Lincolnshire Police outsource £200m support contract

Police support services are to be outsourced to a private company in a £200m deal agreed by Lincolnshire Police Authority.

The authority has selected G4S as its preferred bidder to provide a number of services and facilities to support front line policing.

G4S will be responsible for the operation of the force control centre, HR, training, finance and custody.

Police chiefs said the deal would save the force millions of pounds.

The 10-year contract is the first of its kind to be let by a British police authority and is expected to lead to savings of £28m, G4S said.

Britain's 'leanest police'

Lincolnshire Police Authority chairman Barry Young described the decision as "probably the most significant in the history of Lincolnshire Police".

He said the contract would mean significant savings for the force and would free up officers to concentrate on operational policing.

Lincolnshire Police Unison branch chairman John Gooding said: "It ends a period of uncertainty and shows the way forward but that's tinged with sadness that it's come to this in the first place.

"A lot of members have loyally served Lincolnshire Police for many years and some are still ill at ease to be transferring allegiance to a new employer."

Chief Constable Richard Crompton said the force's priority had always been to protect the people of Lincolnshire and provide the best value for money.

"This new approach will mean that the leanest police force in Britain, which already provides its services at the lowest cost per head of population, will be able to meet the challenges laid down by the government, whilst also meeting the high standards rightly expected by the people of Lincolnshire," he said.

The force said it needed to cut £20m from its budget over the next four years.