that as all agencies are having funding issues currently, that they may affect the work the courts do. Personally, I don't think victims of crime get a strong enough voice and short prison sentences do not work.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority will look into that. We work a lot with magistrates (the police authority's vice-chair is a magistrate), and it must be mentioned that short sentences are due to a number of factors such as guilty pleas. The solution is that we get agencies working together, as 80% of offenders do offend again because they have trouble finding work or a home etc.

Tameside

Q. Why can't we take an active line and take a broader look at dealing with drug dealers?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We currently do a lot of drugs raids, and we understand it is a concern locally which is why it has been given a high priority. However, it does take time to develop intelligence.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Communities are being destroyed by drugs, but we need intelligence in order to be able to deal with this. We are part of the North West regional body that uses intelligence gathered on drugs.

Q. The Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) work as a fantastic team by getting involved with youth groups and working with communities. Please can PCSOS/PCs not be moved out of the communities as relationships have been built?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Officers are staying in place to continue to build relationships, as that is really important. Please accept that difficult decisions have to be made and we hope many people will get involved.

Q. I watched a number of young men take large amounts of money out of several ATMs, and when I reported this to the police they didn't give me any assistance.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I am really disappointed that you haven't had a response. Please speak to the officers (after this meeting). We have improved our satisfaction levels to 85%, but there is still room for improvement. There is no place in Greater Manchester Police for this type of behaviour so please do not be put off by this.

Q. I am worried that with the loss of certain roles, the Neighbourhood Policing Teams will not have time to do everything by taking on these additional duties.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: There is a proposal to disestablish the Community Relation Officer role which is out for consultation currently. We want to know your views on this. We understand that they are valued.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We are committed to listen to any concerns.

Q. I hope this is not a tick-box exercise where the Home Watch Administrator role is concerned, as it is important that you listen to us and don't allow us to lose our policing teams.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The PCSO role is ring-fenced until March 2013. The police authority is committed to keeping PCSOs, however if the government decide to remove the ring-fence and put all money in one big pot, then funding for PCSOs may be hard to find.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We want to look at how we can maintain the PCSO role, and we will be looking into having more officers.

Q. Does the money from on-the-spot fines go back into policing? If not, why not?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: No, most goes back to the Treasury, but we do get some of the Proceeds of Crime Act money.

Q. Would you have to reduce the number of police officers in order to achieve the figures?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We want 1,300 Officers, and part of the way of achieving that is more admin support.

Q. Are we still retaining local police posts/places?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Yes, we want to keep these places and we are looking for other places that we can use, so that we are not always based in police stations.

Q. I am concerned that to consider reducing police presence in communities will upset the balance and the improvements they have made will fall.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We do need more volunteers, but the key is to get people to take responsibility for their own actions.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We need to recognise the strengths in neighbourhood teams. We are looking for solutions but there are some horrid decisions to be made.

Q. Out of 1,300 officers in Greater Manchester how many are in Tameside?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is more about what officers are doing than how many there are. If we don't get them working differently and better, then the public will not support them.

Q. Do you believe 24 hour drinking is a good idea, or are we going to return to last orders at 11pm?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Issue is that people are still fighting at 4am in taxi queues, so 24-hours drinking is a red herring. Alcohol these days is cheap and far too easily available.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We need to examine the issue of cheap alcohol. People need to start getting the bills for what it costs for being drunk and ending up going to hospital.

Q. Could savings be made if all police had the same uniforms, cars and badges?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We already get our uniforms from national contracts, but there is more we can do to find savings here.

Q. Apart from Specials, are there any other more interesting roles volunteers could have within the police?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: It is a complex issue, especially when we are making people redundant. We do want volunteers, but we need to be sensible.

Q. Police are giving a mixed message over what people can do to defend themselves and their property. People have been arrested over attacking burglars, and then some are arrested and released.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We have a duty to investigate but we will release as soon as possible once it is clear no laws have been broken. It can be a very difficult situation.

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A member of the audience also thanked the police for their hard work, particularly working with partners.

Manchester Metropolitan district

Q. Could the panel please tell us more about this move to share buildings with agencies such as the council, supermarkets etc?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Enquiry counters are important to local people and we are looking at different ways to provide a face-to-face service, for example police surgeries or locating officers in libraries. We will be keeping a number of enquiry counters open and imaginatively looking at other ways to provide face-to-face contact with the police. For example, the new Morrisons supermarket in Salford is providing two community rooms for the police free of charge.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We need to take account of people with disabilities and those for whom English is not their first language. We also need to look at the value for money aspect - if only ten people use a particular enquiry counter, is it value for money to keep it open? I think we will provide a better service - why can't the police come to you instead of the other way around?

Q. I know the role of the Community Relations Officers (CROs) is up to be made redundant due to the cuts. I feel that in certain areas CROs are vital because of the communities living there, and ask whether you are taking the same approach everywhere or whether keeping some of them an option?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is an important point. The proposal is to disestablish CROs. The complexities of our communities means that we sometimes need specialist knowledge and this is something we'll consider. In the long-term we need the confidence that neighbourhood policing teams know their communities and are able to deal with these complex problems.

Q. There is a language difficulty in this area with the Roma community, which prevents them from gaining employment. This leads them to a life of crime, and also there is a great deal of violence within these communities. How do you propose we begin to solve this?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: The only way to solve is to be local and work closely with communities. The challenge for us is to get across to government that we don't just deal with crime. We're good at detecting crime but what you've referred to is difficult to solve. We need to remove bureaucracy; for example, so that we can tackle these sorts of issues.

Q. The riots recently were an outburst because a lot of people are discontented, particularly young people. I would suggest that resources should be moved into helping young people, as taking resources away would be counter-productive.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I agree and we are determined to maintain school-based officers and working with young people. Young people tend to be cynical about authority but we are determined to work with schools. We are also concerned about the cuts to youth provision in Manchester and what impact this might have.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority scrutinises the Force, for example, stop and search figures. We also speak to communities to find out where they want police resources to focus and we will continue to do so.

Q. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are, I believe, the main link between the police and the public. I am very worried that due to the cuts we could lose them.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: At the moment PCSO funding is ring-fenced by the government - 75% of funding is from government and 25% is funded by the police authority. What is clear from these meetings is that the public want PCSOs and neighbourhood policing to continue. Our commitment to you is that, providing government continues to fund PCSOs until 2013, we will continue to fund the 25%.

Q. I believe the Domestic Violence Units are very proactive and do excellent work, and it would be a false economy to lose them.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We will ensure that this is at the forefront. We have seen an increase in reporting and GMP has refined the way they deal with domestic abuse incidents and they should be commended for this.

Q. These types of meetings - how are they being taken out to the public? Some people may be unable to attend due to work, health problems etc. Maybe there are different ways to consult?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We use a variety of ways to publicise meetings and events and there are various ways to get involved and have a say. Unfortunately we can't get to everyone but we do try to get cross-section of views.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We also have neighbourhood surveys and use the internet, such as Twitter, a lot more to collate public feedback.

Q. A lot of young people are unhappy about speaking to police officers directly, but would feel comfortable turning to the Community Relations Officers (CROs). What can be done about this?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I don't believe that there should be a split in communities. We should all live together regardless of creed, colour and race. We will look at each community and see if there is a business case for a CRO to remain there, but that isn't a long-term solution.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I believe that every single police officer should be able to develop a relationship with every community, and thereby mutual respect. Working with communities is part of their role, and we need the public to understand this. It is important that every person feels able and comfortable enough to turn to a police officer or PCSO.

A. Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, Metropolitan Divisional Commander: Students in this area ran a survey last year, and they said the exact same thing - young people prefer to talk to the CROs. The reality is that communities solve crimes, and without their help the police would struggle. I do believe it is a fair point, but I do think we are turning a corner and we need the public to feel comfortable talking to the police about everything.

Q. I was wondering what the panel thought about the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) proposal, as I am concerned this will politicise the police?

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The concept of the PCC - one person doing the work of 19 people (in Greater Manchester), who work extremely hard - is preposterous. Policing is far too important for politics to be involved. That person would be looking at where his or her votes are coming from rather than what the local people want.

Q. I just want to stress the importance of the local teams and the need for them to remain in their communities for as long as possible, as people know who they can turn to.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We have rolled out neighbourhood policing across Greater Manchester and we are looking at putting more officers at a local level. Officers need to know their local area. In Manchester, we have some decisions to make as the council are changing the boundaries.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: One of the downfalls of having really good officers - Inspector Damian O'Reilly, for example, is a national exemplar - is that other areas will want them or the officers may consider promotion. We need to recognise the people who stay in one area and compensate them in some way.

South Manchester

Q. A significant amount of police accountability is based on impartiality, but it is difficult to be impartial and voice an opinion about the budget cuts. Accountability also requires you to tell the public the truth about the budget and you need to highlight to the public the problems that may arise with budget cuts.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: This is the dilemma for all chief constables. But chiefs have to stay out of the party politics. What I've tried to do is highlight the dilemmas and the policy changes that will be needed in order to meet the financial challenges. Yes, there are changes we can make such as removing duplication, reducing bureaucracy and finding better ways of working. For example, if we don't find better ways of dealing with repeat missing persons, it will be more difficult to make the cuts without affecting frontline services.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: All any chief constable can do is tell the truth. In terms of the police authority I am apolitical. The police authority is run very successfully in this way and will continue in this manner. Although we do reflect the political make-up of Greater Manchester, there are no party politics at police authority meetings. We don't want to politicise policing as this brings in complexities.

Q. I used to work for a company which was struggling and in order to save the company from going under, staff had to accept wage cuts. Has any thought been made to cutting the salaries of GMP staff?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: A two-year pay freeze is in place, allowances have been removed and police officers are facing an increase in pension contributions so I think police officers and staff have already seen a reduction in their salary.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: There has been a reduction in take-home pay for police officers due to government changes. It is not within the police authority's power to reduce the wages of police officers and staff. And you could argue that following the recent disorder, police officers aren't paid enough!

Q. Do you think the required savings of 134M by 2015 is achievable? I want to go into the police but with the freeze on recruitment this year, I am unable to apply - what is the best way of going about this?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We know the exact amount of savings needed and how many staff we need to lose - this is a very painful time. And yes, we are not recruiting and I know this is a dreadful loss of talent. We are aiming to recruit approximately 50 police officers in the next financial year but this will be from the existing pool of Special Constables and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). If we don't make these difficult decisions, the police authority can't set a legal budget. We need radical changes, for example, in the criminal justice process.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: Our role is to ensure that the budget is on target which means making difficult decisions.

Q. You have not yet mentioned terrorism and the negative impact that a few individuals who hijack religion for criminal activity. What is the force doing about that?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I did mention we've developed the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, which is funded centrally. A huge amount of work has gone into this area with a number of convictions, ongoing trials, and we have people in custody at the moment. This has been highlighted as one of the key threats and we will continue to build on this good work.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: I'm the national lead on counter terrorism in the North West and I know they do some great work. In terms of Prevent, it was recognised by government that this strategy wasn't working well and money was being diverted into the wrong hands - criminal hands. The strategy has now been revised and funds for this piece of work will now be managed at a local level through local authorities.

Q. In the presentation, there was a useful breakdown of how many police officers and staff we will lose in 4 years. When will you be in a position to tell us a breakdown of staff lost on divisions and in branches/specialist services?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: At the moment it's difficult to say exactly. The current round of cuts affect various departments including intelligence, call handling and forensics. A report on this went to the police authority and is available on their website.

It's not just about police numbers, it's where they spend their time. There will be fewer police officers across Greater Manchester and we need to make sure that doesn't impact on frontline services by taking out unnecessary bureaucracy. But this will be difficult.

Read the Report of the Chief Constable to GMPA: An update on the Force's cost reduction programme 2011 to 2015.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: We will always be able to respond in neighbourhoods and the police authority is committed to neighbourhood policing. Funding for PCSOs is ring-fenced until 2013, so we do have concerns post 2013 when the government removes this funding.

Q. Do we need more CCTV, especially in light of the riots a couple of weeks ago?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: CCTV has been tremendous for us. But there is also a difficult issue because at some point I have to say we've done enough because the investigation is very resource intensive. The public need to understand that, yes, we dealt with the riots but now we have a huge, complex investigation. It's not just about identifying ‘Joe Bloggs' on CCTV. We then have to find ‘Joe Bloggs'. It's a whole specialism.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: CCTV gives reassurance to the community and provides the police with an advantage. For example, during the disorder following the Rangers match a police officer was assaulted. The police were able to identify the offender using CCTV footage.

A. Chief Superintendent Rob Potts (South Manchester Divisional Commander): We are using a variety of technologies to tackle crime and target offenders, so it goes beyond the use of CCTV. Over the last five years or so, more and more technology has come to our disposal and we will continue to use this in the fight against crime.

Q. How much does it cost to keep the plane and the helicopter? Could savings be made if we got rid of these?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: We have joined forces with other police forces to form one air force across the North West, and we have made significant savings in this area. We also collaborate in other areas, for example, there is one unit for serious organised crime. We are also looking at working with local authorities for example sharing accommodation, vehicle workshops, computers etc.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: The police authority believes the fixed-wing aircraft and the helicopter provide value for money, and as the Chief has alluded to, we have already made significant savings in this area. But we are anxious to work more closely with local authorities across Greater Manchester so we can find further savings and work more effectively.

Q. I was sceptical about the PCSOs when they were introduced, however now think they are effective - but could be more so. What consideration has been made to changes in their shifts, to enable them to work later and cover more of the 24-hour period?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I see no real reason why not but this is subject to negotiations with trade unions. There are national negotiations ongoing at the moment. If PCSOs work later they would get additional shift payments, but there is a proposal to remove this. I think these proposals go too far as we need the ability to incentivise staff.

Q. How can we make it easier for the public to report a crime? I found it difficult to access East Didsbury and Chorlton enquiry counters and was cut off when I used the telephone.

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I'm sorry if you've had a bad service and I'm sure Chief Supt Potts will speak to you after the meeting. There are difficulties in keeping enquiry counters in small stations open. We are developing the website and we continuously monitor the 5050 call answering. We will continue to develop our use of technology and welcome any suggestions from the public.

A. Councillor Murphy, GMPA Chairman: In terms of call handing, the non-emergency 101 number is coming in soon. As a police authority we also need to ensure that contacting the police service is accessible to all. We want to hear the views of the public on how they want to access the police service in the future and have launched the Policing Tommorrow website, which is a platform for you to have your say.

A. Chief Superintendent Rob Potts (South Manchester Divisional Commander): I apologise that you have received a poor service and I will speak to you after the meeting to see how we can put that right. Twelve months ago we remodelled how we deliver policing in South Manchester. At the heart of this are victims of crime. Satisfaction of victims is monitored and has improved. We are still not where we want to be and will continue to improve.

Q. Could the riots have been predicted by using magnetic resonance technology?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: I'm afraid I don't know much about magnetic resonance but we did make preparations for any potential disorder in Greater Manchester. When it did happen here, we got to a stage, particularly in Salford, where it was extremely violent. We have also had a huge amount of intelligence following the disorder but not in the run up to it starting.

Q. I would like to commend the police on the way they handled the disturbances in Wythenshawe, which meant that they did not escalate into a full scale riot. I have two questions: 1) How can we ensure that the police data captures all crime reports - some people who are uninsured may not report petty crimes/theft as generally people who are insured only report because they need a crime ref number for their insurance companies. 2) Although I am in favour of the big society and volunteering from communities, we need to be careful that it is the police who are in control of criminal activity and not vigilante groups, who take matters into their own hands. What is the force doing to address this?

A. Chief Constable Fahy: Those are very good points and I agree that we need to be careful that we don't have vigilante groups. We have made lots of arrests following the riots and some are already in prison. We also have a programme of work beyond this, including targeting security firms and door staff who we suspect of criminality. It's crucial that the police are in control and there are various ways we can target criminal groups including tax evasion or environmental breaches on their business premises. In terms of reporting crime, we have the British Crime Survey, neighbourhood surveys carried out by PCSOs and Customer Service Desks who contact victims of crime to see if they're satisfied with the service they received. It's important that we ask you if you think we're doing a good job and at the moment 85% of the public are satisfied with our service. This is an improvement and we will continue to build on this.