Police spend £100k on story telling sessions

Mike Keegan

February 08, 2010

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Police bosses have been slammed for spending £100,000 on ‘storytelling sessions’ for 200 top cops – as hundreds of beat bobbies face the axe.

Greater Manchester Police was branded the ‘Ministry for Silly Ideas’ after news of the primary school-style bonding events emerged.

Detectives were encouraged to share tales of successful investigations in an event branded ‘Operation Jackanory’ by officers who took part.

The sessions were supposed to improve policing, with the lessons learned pasted on a cartoon storyboard to form a ‘business strategy’. But one source said officers who participated believed it was a waste of time.

News of the courses comes after GMP proposed to shed 300 police posts and a further 150 civilian jobs to cut costs.

It follows the M.E.N. exclusively revealing that officers will be made to wear name badges to improve ‘customer service’ at a cost of £21,000.

Consultants Storytellers Ltd were hired by Chief Constable Peter Fahy to host the sessions at the Piccadilly Hotel in the city centre last May.

The firm promise to ‘help business leaders connect their people to strategy, vision, values and change through the art of storytelling’.

Police Federation spokesman Ian Hanson said: “GMP is becoming the Ministry for Silly Ideas. I find it incredible that the chief constable is trying to slash hundreds of police posts in an attempt to reduce costs but seems to find the money for these kinds of activities.

“They need to ask the people of Greater Manchester whether they want officers on the beat or in a hotel telling stories.”

GMP human resources officer Julia Rodgers defended the sessions. She said: “GMP is committed to providing the best possible service for local people. It is essential that all staff are aware of the priorities and what is required from them to ensure we can be effective.

“The activity is the latest phase of work to tackle the issues that affect local people and ensure we can make a difference to the quality of life in Greater Manchester.”

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Moorlok, London (08/02/2010 at 09:48)

I laughed, then I cried!!!......I'm lost for words at the profligacy and ineptitude of Manchester's police force!!

God help the law-abiding taxpayer!!!

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (08/02/2010 at 09:51)

I must get into this "Consultancy" thing...
It seems most lucrative

Ace Riley, outsidethebox (08/02/2010 at 10:19)

Ive just had a thought they should have invited "john cleese" to instruct them on silly walking.That would have been cheaper and would give the public a laugh..........that would work to break the ice.

Ross (08/02/2010 at 10:29)

“Once upon a time there was a chief constable who had no idea what he was doing.”Enough is enough Peter do the decent thing and quit.

Ace Riley, outsidethebox (08/02/2010 at 10:35)

The best way to slash costs and get the public back on their side is to get rid of all the paperwork and put the copper back on the street not sat in a car or sat behind a desk forever filling in forms.the officers paperwork should be cut along with the PC brigade.

Ace Riley, outsidethebox (08/02/2010 at 10:38)

Weve got a CLOWN HALL and now we have noddy and big ears for a police force.what more would we want in "TOYTOWN".aLL WE NEED IS RED AND YELLOW POLICE CARS.

thoughtful, East of Manchester (08/02/2010 at 10:39)

It's almost like fiddling while Rome burns. Is there no end to the incompetence at GMP? You can bet that this kind of idiocy would not be happening if it was privatised, and if they were paid by results, we'd have a much more efficient service. Just look at what they can do when they are incentivised like this - speeding they get paid speeders get caught. Perhaps if they were paid for catching burglars they'd concentrate on catching more?

Mark,Radcliffe. (08/02/2010 at 11:09)

This will be in case any of those 'Senior' Officers get called to give evidence.

Mark,Radcliffe. (08/02/2010 at 11:24)

Why was the Piccadilly Hotel used ? Sedgeley Park promotes itself as a Convention Location,and yet the Police dont use it.Excuse me,but this is now beyond a joke.

Rob Wilson (08/02/2010 at 11:54)

Laura Norder, Didsbury, your comments on this would be appreciated as you seem to think GMP can do no wrong.

Pushkin (08/02/2010 at 12:05)

Ace. Don't laugh. John Cleese does actually appear as an actor in quite a few management development courses.

Deejay, Bury (08/02/2010 at 12:22)

I wasn't aware that "fighting crime, protecting people" extended to story-telling.

Oh wait a minute... that's all Faky and his cronies have done doe the last 2 years.

PW, Manchester (08/02/2010 at 12:40)

We all go on similar types of courses at work, and come away thinking it was a waste of time and employers' money.

tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (08/02/2010 at 13:34)

Once upon a time there was this Police Force, but instead of catching naughty people and sending them to bed without any supper. Instead spent thousands of pounds on pathetic consultants and watched all the naughty people running wild!

Belrock, England (08/02/2010 at 13:41)

"Detectives were encouraged to share tales of successful investigation"

Well, that will have taken care of a couple of hours, I wonder what they did for the rest of the week, bet it wasn't catching high profile criminals.

BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (08/02/2010 at 13:45)

SO WE KNOW WHERE OUR TAXES ARE BEING SPENT NOW DONT WE,HOW VERY SILLY IS GMP.

Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (08/02/2010 at 13:49)

Are you sitting comfortably, then we'll begin. Once upon a time, there was a police force, the envy of the world and now they seem to sit in offices most of the time or in cars parked up at the side of motorways looking for easy targets and the scrotes lived happily ever after ... the end

Mrs Jammy, Sitting on the settee (08/02/2010 at 13:50)

Story telling..........these are real cops your're talking about aren't they and not just 5 year olds in fancy dress? How ridiculous.

jordy, Middleton (08/02/2010 at 14:10)

Story telling? Fahy, you're wasting money on this? Of course he is, he lost touch with reality a long while ago. Pathetic, really pathetic. All he seems to be doing is cosmetic exercises, such as the name badges, whilst the criminals are rubbing their hands with glee due to the cut backs. If he can't prioritise his force, he's not fit to run it.

pigroast, manchester (08/02/2010 at 14:34)

These companies that sell all this to gullible employers must be laughing all the way to the bank. What a total waste of money, but then again everyone is so terrified of appearing to be un-PC. Ah well at least my council tax is being spent well, I wonder if it will go up again in April????

J smith (08/02/2010 at 15:17)

i see the GMP does not want to be staffed by UN-PC police officers.(see what i did there)

I Am Cornholio (08/02/2010 at 15:41)

Its not a business and never was, so why do they treat is it like one,
Its a police FORCE and thats what it needs to be, rather than some namby pamby
customer service business theye are trying to turn it into,

The Lone Ranger (08/02/2010 at 15:50)

This type of carp is nothing new. For the countless years I have been a police officer, I have attended Sedgley Park and other training events, for obligatory re chipping in the corporate way, and come away feeling that I have been dealt with like a child, knowing that I've wasted however many hours of my life. They bring outsiders in to teach us, but they rarely know anything about policing. They may be great for the Tescos of this world, but for police officers, a total waste of money. Unfortunately however, when you have commanders trying to climb that greasy pole, who's only interest is self interest, they see this as a good idea, trying to make the police more customer based, like Fahy has said, he wants us to be like Amazon. Fine you do that, but, you will never get policing back on track. It's gone too far as it is I believe anyway.
Roll on retirement!

Turkey Twizzler (08/02/2010 at 16:41)

The levels of incompetence and money wasting ideas by GMP's hierarchy is jaw dropping.
So GMP is skint and has been told to pull its socks up in 90 days because of its poor performance and management and along comes another bombshell like this in the wake of future redundancies and recruitment freezes. But not to worry, GMP will spend thousands on fancy name badges to compliment the tacky casual look uniforms.

Because they have put the hold on future recruitment, along comes a massive recruitment campaign for special constables because they dont have to pay them, suprise suprise!!

I have an idea to save GMP money, get rid of all the Police Officers sat behind desks doing roles that a sworn constable is not needed for and get them back on the streets. The dead wood at places like Chester House and divisional Headquarters is frightning. Lazy Cops creating stupid new ideas and procedures, which makes the lives of the front line coppers unbearable so they can justify there cushty little positions. The best part of it is these 9am till 5pm Office Cops get paid the same as a frontline Cop because shift allowances are incorporated in their wages.

Jay B, oldham (08/02/2010 at 16:57)

like i said before. there was something fishy about they way the police seem to be needing to cut costs as they couldnt cope on their current budgets. now we know why!

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