Police chief: We must stop virtue-signalling online and get on with the job
Stephen Watson is among the most experienced senior officers in the country having joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1988 before going on to lead GMP.

The chief constable of Englandās third biggest police force says officers must cease āvirtue-signallingā on social media and get on with the job they are paid to do.
Stephen Watson replaced Ian Hopkins as the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in May 2021 after the crisis-hit force was placed in special measures in December 2020.
Mr Watson had blamed a āfailure of senior leadershipā for the forceās problems and promised a ādialled up muscularityā in his approach to crime, leading to GMP being moved out of special measures last month.
The public genuinely donāt care what I have for breakfast, or what my opinions are on contemporary social issues
The chief constable, who is seen as an āold schoolā police chief after banning his officers from having tattoos visible while on duty, told The Times: āUsing social media, in these very contested times, requires a particular skill.
āAnd itās a skill that we do not have. So for the most part, regardless of our intentions, we tend to use social media badly,ā he added.
āAnd actually, reaching out to communities is all too often perceived as virtue signalling. And, candidly, in some cases it is virtue signalling.ā
The chief constable, who started his career with Lancashire Constabulary in 1988, said he had looked at officersā social media and thought they should āget on with being the police because thatās what you are paid forā.
He added: āThe public genuinely donāt care what I have for breakfast, or what my opinions are on contemporary social issues.ā
Mr Watson was praised by the Home Secretary earlier this month, with Suella Braverman saying he ārejects woke policingā.
She added at the joint annual conference of the National Police Chiefsā Council (NPCC) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APPC) on November 9: āThe way to ensure public confidence in the police is to focus on getting the basics right.
āWhat I call ācommon sense policingā. The kind of policing the law-abiding majority deserves and expects.
āNo politically correct distractions, just good old-fashioned policing ā with a relentless focus on making our streets, homes and transport networks safer.ā
Ms Braverman added: āOur police officersā time is precious and the public want the police to be tackling crime, not debating gender on Twitter.ā
Mr Watson appeared to agree, telling The Times: āI think that we are better served by dishing up to the public the things that they have every right to expect of us.
āAnd to just do that constantly, consistently, and to the exclusion of pretty much everything else.ā
When he took over GMP, Mr Watson told Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and other political leaders in the region he would turn the force around with a plan to make more arrests, go after serious criminals with āreal ferocityā and investigate every burglary.
His Majestyās Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) announced on October 28 that GMP had been moved out of special measures.
HMICFRS said the force was now responding to calls more quickly, giving officers more time to focus on bringing offenders to justice and more accurately recording crime.
GMP first entered special measures after a HMICFRS report revealed the force had failed to record 80,000 crimes.
The force will be inspected again during 2023.