98 GMP officers under investigation or awaiting sexual misconduct hearing

Almost 100 officers in Greater Manchester Police are under investigation or awaiting a hearing for sexual misconduct, it has been disclosed.

At a meeting of the Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel on Thursday, deputy mayor Kate Green said there were 16 officers awaiting hearings in respect of sexual misconduct and 82 further cases under investigation.

This amounts to about 1% of officers in GMP, the second largest force in England and Wales.

The figures were disclosed after the conviction of Met Police officer Pc David Carrick, who served as a Met officer for 20 years before being unmasked as one of the country’s most prolific sex offenders.

Ms Green told the meeting: “This is a huge issue for all police forces, including GMP, in relation to public trust, and that’s why immediately after we knew about the Carrick conviction I asked for a report on the sexual misconduct cases that are current in GMP, so that the mayor and I could assure ourselves both of the scale of what we face and the action that is being taken.

“I think we know that the vast, vast majority of our officers do a decent and valued job in protecting the public and they really share the anger that we will all feel at the conduct of the minority of their colleagues that bring that trust into question.”

She said GMP was committed to complying with requirements from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to review vetting practices.

Carrick pleaded guilty earlier this month to 49 criminal charges, including 24 counts of rape.