CAMBRIDGESHIRE police is under more pressure to abandon its plans to outsource backroom functions to G4S.
Unison’s Cambridgeshire representative Dave Craig has called for the plans to be dropped in the wake of the private firm’s failure to provide 10,000 security staff for the Olympic games.
“G4S failed because of problems with their infrastructure, computer systems, and backroom staff and if they get the contract what’s to say that it won’t fail for us here?” said Mr Craig. “We can’t bring in the troops like the Olympic organisers can.”
A Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire joint working group is investigating the possibility of adopting Lincolnshire police’s model of using G4S to outsource support services – a move to help plug a �73million shortfall in the three counties’ budgets.
The services, which include estate and facilities management, business support, records and information management, and procurement, currently cost the three forces �77million a year and employ more than 1,100 people.
Simon Parr, Cambridgeshire police chief constable, along with his counterparts in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, sent a report to the working group in which they raised concerns about the private security firm’s ability to supply staff.
The working group discussed the report at a meeting on Monday (July 23) and ordered further work to “explore the ability of the contract and contractor to meet the specific needs to the forces”.
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