G4S are our saviours!
Lincolnshire Police will benefit from a planned custody suite due to be built by a private firm, the police authority claims.
G4S would build the suite and employ some of the custody staff if it wins a £200m contract.
The 10-year deal would also see the firm handle the force’s human resources, finance and fleet management.
The Police Federation has said it is cautious about the idea.
But Barry Young, chairman of Lincolnshire Police Authority, said the suite – the location of which is still to be decided – will be an investment.
“They [G4S] are bringing to the table not only their expertise and new ideas but also some investment which we simply could not make ourselves,” he said.
“That’s precisely why we’ve entered into this strategic partnership with G4S.
“Our strategic partnership, certainly, is the first of its kind in the country and there is no doubt whatsoever that G4S hope that by having a showcase here they will get further business.”
The two-storey custody suite would have 30 cells.
It is expected some duties currently handled by police officers, such as accompanying offenders to their cells and carrying out drug testing, will be carried out by G4S employees.
Thirty police officer jobs are to go in the next year under the latest budget announcement by Norfolk Police.
The £145m budget will see officer numbers reduce from 1,530 to 1,500, with PCSO numbers remaining static.
Council tax precept towards the police is set to rise by 3%, which Norfolk Police Authority said would equate to a 0.4% rise in the public’s tax bill.
Police chief constable Phil Gormley said the increase would be invested in its successful Safer Schools programme.
The latest job cuts for 2012-13 form the second year of a four-year savings plan at Norfolk Police, worth £25m.
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