A GMP team which focuses solely on investigating crimes of registered sex offenders has got the highest solved outcome rate in the force.
Between August 2023 and August 2024, the Sex Offender Crime Investigation Team solved 87 per cent of the crimes they investigated – a total of 408 crimes.
Out of those, 386 registered sex offenders were charged, with the vast majority going back to prison. The rest received cautions or summons.
The team, the only of its kind nationally, was formed in May 2022 to support with managing sex offenders in Greater Manchester.
But following major success, they became a permanent fixture of GMP’s Sex Offender Management Unit in August earlier this year.
Detective Inspector Marc Barker, who leads the team, said: “We understand that one of our communities’ biggest concerns is what registered sex offenders are doing post release from prison. It’s our responsibility to make sure that they are complying with their court orders, release conditions and register, and to act swiftly if they aren’t.
The team weekly charges around eight to ten people with offences linked to breaching release conditions, most of which involve issues like failing to sign on or register a new address or device.
DI Barker added: “It’s important that we treat these breaches seriously, to send a message that we won’t tolerate the behaviour, and to deter any more serious breaches, such as committing further sexual offences.
“If they are willing to breach in these ways, and think they can get away with it, they could be willing to take bigger risks, which put vulnerable people in harm’s way.”
DI Barker said the team is always able to locate registered sex offenders as their tracking methods know “no borders”. So far this year, they have taken nine people off planes.
This is due to their close connections with UK and foreign agencies, such as DWP, Immigration, Foreign Liaison Office and Interpol.
“We also put what are called ‘diffusion notices’ into Interpol when sex offenders do go abroad, as some conditions do allow for that, to ensure the countries they are visiting have all relevant information on these individuals and can take any necessary safeguarding actions”, said DI Barker.
The team is now also supporting the GMP Transport Unit, which means that sex offenders who have committed crimes on public transport in the past are known to the officers policing the network.
DI Barker continued: “Ultimately, protecting vulnerable people, in particular children, no matter whether they are in our area or not, must be our top priority.
“Our aim is to reassure the public that they can count on us to take the management of sex offenders really seriously; we have made huge strides.”
Featured Image: Greater Manchester Police
Join the discussion