Kate Green reappointed as Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor
Kate Green has committed to delivering what matters most to local people as she is reappointed as Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for policing, crime, criminal justice and fire.
Kate was unanimously appointed into the role for a second term by the Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel yesterday (Tuesday 14 May) after initially taking up the post in January 2023.
Addressing the panel, Kate pledged to continue building trust and improving culture in our police and fire services; tackling inequality and disproportionality in the justice system; and improving outcomes for young people, particularly those at risk of harm.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“Kate has given distinguished service to this country in the voluntary sector before entering parliament as a very respected MP. Kate understands our communities in detail and how public service reform can lead to better outcomes for the criminal justice system.
“As Greater Manchester evolves as one system, I need the Deputy Mayor to share my approach and I am still a firm believer in being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. It’s often the communities who have life hardest and some of our poorest communities who suffer most from the effects of crime and they deserve strong and proactive but accountable policing and I know Kate embodies that same approach.
“I can’t think of anyone – not just in Greater Manchester but in the country – that possesses the level of experience that Kate does from a grass roots level, such as working with families in poverty, to working with ministers at the highest level in government.”
Deputy Mayor Kate Green said:
“I am delighted and honoured to be able to continue this vital role on behalf of the Mayor of Greater Manchester to help build safer, stronger communities across our city-region.
“Our fire and police services have come a long way in recent years with many successes to be proud of. But we will not rest on our laurels – I will continue to work with the Chief Constable, Chief Fire Officer and colleagues across our services to build on the progress in recent years and further improve culture and public trust.
“The voice of our communities across Greater Manchester is more important than ever and this year there will be a greater focus on engaging with the public and our partners to gather views on policing and crime, and fire and rescue priorities to ensure they meet the needs of everyone in our diverse city-region as we develop refreshed policing and fire plans for 2025 and beyond.”
During the first 17 months in post, Kate has overseen significant improvements to leadership, culture and performance in both Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) – with GMFRS named as ‘Emergency Service of the Year’ by national trade publication FIRE Magazine, and recently becoming the most improved and one of the best performing fire and rescue services in the country following the latest His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report.
The Deputy Mayor has also overseen the transformation of Greater Manchester’s Victims’ Service, bringing on board a new provider in autumn 2023 to improve support for victims of crime, with the launch of a new digital platform planned later this year that will further improve support for victims during their journey through the criminal justice system.
Work through the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has seen a 17 per cent reduction in hospital admissions for knife-enabled assaults in the year to June 2023 compared with the previous year; more than 1,000 referrals to the Greater Manchester Navigator service to help young people cope and recover from violence; and homicides are down by 27 per cent.
Following extensive public engagement, the 10-year Greater Than Violence Strategy was launched at the end of last year to drive further reductions in violence and tackle its causes.
The 10-year Gender Based Violence Strategy has already seen the Deputy Mayor establish a Lived Experience Panel to support decision-making; secure and award over £5m to support local GBV programmes; and deliver a new phase of the award-winning #IsThisOK campaign, which reached more than 4.2m people and made more than half of the men and boys surveyed think differently about attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls.
This year there will be a focus on areas including employment, education, and transport.
Alongside this, the Deputy Mayor has:
- refreshed the Greater Manchester Ethics Committee and appointed a new chair;
- worked with GMP on plans to reduce retail crime and support shopworkers;
- launched a public consultation on a new Hate Crime Plan; and
- is playing a leading role in delivering the Vision Zero Strategy, which aims to end all road deaths and serious injuries on our city-region's roads by 2040.
Chair of the Panel and Rochdale Councillor, Janet Emsley, said:
“I’ve been pleased to work with Kate over the past 18 months and pleased that is going to continue. We know Kate has a strong team in place and the improvements that we have seen will continue with her strong leadership.”
Article Published: 15/05/2024 15:11 PM