CASH-strapped West Midlands Police is secretly having to hire private security staff to bolster its stretched counter-terrorism unit, the Sunday Mercury can reveal today.
The force has been taking on private sector contractors to help out at the unit, which is based at Birmingham International Airport and deals with sensitive investigations.
Outside workers, who must undergo security services-style vetting, are being drafted in to help with time-consuming tasks including CCTV viewing and computer analysis.
The agency workers are being hired from a company called G4S Policing Solutions, an arm of global security giant G4S, which was previously known as Group 4 Securicor.
West Midlands Police began taking on agency workers for counter-terror work at the end of last year – after it announced plans to forcibly retire 1,200 experienced officers.
Ironically, many of the G4S-registered security staff taken on by the force are former West Midlands officers who were made to retire.
Among those who have had to leave in the retirement purge is Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Sawers, who headed West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit.
The force’s decision to employ contractors in this area is surprising because it is widely accepted that private sector providers should not be involved in front line policing.
In May, Prime Minister David Cameron revealed that parts of the police service could be privatised, including forensic testing and backroom office work, but the Government drew the line at the private sector becoming involved in front line policing, which includes counter-terrorism work.
Contracts
The G4S workers brought in have been taken on for six-month contracts but it is thought that some will be asked to stay much longer.
Some have worked 24-hour shifts since arriving. The nature of their work is likely to mean that they have access to some of the most confidential and sensitive intelligence regarding regional and national counter-terrorism operations.
A force insider told the Sunday Mercury: “When the Chief Constable announced that the most experienced officers would be forced to retire, they were told that their names would be kept on file.
“If any major incident occurred which might require them to be brought back temporarily, they would be contacted personally. The riots warranted that but instead the force went straight to G4S.
“It so happens that the vast majorrity of officers forced out in the past year are registered with G4S Policing Solutions. The force is probably getting some of them back at two-thirds the cost of an in-house police officer.
“They’re saving money but you have to marvel at how they repeatedly talked in public about how officers had to go to save money, when behind close doors they are quietly bringing some of them back.”
The force has also drafted in 12 agency workers from G4S to help out at incident rooms set up to investigate offences which took place during the recent riots in the region.
West Midlands Police plans to lose 2,200 posts, including 1,000 police officers and 1,200 police staff, to make savings of £120 million by 2015.
A spokesman for the force confirmed: “West Midlands Police Counter-Terrorism Unit is currently employing a small number of agency workers, approximately 10 in number, on a short-term basis.
“This is mainly to assist with the viewing and logging of computer files that were seized during a major operation last December, when nine people were charged with terrorism offences.
“While not a complex task, the volume of material is substantial and it all needs to be catalogued ahead of the case going to court.”
She defended the move, adding: “Terrorism investigations almost always involve viewing large amounts of electronic data.
“Using vetted agency workers for fixed periods, rather than diverting specialist officers and staff away from their day jobs, is a cost-effective way of ensuring this routine work is carried out to the standard required by the courts in the given time frame.”
But Shadow Policing Minister Vernon Coaker said: “I am certain people in the West Midlands would prefer experienced police officers to be taking statements, and analysing CCTV footage for counter-terrorism work.
“This underlines the fact that the Government is undermining our police forces, cutting budgets by 20% and axing over 16,000 police officers from up and down the country.
“The Home Secretary has put Chief Constables in an impossible position, and the West Midlands has been hit particularly hard. Labour will continue to push for the Government to reopen the police spending review.”jeanette.oldham@
Origin
Source: Sunday Mercury
The force has been taking on private sector contractors to help out at the unit, which is based at Birmingham International Airport and deals with sensitive investigations.
Outside workers, who must undergo security services-style vetting, are being drafted in to help with time-consuming tasks including CCTV viewing and computer analysis.
The agency workers are being hired from a company called G4S Policing Solutions, an arm of global security giant G4S, which was previously known as Group 4 Securicor.
West Midlands Police began taking on agency workers for counter-terror work at the end of last year – after it announced plans to forcibly retire 1,200 experienced officers.
Ironically, many of the G4S-registered security staff taken on by the force are former West Midlands officers who were made to retire.
Among those who have had to leave in the retirement purge is Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Sawers, who headed West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit.
The force’s decision to employ contractors in this area is surprising because it is widely accepted that private sector providers should not be involved in front line policing.
In May, Prime Minister David Cameron revealed that parts of the police service could be privatised, including forensic testing and backroom office work, but the Government drew the line at the private sector becoming involved in front line policing, which includes counter-terrorism work.
Contracts
The G4S workers brought in have been taken on for six-month contracts but it is thought that some will be asked to stay much longer.
Some have worked 24-hour shifts since arriving. The nature of their work is likely to mean that they have access to some of the most confidential and sensitive intelligence regarding regional and national counter-terrorism operations.
A force insider told the Sunday Mercury: “When the Chief Constable announced that the most experienced officers would be forced to retire, they were told that their names would be kept on file.
“If any major incident occurred which might require them to be brought back temporarily, they would be contacted personally. The riots warranted that but instead the force went straight to G4S.
“It so happens that the vast majorrity of officers forced out in the past year are registered with G4S Policing Solutions. The force is probably getting some of them back at two-thirds the cost of an in-house police officer.
“They’re saving money but you have to marvel at how they repeatedly talked in public about how officers had to go to save money, when behind close doors they are quietly bringing some of them back.”
The force has also drafted in 12 agency workers from G4S to help out at incident rooms set up to investigate offences which took place during the recent riots in the region.
West Midlands Police plans to lose 2,200 posts, including 1,000 police officers and 1,200 police staff, to make savings of £120 million by 2015.
A spokesman for the force confirmed: “West Midlands Police Counter-Terrorism Unit is currently employing a small number of agency workers, approximately 10 in number, on a short-term basis.
“This is mainly to assist with the viewing and logging of computer files that were seized during a major operation last December, when nine people were charged with terrorism offences.
“While not a complex task, the volume of material is substantial and it all needs to be catalogued ahead of the case going to court.”
She defended the move, adding: “Terrorism investigations almost always involve viewing large amounts of electronic data.
“Using vetted agency workers for fixed periods, rather than diverting specialist officers and staff away from their day jobs, is a cost-effective way of ensuring this routine work is carried out to the standard required by the courts in the given time frame.”
But Shadow Policing Minister Vernon Coaker said: “I am certain people in the West Midlands would prefer experienced police officers to be taking statements, and analysing CCTV footage for counter-terrorism work.
“This underlines the fact that the Government is undermining our police forces, cutting budgets by 20% and axing over 16,000 police officers from up and down the country.
“The Home Secretary has put Chief Constables in an impossible position, and the West Midlands has been hit particularly hard. Labour will continue to push for the Government to reopen the police spending review.”jeanette.oldham@
Origin
Source: Sunday Mercury
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