IT is a year today since Michael Todd became top cop in Greater Manchester.

Since moving from London to take up the chief constable's job, he has introduced a range of radical reforms and borne the brunt of tragedies and scandals which have hit the force.

But he says he loves the job and is here to stay.

"Working in Greater Manchester has been far better than I imagined," he said. "Despite the highs and lows this year, I love this place and I really can't imagine doing anything else."

In his first 12 months, he has shaken up the way Greater Manchester Police are organised and the way his officers work. But he has also made sure there have been changes more obvious to the general public.

He reintroduced the traditional domed police helmet for bobbies on the beat, and launched a new design and punchy logo for the livery on police cars and vans with the slogan, "Fighting crime, protecting people".

He also told senior officers to follow his example by setting time aside every month to get out from behind a desk and go on front-line patrol.

Mr Todd, originally from Essex, has been involved in a number of arrests while out pounding the streets with the rank and file.

Controversially, he ordered 200 traffic officers to stop randomly targeting people for minor motoring offences and told them instead to focus on street crime.

At a recent police authority meeting, he was able to announce that, thanks partly to a shift in resources and more focused targeting of criminals, robbery had already fallen by 18 per cent.

It has been a difficult first year. Even before his official start date last October, he was told there was a serious shortfall in GMP's budget which could involve making massive cuts.

Then, just over three months later, came the killing in the line of duty of Special Branch officer Steve Oake as he and colleagues raided a flat in Crumpsall, Manchester. Earlier this year came criticism of the force over the way officers dealt with the Shipman investigation and accusations from a judge of officers withholding evidence over the murder of David Barnshaw which led to the collapse of a trial.

In August, officers arrested an undercover journalist who had managed to get a job as a policeman in Stockport and had used a pinhole camera in his uniform on the look-out for evidence of racism in the ranks for a documentary.

But Mr Todd insists he will continue to improve the way Greater Manchester is policed.

He says his new priority is to target burglars and those who terrorise communities with anti-social behaviour, as well as continuing to push up detection rates on all types of crime with the help of intensive retraining for anyone not making the grade.

His new motto for GMP is Engagement, Responsiveness and Accountability. And the chief constable says this applies to everyone from himself to the local beat bobby.

"I want people to know that we can be responsive and I want us to tap into, engage and understand the community," he said.

When Mr Todd quit as assistant commissioner with the Met, many thought he would soon return as commissioner. But he said: "I won't be applying."
Tweet