Greater Manchester Police has apologised and accepted the recommendations of an “explosive” report into the experiences of women and girls arrested and taken into custody by the force.
Former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales , Dame Vera Baird KC, carried out the review after being asked by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham , following reports that three women had accused the force of unjustified strip searches after being arrested.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) previously denied any wrongdoing by its staff but, in a statement on Thursday, the force said they “fully acknowledge” there is “much more to do around the cultural practice of strip-search”.
Dame Vera’s report identified issues around GMP’s use of arrest, care for domestic and sexual abuse survivors, treatment of women and men in custody, use of strip-search and the handling of complaints.
The force said: “We have apologised and accepted the recommendations of an inquiry into the treatment of people in our custody that was commissioned following serious allegations in June 2023.
“While some improvements to address Dame Vera’s recommendations have already been made, we fully acknowledge there is much more to do around the cultural practice of strip-search, particularly for welfare purposes.
“We welcome an opportunity to work with national policing leads to accelerate our intention to cease strip-searches for welfare reasons, and to improve clarity and scrutiny around the grounds of a strip-search.
“It is also vital we continue to gain the trust and confidence of survivors and we are committed to ensuring all our officers have better trauma-informed training to ensure the most appropriate response is given to those who are vulnerable and need our care.”
The force added that they understand the “shock and concern” of members of the public after allegations against the force emerged last summer and said they are “fully committed to doing all we can so the public can have faith in our protection of women, girls and vulnerable people”.
Highlighting changes the force has already made, GMP said strip searches are “more transparently recorded, tightly governed and scrutinised”, that every female detainee is appointed a dedicated female welfare officer and a centralised standards and compliance team now examine between 150-200 examples of detention a month.
I was treated like a piece of meat
Maria, giving evidence to the inquiry
The force also said they are “now ‘rooting out’ and ‘booting out'” staff who are “unfit to wear the uniform”.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “To those given a voice by this inquiry who have not received the care and consideration they are entitled to: I am sorry.
“The issues raised in Dame Vera’s report speaks to a period when our a custody system under pressure not performing to an acceptable standard.
“It evidences poor systems, structures, and incivility, insensitivity and compounded by a lack of routine leadership, scrutiny, and individual examples of low standards, poor behaviour, insensitivity, and a lack of care in the face of vulnerability.
“These issues are of the utmost importance and highlight the need to maintain the highest professional standards.
“These must reflect our duty, and moral obligation, to respect and uphold the dignity of all detainees but with a particular focus on women and girls.”
He added: “We accept the recommendations in this report. We commit to implementing them fully and faithfully with a view to making lasting improvements.”
Dame Vera recommended that strip searching should be severely limited, properly regulated and fully recorded, and that custody officers should be reminded of their responsibilities for the accuracy and completeness of custody records.
In recalling her strip search, a woman given the name Maria to preserve her anonymity, told the inquiry: “The only reason they did what they did was to degrade me … If I was a man, I don’t think they would’ve done it. I was treated like a piece of meat.”
Dame Vera interviewed more than 15 people who had been arrested and detained by GMP, including three women featured in a Sky News investigation.
Custody records, detention logs, crime reports, witness statements and CCTV footage were among documents and data that were trawled through.
Dame Vera set out recommendations on domestic abuse, better custody provision especially for women, improved risk assessment and more humane and dignified treatment of all detainees, a lay presence in police custody and also on arrests.
Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, said the report makes for “difficult but necessary reading”.
“I understand that the contents of this report will cause further concern regarding the treatment of women and girls,” he said.
“I want to reassure all women and girls that your safety, trust and confidence remains a priority for the College of Policing, across all of our work.”
Former GMP detective Maggie Oliver described the inquiry as “another damning indictment of one of the country’s largest police forces”.
She said: “Dame Vera Baird’s explosive report reveals a shocking disregard for rights of those coming into contact with the criminal justice system.”
Mr Burnham said he would ask the Chief Constable to introduce a presumption against strip searching.
He said: “This is not the same as saying they can’t happen.
“But it is about creating a framework which makes it abundantly clear that they are a last resort, not an easy option and where the reason as to why there is no alternative must clearly be set out and then approved by a senior officer.
“The people who gave evidence to this inquiry are pretty much unanimous in feeling that strip searches were used as a ‘power trip’ or to demean them.
“We are not in a position to determine the extent to which it is true or otherwise but we know it is a strongly-held view and it would not be a success to see an end to welfare strip searches only for there to be a big increase in those justified on the grounds of looking for concealed items.
“Any strip search causes profound and lasting trauma for those subjected to them.
“We therefore need a new regime which restricts their use only to when they are strictly necessary.”
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