Should we sacrifice public safety to the greed of G4S?

Last Updated: December 12, 2015By


The security firm G4S has a string of controversies blackening its name, yet it wants to take over increasing amounts of police services.

The firm’s staff already runs backroom departments in the Lincolnshire Constabulary, creating the possibility of serious public safety breaches.

Staff of a private company are loyal to their firm first, and would not have the public interest at heart in the same way police services do – or at least, are duty-bound to do.

What is being proposed is another step towards privatising the police, with a view to having law guardians who serve the rich, rather than the public.

Police forces in England and Wales could save £1bn a year by outsourcing backroom services to private companies, private security firm G4S has said.

The firm signed a £200m contract with Lincolnshire Police in 2012, with G4S staff now employed in backroom roles.

John Shaw, from G4S, said it has saved the force £6m a year – and other forces could “easily” make similar savings.

The Police Federation of England and Wales said any changes should “not compromise public safety”.

Its chairman Steve White also said any savings would have to be reinvested into policing.

Source: Police cuts: G4S says private firms could save forces £1bn a year – BBC News

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8 Comments

  1. NMac December 12, 2015 at 3:41 pm - Reply

    “G4S” is synonymous with corrupt practice and negligence.

  2. philipburdekin December 12, 2015 at 3:44 pm - Reply

    When will Robocop start to patrol the streets?.

  3. Ros Curwood December 12, 2015 at 3:49 pm - Reply

    OK, How? What does G4S do differently that makes their services so much cheaper than the police can achieve? ….apart from not fulfilling their obligations that is… but then they can hide behind the protective skirts of the Home Secretary, who cannot be said to be impartial…..how did they get the job in the first place?

  4. Graham Loftus December 12, 2015 at 3:49 pm - Reply

    Steve White is naive if he thinks the savings would be re-invested in policing

  5. Dez December 12, 2015 at 4:11 pm - Reply

    I think that before any other police authority gets persuaded to follow the lemmings and the short term lure of over played savings they should ensure that this model is ruthlessly studied for the real costs and consequences in making such decisions. If they use this study to find out where the savings can be made surely other authorities can copy the same model and keep their dedicated staffing. If it’s the usual contracted out, consolidations,no benefits, min. pensions, min. wages etc etc then they will probably not be able to compete as this would be a to radical change for the established way of doing things in local government. Sure some will TUPE over despite the negatives however many good dedicated staffers will leave and you will have another poorer 111 type service. Problem is this back office service is tuned to our front line policing which may create a poorer quality seamless delivery. The money will always win and common sense will be cast aside because of the relentless Government pressure to save money no matter what. Champers continue all round for the Banker gamblers that started this mess. .

  6. daijohn December 12, 2015 at 5:02 pm - Reply

    Despite talk of efficiency and value for money and market forces – all of which are a great idea – there’s never been, in the history of man, a privatisation which helped the end user at all. If you take a thing provided by the state and give it to a private firm which needs to turn a profit, either the service has to cut or the prices have to rise. It’s maths so simple any Chief Constable could do it – perhaps even George Osborne!
    Given their track records why does this government even bother with companies like G4S?

  7. boromoor December 13, 2015 at 10:45 am - Reply

    Tories are in power, Do we have a choice?

    • Graham Loftus December 13, 2015 at 2:01 pm - Reply

      Yes, there is always a choice. The majority of voters did not vote conservative at the last election so there is already an opportunity for a Gandhi or Mandela to galvanise the non Tory voters. What’s that you say we have such a person in Jeremy Corbyn yes I know he’s the one that asks ordinary people to send him their questions to ask the Prime Minister at PMQ’s So just like 100’s of thousands of people who sign petitions to protest and the government does their very best to ignore or delay doing anything about can you imagine the effect of asking the PM on behalf of boromor, Jock Mc Scot SNP voter, Nigel from Tunbridge, UKIP voter and 30 thousand other voters, ‘why does the government continue to trust G4S given their track record?’ So boromor we do have a choice and access to a man who is willing to ask on our behalf so my challenge to you is persuade someone else to follow your example and ask them to do the same.

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