April 2, 2012 12.04 pm This story is over 143 months old

Civilian police staff transferred to G4S in outsourcing contract

Outsourcing: Civilian staff working for Lincolnshire Police have transferred employment to a private security company.
A police officers talks to a member of the public at an action day in Gainsborough

Private security company G4S has taken on two-thirds of the civilian staff at Lincolnshire Police, as part of an outsourcing contract taking effect on April 1.

The Lincolnshire Police Authority signed a £200 million outsourcing contract with G4S in February, providing a range of support services over the next 10 years.

Chief Inspector Steve Taylor said that for the force, it’s “business as usual”:

“As we go forward and embed our partnership with G4S, we will be looking at further efficiencies, and constantly looking at ways to increase the presence of police in communities across Lincolnshire.”

The force employed 813 full-time civilian staff, and around 544 have transferred, in a bid to put 97% of its warranted officers in frontline roles.

The services taken over include support services, ICT, finance, assets and facilities management, human resources and town inquiry offices.

As part of the deal, G4S will also design and build its own police station in Nettleham (subject to planning), with cells and office space, called the Bridewell suite

A “street to suite” initiative is being trailed as well, in which those arrested by a police officer are accompanied to a custody suite by G4S staff.

Inspector Taylor said the “street to suite” pilot is now part of business as usual and it proved extremely successful:

“[The trial] saved an awful amount of hours where police officers can be maintained to police the street whilst the support staff and G4S employees will do the transportation of prisoners safely to a custody suite.”

Around ten other police authorities have indicated an interest in similar outsourcing to the Lincolnshire model.

Related Report: BBC Lincolnshire