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Greater Manchester Police Chief Ian Hopkins resigned after the force was placed under special measures.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced that Hopkins would resign with immediate effect.
It comes after your force was put into special measures Thursday due to concerns about his inability to record more than 80,000 crimes in the space of a year.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the force had made an ‘unacceptable lack of progress’
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said in a report that it was “deeply concerned” that the cases handled by the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were closed without a proper investigation.
Burnham said the report revealed that the force had made “an unacceptable lack of progress.”
While thanking Mr. Hopkins for his service during a challenging time for the force, which he noted included the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, he said that “now is the time for new leadership and a new era in our police force.” .
When asked why it was the chief of police who resigned and not him, he said: “Because I am not running the Greater Manchester Police.
“The police service is operationally independent of politicians and for good reason. My job is different. I have to hold the police accountable for the services they provide to the Greater Manchester public, and today I am here doing my job maintaining the service of police for account.
“The moment we were presented with evidence in the report of continued failures in victim support and crime registration, the deputy mayor and I took immediate action.”
He added: “It has been a difficult week for the Greater Manchester Police. This is a difficult day. I also respect Ian … but at the end of the day, what matters is the public trust in the Greater Manchester Police.
Burnham said that Hopkins had supervised GMP during a challenging period that took place in the Manchester Arena terror attack.
Deputy Chief of Police Ian Pilling will assume the operational duties of chief of police before a full hiring process, Burnham said.
In a statement, Mr Hopkins said: “These are challenging times for the Greater Manchester Police. The force has a long-term strategic plan to address the issues raised by the HMIC and I believe this plan should be led by a Chief Police that you can supervise from start to finish
“Considering what is best for GMP and the communities we serve, and given my current poor health, I have decided to step down as Chief of Police with immediate effect.
“It has been an honor serving the public for 32 years, nearly 13 of which as CEO of GMP. Throughout my career, I have been committed to achieving the best results for the people I serve. The decision to resign It is not one I have taken lightly, but I feel the time is right.
“I was scheduled to retire in the fall of 2021 and moving that date forward helps in the timely hiring of my successor.
“I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues and to the many dedicated officers and staff with whom I have had the privilege of working throughout my service.”
The report released by HMICFRS last week found that GMP did not record one in five crimes between July 2019 and June 2020.
They estimated that around 80,100 crimes had not been adequately dealt with, including a high proportion of violent crimes.
