English City to Outsource Some Law Enforcement Jobs

Like many cities in North America, communities in the United Kingdom are struggling to provide public services despite harsh budget cuts.

One city in central England is planning to outsource many back office police functions in a bid to save money.

From the Express & Star:

The West Midlands Police Authority has agreed to enter the first stage of a programme of work that could see private sector companies take over some back office functions in the future.

The move is part of plans to radically change and overhaul departments in the wake of making £126 million in savings over the next four years.

But Chief Constable Chris Sims has denied that the process was about outsourcing work in a way that other forces, such as Cleveland Police, had done. The North East force is to outsource its 999 call room in a bid to save £50m over 10 years.

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/10/01/private-firms-to-run-police-departments/#ixzz1ZgygI2jK

The BBC reports that not everyone is happy with the plan.

From the BBC:

Unison, which represents civilian police workers, said the changes were happening too quickly.

Charlie Sarell, regional organiser for Unison, said: “We’ve seen dramatic cuts since October of last year.

“These are not just cuts but dramatic changes in how policing is organised in the West Midlands and we don’t think it’s justifiable to put these sorts of changes through at such a fast pace.”

The private sector initiative would see West Midlands Police work with Surrey Police.