Greater Manchester Police chief scraps ‘tosh’ Citizens’ Contract
A so-called Citizens’ Contract outlining what people could expect from Greater Manchester Police has been torn up by the force’s new chief constable.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham endorsed the move by Stephen Watson, who was appointed in May.
Under the scheme, the force implied not all crime could receive the same focus due to strained resources.
Mr Watson told the Manchester Evening News the contract was “just complete tosh” and had been “scrapped”.
He added: “We just think it’s patronising nonsense, which pretty much tells the public, you know, ‘can you just stop troubling us because we’re really busy and you just don’t understand how hard it is for us’.”
The Citizens Contract was introduced two-and-a-half years ago as a way of balancing squeezed police resources with increased public demand.
The contract will now be replaced following a consultation.
When asked about the chief constable’s remarks, Mr Burnham said: “We are very much with the chief.”
He said the head of the force had the right to put his “stamp” on the organisation and agreed with the idea that officers should be investigating all crime.