Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), has defended his force against accusations of 'two-tier policing' while celebrating five years of dramatic improvements. In an interview following a drugs raid in Woodley, Stockport, he acknowledged public perception of bias but insisted GMP operates impartially.
Back-to-basics success
Since taking over in 2021, Watson has transformed GMP from a failing force in special measures to the fastest improving in England. Annual arrests doubled to 72,509 in 2024, 999 calls are answered in four seconds (down from 47), and emergency response times fell from 11 minutes to just over seven. Total crime, including murders and shootings, is down. A key achievement was dismantling Counterfeit Street, a notorious haven for organised crime in Cheetham Hill.
Watson, a self-confessed traditionalist, promised to turn around the force or step aside. He took GMP 'back to basics', vowing that 'slovenly police officers will not flourish'. By 2022, the force was removed from special measures.
Two-tier policing denial
Addressing claims by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and others, Watson said: 'My assurance in Greater Manchester is that the operational reality on the ground is closer to what I think people are calling for than they might perceive.' He admitted national policing policy had 'overcorrected' and that the public's perception, though not the reality, must be addressed. 'We have to double down on everything that we do to demonstrate to the public that we're impartial,' he added.
Watson criticised policing's adoption of 'the language of activism', saying: 'I happen to believe that it is okay for policing not to be racist. I don't believe that you have to use the language of being anti racist.' He urged police to avoid 'culture wars' and focus on impartiality, a principle dating back to Robert Peel.
'Anti-woke' label
Watson, dubbed 'Britain's anti-woke chief constable', said the label stems from his refusal to 'take the knee' or wear rainbow lanyards. 'Asserting professional, impartial policing without fear or favour has got me branded as anti woke,' he said. 'That seems to suggest to me that we should never play out in this particular space.'
He credited Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham with supporting GMP's success, saying: 'He has discharged his role fairly, faithfully... Andy Burnham has been part of GMP's success.'
Future plans
Despite speculation he might replace Met chief Sir Mark Rowley, Watson said: 'Right now, I have the very best job in policing. There are no vacancies out there.' He remains focused on serving the public of Greater Manchester.
