A FORCE FOR CHANGE...

Inside the GMP clean-up

- Neal Keeling examines the cases behind the numbers

WHEN Sir Stephen Watson took charge of Greater Manchester Police in 2021, the force was in special measures and public confidence was in freefall. Four years on, 156 officers have been sacked.

It's a startling figure that marks the biggest culture shift in GMP for a generation. To Watson, it is not a crisis, but shows that his is a force that cleans itself up, no matter how uncomfortable the cases.

Last week, the M.E.N. reported how Chief Supt Rob Cousen was dismissed in his absence, 10 hours after resigning. He had been suspended on full pay for three years before a disciplinary hearing on December 1.

Cousen had been promoted by Watson from commander of Tameside to being in charge of the Manchester city centre division.

But a disciplinary hearing concluded he was guilty of gross misconduct, and that Cousen would have been sacked had he not quit. Sixty pages of character testimonials, awards and commendations did not save him.

But he will walk away with a pension - estimated at a £350,000 lump sum, and £50,000 a year. He is entitled to this as the case against him was disciplinary not criminal.

The hearing was told Cousen had pursued a “sexual and inappropriate relationship” with a junior female officer over a long period. He sent her texts “flirting” with her and seeking to meet her outside work hours. He sent the woman obscene unsolicited photos of himself more than twice. He also offered the woman a temporary post at a higher rank even though she was not qualified.

Cousen was highly regarded by some in the force but he was never going to survive Watson's new culture which is far removed from the days of former Chief Constable Michael Todd. After his death in 2008 on a Welsh mountainside, investigators looked into Todd’s liaisons with 38 women during six years as head of the force, to establish if it affected his ability to do his job.