Bosses Pull Plug on G4S Police Deal

Friday 1 February 2013 2:19 PM

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Published: 30/01/2013 08:19 - Updated: 30/01/2013 Quicklinks MOST COMMENTS MOST POPULAR 10:03 Top headlines Like 9 Tweet 11 Keep protest in our multicultural city peaceful, EDL told National headlines Tunnel vision to keep city on the move? Bosses pull plug on G4S police deal Traffic & travel Raymond Brown One in three Cambridge residents cycle to Cambridge work, Census reveals A controversial deal to headlines outsource police Pub venture will brew up a storm with its services to private Ely headlines own ales security firm G4S was Newmarket This house believes 'religion has a place' scrapped last night. headlines Puppy found dumped in laptop bag in The jobs of hundreds Huntingdon/St Cambridge Ives/St Neots of staff across headlines Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Royston headlines Hertfordshire forces could be saved after Haverhill headlines Today's Features the outsourcing CHOICE contract was ditched. Saffron Walden headlines The Comedy of Errors

The decision was Sport announced after a crunch meeting National sport ED ELLIOTT'S BLOG between Sir Graham Business Independent school Bright, students in the graduate Cambridgeshire’s jobs market Police and Crime What's On Commissioner (PCC) Nostalgia TRIED AND TESTED and his counterparts in Get lippy: tried and Hertfordshire and Health tested lipsticks Bedfordshire. Sir Graham Bright Beauty Sir Graham said last night: “Following a rigorous review we have come to HOMES AND GARDENS the shared decision not to proceed. Education Win tickets to the East Anglian Game & Country Training “I still firmly think working closely with other forces is the key to making Fair! the savings needed in the future. Fashion & Shopping

NATIONAL NEWS NATIONAL SPORT “I have always said that I am not against outsourcing completely. I will Home & Garden make any decisions about how services are provided in the future based on what is in the best interests of Cambridgeshire.” Anim al Res cue Stars out for television awards The contract with the security firm was championed by Chief Constable Obituaries Simon Parr before the crime commissioner took office in November. Blogs

Man accused of murdering student The lead officer told the News, in an exclusive interview, that “swifter and Weather harder cuts” would be forced on Cambridgeshire police if G4S was not Firm eyes up camera chain Jessops used to run key services. Sudoku Winner given 'perfect' funeral But pressure mounted to scrap the deal and calls were made by frontline Woman denies kissing footballers officers and politicians to ditch plans for the firm to run ‘backroom’ services. Missing brother and sister found

The departments earmarked for outsourcing to G4S employ 1,191 staff with a total spend of £77 million across the three forces.

Sir Graham met last night with David Lloyd, Hertfordshire’s PCC and Olly Martins, Bedfordshire’s PCC.

Mr Martins confirmed the contract had been dropped on Twitter. He said: “I can report following discussions with my Herts+Cambs PCC colleagues we have concluded Lincs/G4S contract is not for us.”

Shaun Ryan, Cambridgeshire Police Federation chairman, among those who opposed the deal, said he was delighted with the decision. He said: “Our force identity comes from the local people who work in the force and we do not want to lose that."

Cllr Shona Johnstone, who had sought the nomination as the Conservative PCC candidate but lost out to Sir Graham, tweeted: "Glad to see that @PCCCambs has scrapped this.

"I always said that it looked too good to be true and so it has turned out."

Neal Alston, chairman of the Hertfordshire Police Federation, urged the commissioners to look at other ways to save cash.

He said: "I know he was for outsourcing but I think using G4S is a bridge too far. In our view police officers and staff work as a team and are in this together and we want it to stay that way.

"There is an argument for outsourcing some services but not wholesale."

Kim Challis, chief executive of G4S Government and outsourcing solutions, said: "We have put forward a compelling proposition to the police forces of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire which would have guaranteed them savings of over £100 million over the next ten years, allowing them to meet the financial challenge of the comprehensive spending review without compromising on efficiency or public safety.

"Our proposition was to operate back office services at the volume and scale required to deliver significant savings to forces, enabling them to concentrate their resources on frontline roles: it was never about replacing police officers.

"This has already proved to be the case in Lincolnshire, where we have a successful partnership which, in less than a year, has seen us deliver savings in running costs of around 16 per cent.

"We continue to work with a number of signatory forces on the Lincolnshire Police contract, including Hertfordshire, to see how we can help them to generate the savings they need."

Sir Graham told the News that instead of using G4S, he wanted to collaborate with other neighbouring forces including Essex and Suffolk and cherry-pick expertise from different constabularies after G4S came under fire following the London 2012 Olympics debacle.

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JaneParfitt I don't know about the sandwich man but I think he looks like Charlie Drake!

30/01/2013 21:32

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Bongo Haddock, perhaps its a good thing that we now have Police commissioners, after all if the chief constables were still in charge the ink would be dry on the contract by now.

30/01/2013 19:23

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David Just imagine, after the Olympics debacle, if this scheme had been allowed to go ahead... Not saying that 'outsourcing' per se is bad (having worked for a major player in that sector) but G4S..? What WERE they thinking..?

30/01/2013 12:38

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haddock Hire G4S I mean they are a good choice they have an excellent record at not releasing prissoners, lieing about contracts, liering about security arrangements and still owe the tax payer millions...... why they havent also been investigated for fraud over their olympic ebacle is beyond me.....yet still we see morons trying to hire them Jobs for the boys eh?

30/01/2013 11:53

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CaptainSensibleCheese and pickle on wholemeal, please Graham.

30/01/2013 11:42

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