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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/05/search-murdered-student-delayed-four-hours-officer-shortages-watchdog
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Search for murdered student delayed by four hours 'due to officer shortages' | Search for murdered student delayed by four hours 'due to officer shortages' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The search for a murdered college student was delayed for four hours because there were “simply no officers available”, the police watchdog has found. | The search for a murdered college student was delayed for four hours because there were “simply no officers available”, the police watchdog has found. |
| Ellen Higginbottom, 18, was reported missing at 7pm on 16 June 2017 and graded as a priority response, meaning officers should attend within an hour. | Ellen Higginbottom, 18, was reported missing at 7pm on 16 June 2017 and graded as a priority response, meaning officers should attend within an hour. |
| However, a shortage of officers meant they were delayed 13 times and only dispatched at 11.30pm, four hours after the initial call, when Ellen’s father telephoned Greater Manchester police (GMP) to request an update. | However, a shortage of officers meant they were delayed 13 times and only dispatched at 11.30pm, four hours after the initial call, when Ellen’s father telephoned Greater Manchester police (GMP) to request an update. |
| The teenager was found “savagely” murdered in the early hours of the following morning after a sexually motivated attack at a beauty spot in Wigan, Greater Manchester. A criminal investigation found that she had died before she was reported missing. | The teenager was found “savagely” murdered in the early hours of the following morning after a sexually motivated attack at a beauty spot in Wigan, Greater Manchester. A criminal investigation found that she had died before she was reported missing. |
| Mark Buckley, 52, was jailed in September for a minimum of 31 years for the “chilling” attack on the A-level student, who was fatally assaulted while walking alone through Orrell Water Park after revising at college. | Mark Buckley, 52, was jailed in September for a minimum of 31 years for the “chilling” attack on the A-level student, who was fatally assaulted while walking alone through Orrell Water Park after revising at college. |
| The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigated the force’s response to the murder, concluded that a lack of resources contributed to the delay in searching for the student. | The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigated the force’s response to the murder, concluded that a lack of resources contributed to the delay in searching for the student. |
| Amanda Rowe, the IOPC director for the north-west of England, said: “There were significant delays in dispatching officers, and clear evidence that there were simply no officers available.” | Amanda Rowe, the IOPC director for the north-west of England, said: “There were significant delays in dispatching officers, and clear evidence that there were simply no officers available.” |
| The IOPC investigation found that the the missing person report was flagged as a priority on the police national computer 15 minutes after it was reported. | The IOPC investigation found that the the missing person report was flagged as a priority on the police national computer 15 minutes after it was reported. |
| But investigators said all available officers were already dealing with other priority incidents, meaning dispatching officers to look for Higginbottom was delayed 13 times. | But investigators said all available officers were already dealing with other priority incidents, meaning dispatching officers to look for Higginbottom was delayed 13 times. |
| The watchdog criticised three police call handlers for failing to follow “escalation policy” because they only escalated the incident once. Their performance, investigators concluded, was “unsatisfactory and fell below the expected standard”. | The watchdog criticised three police call handlers for failing to follow “escalation policy” because they only escalated the incident once. Their performance, investigators concluded, was “unsatisfactory and fell below the expected standard”. |
| However, the IOPC said there was insufficient evidence to prove misconduct against the three call handlers. It said GMP had decided to remind call handlers of the force’s escalation policy rather than take formal action against them. | However, the IOPC said there was insufficient evidence to prove misconduct against the three call handlers. It said GMP had decided to remind call handlers of the force’s escalation policy rather than take formal action against them. |
| Rowe added: “Firstly, I would like to reiterate our thanks to Ellen’s family for their assistance with our investigation, and the courage they have shown since her tragic death, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with them. This is a most harrowing case, and our investigators worked hard to ensure our involvement could be concluded as quickly as possible. | Rowe added: “Firstly, I would like to reiterate our thanks to Ellen’s family for their assistance with our investigation, and the courage they have shown since her tragic death, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with them. This is a most harrowing case, and our investigators worked hard to ensure our involvement could be concluded as quickly as possible. |
| “It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions to this case. While we believe there were errors in following force policy, delays may still have been inevitable given the number of high priority incidents that day. | “It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions to this case. While we believe there were errors in following force policy, delays may still have been inevitable given the number of high priority incidents that day. |
| “Unfortunately in this case there is no simple answer, but we hope every effort is made in future to escalate such incidents. At the very least, the public should be reassured that if someone is reported missing, action will be taken as soon as possible.” | “Unfortunately in this case there is no simple answer, but we hope every effort is made in future to escalate such incidents. At the very least, the public should be reassured that if someone is reported missing, action will be taken as soon as possible.” |
| Chris Sykes, GMP’s assistant chief constable, said the force acknowledged the IOPC’s report and “recognise that the search for Ellen was delayed due to staff resourcing”. | |
| “Unfortunately Greater Manchester Police have lost 2,000 officers due to funding cuts, all the while our work has become more demanding,” he said. “Managing this demand with reduced resources is extremely difficult and it is sometimes a challenge to allocate resources to incidents.” | |
| Sykes said that while the teenager’s death could not have been prevented if the search had begun earlier, the delay “clearly caused extra stress and worry to her family and friends, for this we can only apologise”. | |
| He added: “We will continue to do our best to provide the people of Greater Manchester with the service they want and deserve, and take the findings of the IOPC report very seriously.” | |
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