GMP chief ‘sleeps well’ after grooming report

Thursday, 3 July 2025 13:35

By David Murphy

Stephen Watson speaks at press conference for HMICFRS report into how GMP handles grooming today. Image: Sydney Morgan/LDRS.

GMP’s chief constable ‘sleeps well at night’ after the police inspectorate found cops have improved fighting grooming — but need to do more in some areas.

Four recommendations were made by the HMICFRS report, released on Thursday (July 3), which Stephen Watson said were ‘accepted entirely and will [be] implemented fully’.

But the inspectorate also praised the CSE squad, thought to be the only one of its kind in the country, for employing similar tactics used to smash drug and weapons gangs to combat grooming.

Mr Watson said that gave him ‘assurance’ GMP was on top of the ‘abhorrent crimes’.

“I’m a father, I’m a grandfather. If I were to believe that what we’re doing today is not protecting our children, I can give you an absolute past eye assurance that I would not sleep well,” he told a press conference on Thursday.

“I do sleep well, knowing full well that we’ve got some brilliant people working really hard in this space and doing the very best they can, in line with the very best practice.

“Of course, we can improve and we will improve and we’ll continue to improve. But I think our people are doing a good job in looking after those who need our help most.”

Recommendations included ensuring GMP has enough trained staff in its dedicated child sexual exploitation (CSE) major investigation team after it found 13 out of 98 ‘aren’t trained to the level required to do their job’, with some retired detectives filling in for staff shortages.

Issues were also found in securing information from councils, the consistency of ‘peer reviews’, and if GMP staff received adequate support to avoid psychological damage.

The review also revealed the force has live investigations involving 714 victims and survivors, and 1,099 suspects. Mr Watson said ‘we are seeing the ethnicity of offenders runs at 54pc Asian male’, something he called ‘a disproportionate figure’.

But regardless of background, the chief — installed to turn around a failing force in 2021 — said cops will ‘be prosecuting you to the fullest extent of the law… if you are offending against our children’.

In an effort to ‘ruthlessly pursue’ historic CSE offenders, he also encouraged past victims and survivors to come forward. He said sorry for previous police failings in 2022, and ‘reiterated’ the apology on Thursday.

He told potential victims and survivors: “The passage of time is no barrier to justice. If you are a survivor, when you are ready, we will listen and we will act as you want us to do.”