Ian Hopkins

{{Short description|British police officer}} {{for|the Scottish comedy writer|Ian Donald Cochrane Hopkins}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ian Hopkins | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|QPM|size=100%}} | image =  | alt = | caption = Hopkins in 2016 | order = | office = Chief Constable<br />of Greater Manchester Police | deputy = Ian Pilling | term_start = October 2015 | term_end = December 2020 | predecessor = Sir Peter Fahy | successor = Stephen Watson | order2 = | office2 = Deputy Chief Constable<br />of Greater Manchester Police | 2blankname2 = Chief Constable | 2namedata2 = Sir Peter Fahy | term_start2 = December 2011 | term_end2 = October 2015 | predecessor2 = Simon Byrne | successor2 = Ian Pilling  | birth_date =  | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | citizenship = | party = | other_party =  | height =  | partner =  | relations = | children = | parents =  | relatives = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | awards = Queen's Police Medal (2016) }}

'''Ian Hopkins''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|QPM|size=100%|sep=,}} is a former senior British police officer. From October 2015 to December 2020, he was the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.

==Career== Hopkins joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in April 2008 on promotion to assistant chief constable. He started his career in Staffordshire Police in 1989 and has served in Northamptonshire Police and Cheshire Police.<ref name="bio - GMP" /> In 2011 he undertook a three-month secondment as syndicate director for the Strategic Command Course.<ref name="bio - GMP">{{cite web|title=Chief Constable Ian Hopkins|url=http://www.gmp.police.uk/content/section.html?readform&s=179AE29A6DBCD7F780257960004859F9|website=Greater Manchester Police|accessdate=22 February 2016|date=14 January 2016|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303074108/http://www.gmp.police.uk/content/section.html?readform&s=179AE29A6DBCD7F780257960004859F9|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Deputy Chief Constable === He was appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police in December 2011 with responsibility for force performance, the Force Change Programme and corporate communications.

His GMP career was soon subject of censure: in 2013 he was formally advised regarding his conduct when he took his family to watch a Coldplay concert at the Etihad stadium on 9 June, paying for five £55 tickets out of his own pocket. When he turned up for the gig, his party was invited to sit in empty corporate seats, The Hopkins party also accepted tea, coffee and Lancashire Hotpot valued at £25.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Scheerhout|first=John|date=2013-06-08|title=Top police officer is taken to task over failure to record perks|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/top-greater-manchester-police-officer-4224978|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Date Name Gift / Hospitality Received From Description/Circumstances - PDF Free Download|url=https://travelsdocbox.com/United_Kingdom/94144532-Date-name-gift-hospitality-received-from-description-circumstances.html|access-date=2021-08-14|website=travelsdocbox.com}}</ref>

Originally, the officer’s entry on the register of hospitality and gifts stated the gig had been at the Manchester Arena, that he had only received food and drink worth £5 and failed to reflect how his party had been bumped up to a corporate section. The Investigation discovered that on a separate occasion, Mr Hopkins bought four tickets at £50 each to attend a Take That concert at the Etihad stadium on 7 June 2011. His party accepted soft drinks, tea, coffee and a glass of wine valued at £100. The officer’s original entry had failed to reflect his party had again been moved to corporate seats.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Mr Hopkins amended the entries following the intervention of Sir Peter Fahy<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

He has also added two new entries. One states he paid £65 each for four tickets for a Bruce Springsteen concert on 22 June. The party was again bumped up to better seats although no other hospitality was accepted.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The second new entry reveals Mr Hopkins accepted three tickets, one adult and two juniors, for City’s Champions League game against Real Madrid on 21 November.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The officer made a £50 donation to the City In The Community scheme to cover the theoretical value of the tickets, according to the register.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

On each of the four visits to the Etihad, Mr Hopkins accepted the hospitality from City’s head of safety and security who was a former superintendent at GMP.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Chief Constable === Ian Hopkins was promoted to chief constable of GMP in October 2015.<ref name="MEN - New CC GMP">{{cite news|last1=Scheerhout|first1=John|title=Ian Hopkins named new chief constable of Greater Manchester Police|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/gmp-ian-hopkins-chief-constable-10074252|accessdate=22 February 2016|work=Manchester Evening News|date=17 September 2015}}</ref> Controversy soon followed his appointment. On 16 May 2016, Hopkins had been present at a party for Senior Women In Policing when ACC Rebekah Sutcliffe verbally attacked a junior colleague, Superintendent Sarah Jackson. An argument ensued between the two about surgically enhanced breasts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GMP Assistant Chief Constable escapes sack after 'baring breast at colleague'|url=https://www.itv.com/news/granada/story/2017-01-30/gmp-assistant-chief-constable-escapes-sack-after-baring-breast-at-colleague/|access-date=2021-08-14|website=ITV News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Keeling|first=Neal|date=2016-08-18|title=Second senior GMP officer now facing investigation over boob bust-up|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/second-senior-gmp-officer-now-11769561|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref> Hopkins had recognised Sutcliffe was drunk and had texted Jackson to look after her before leaving the subordinate alone to face a verbal attack by Sutcliffe.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-12-01|title=Police chief's tirade about breasts ruled as gross misconduct|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/01/police-chiefs-tirade-about-breasts-was-gross-misconduct-panel-rules|access-date=2021-08-14|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Sarah Jackson left GMP shortly after the incident for Cumbria and was promoted.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chief Superintendent of Operations and Neighbourhood Policing - Sarah Jackson|url=https://www.cumbria.police.uk/About-Us/Chief-Superintendent-of-Operations-and-Neighbourhood-Policing-Sarah-Jackson.aspx|access-date=2021-09-17|website=Cumbria Constabulary|language=en-GB|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917210131/https://www.cumbria.police.uk/About-Us/Chief-Superintendent-of-Operations-and-Neighbourhood-Policing-Sarah-Jackson.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Police cuts=== Hopkins is concerned that cuts to police funding will reduce the effectiveness of the Greater Manchester Police. Hopkins maintains he had hoped for 6300 officers by March 2021 but now expects only 5709 officers, which is fewer than there were in 1975. Hopkins stated: {{blockquote|Clearly we would always look to save money without job cuts, but the reality is 83% of our budget is people and after eight years of efficiencies across all parts of the organisation – which has seen us make reductions of £183m – there would be little alternative but to cut posts, both officers and staff. (...) This would just get worse as we would have to further prioritise against threat, harm and risk, screen out more and more crime. Essentially we would just have to focus on providing a response function, a serious and organised crime capability and a custody function as the core capabilities of policing.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/23/police-chiefs-fewer-officers-treasury-shrinks-budgets-pensions Police chiefs warn of fewer officers after Treasury shrinks budgets further] ''The Guardian''</ref>}}The perception by Hopkins that GMP would struggle to cope led him to launch the "Citizens Contract" which sought to explain a reduced Police Offer.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-10-17|title=Greater Manchester Police unveils 'citizen's contract'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-45893027|access-date=2021-08-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Working together to create a safer future – GMP launches Citizens' Contract|url=https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/122986/working-together-to-create-a-safer-future-–-gmp-launches-citizens’-contract|access-date=2021-08-17|website=www.rochdaleonline.co.uk}}</ref> However, this was later described as "Complete Tosh" and "Patronising nonsense" by Hopkins replacement Chief Constable Steve Watson.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Jennifer|date=2021-08-16|title=New GMP chief scraps predecessor's 'complete tosh' flagship policy|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/new-gmp-chief-constable-scraps-21320520|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=The new GMP Chief Constable abandons his predecessor's flagship policy of "patronising, complete tosh."|url=https://technotrenz.com/news/the-new-gmp-chief-constable-abandons-his-predecessors-flagship-policy-of-patronising-complete-tosh-1064801.html|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Techno Trenz|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-17|title=Greater Manchester Police chief scraps 'tosh' Citizens' Contract|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-58246694|access-date=2021-08-17}}</ref>

=== End of Police career === Hopkins's career was brought to an end when he was forced to stand down in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-18|title=Patel attacks Burnham as Greater Manchester's police chief resigns|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/18/manchester-police-chief-resigns-after-force-fails-to-log-a-fifth-of-crimes|access-date=2021-08-14|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> GMP had undergone a HMICFRS inspection that had found they had failed to record 80,000 crimes,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-12-10|title=Greater Manchester Police 'failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-55251366|access-date=2021-08-14}}</ref> he initially sought to indicate he had voluntarily stepped aside,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-18|title=Greater Manchester Police chief to stand down immediately after force put in special measures|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/greater-manchester-police-chief-b1776281.html|access-date=2021-08-14|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> but it soon emerged that he had been required to leave office by Andy Burnham Mayor for Greater Manchester.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Statham|first=Nick|date=2021-03-17|title=Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he DID order GMP chief to resign|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/mayor-confirms-order-gmp-chief-20192440|access-date=2021-08-14|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref>

Further details emerged that even though he had been removed he had continued to claim his salary.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Scheerhout|first=John|date=2021-08-10|title=Ex-GMP chief constable paid a year's salary for less than nine months' work|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ex-gmp-chief-constable-ian-21273648|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref>

===Honours=== Hopkins was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service in the 2016 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61608 |supp=y |page=B35|date=11 June 2016}}</ref>

=== Failure to be awarded a knighthood === GMP's Chief Constables have traditionally been awarded knighthoods for their leadership.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood {{!}} Honours and Awards {{!}} The Gazette|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-60593-1881279|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}</ref> This does not include the first Chief Constable, James William Richards, who only served a brief period upon GMP's amalgamation<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of GMP 1974 – 2013|url=https://gmpmuseum.co.uk/collection-item/history-of-gmp-1974-2013/|access-date=2021-08-27|website=Greater Manchester Police|language=en-GB}}</ref> or Michael Todd, who died suddenly while still serving<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-10-06|title=Police chief died of exposure and drugs, coroner rules|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/oct/06/michael.todd.inquest|access-date=2021-08-27|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>). Apart from these, every other Chief Constable has been knighted. Sir James Anderton was knighted in 1990,<ref>{{Citation|last=Police|first=Greater Manchester|title=Sir James Anderton|date=1991-01-01|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/gmpolice1/50195450288/|access-date=2021-08-27}}</ref> Sir David Wilmott in 2002<ref name="policeprofessional.com">{{Cite web|title=Police Professional {{!}} Former GMP chief dies|url=https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/former-gmp-chief-dies/|access-date=2021-08-27|language=en-US}}</ref> and Sir Peter Fahy in 2012.<ref name="policeprofessional.com"/>

Ian Hopkins has not been knighted, as the honour is bestowed while serving (and he was effectively removed from office); it is, therefore, unlikely that he ever will be.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Statham|first=Nick|date=2021-03-17|title=Mayor Andy Burnham confirms he DID order GMP chief to resign|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/mayor-confirms-order-gmp-chief-20192440|access-date=2021-08-27|website=Manchester Evening News|language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" |- style="background:silver;" align="center" |Ribbon || Description || Notes |- |40px || Queen's Police Medal (QPM) || * 2016 Birthday Honours. |- |40px || Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal || * 2002 * UK Version of this Medal |- |40px || Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal || * 2012 * UK Version of this Medal |- |40px || Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal || |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-civ |pol}} {{s-bef | before = Simon Byrne }} {{s-ttl | title = Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police | years = 2011 to 2015 }} {{S-aft | after = Ian Pilling }} {{s-bef | before = Sir Peter Fahy }} {{s-ttl | title = Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police | years = 2015 to 2020 }} {{S-aft | after = Stephen Watson }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Ian}} Category:Living people Category:Chief Constables of Greater Manchester Police Category:English recipients of the Queen's Police Medal Category:Year of birth missing (living people)