Lincolnshire Police staffing contract with G4S will not be extended, says commissioner

Lincolnshire Police is to end a £22million a year staffing contract with a UK security company, rather than extend it for another five years, it has been confirmed today (Tuesday).

G4S, which has been providing a range of operational and business support services to the county's force since April 2012, has been told that its contract will not be renewed beyond March 31, 2022.

The decision not to extend the contract until 2027 was made by police and crime commissioner (PCC) Marc Jones who said it would give the force "new opportunities to improve the services we provide for the people of Lincolnshire".

Mr Jones thanked G4S for "a decade of committed and valued service" for the people of Lincolnshire and revealed that a one-year extension of the contract could be considered, subject to work by the force on how its services could be provided in the future.

Mr Jones said: "My decision is absolutely no reflection on the value of the services G4S has provided to Lincolnshire Police, or the committed and hard-working individuals who have worked for the company on behalf of the county.

"G4S and its staff have provided a decade of committed and valued services.

"But as part of my drive to provide the most effective and efficient modern policing service in the UK, it is vital that we are fleet of foot in how we deploy staff and develop services.

"It is also imperative that we do so within our budget."

G4S currently has about 580 people providing services for Lincolnshire Police, including staff in the Force Control Room, Firearms Licensing, Crime Management Bureau, Custody Detention Officers, IT and Estates Management.

A transition team will now be put in place as the force works to ensure that its plans for the future provision of services will meet the needs of the county within its £133million budget.

Mr Jones said: "The pace of change in technology, criminal activity and demand for services is much quicker than it was even a decade ago and it is crucial that we have a force able to quickly respond to these changes."

The PCC has now asked the force to look at a variety of options, including moving some services back "in-house", working with other forces or public sector organisations and awarding contracts to commercial suppliers.

The possibility of creating a wholly-owned subsidiary to run some services will also be examined, with a one-year extension to the G4S contract may be considered to give time to create alternative arrangements.

Mr Jones said: "I am confident that this decision will provide us with new opportunities to improve the services we provide for the people of Lincolnshire, ensure we invest as much as possible in the frontline and continue to keep out communities safe."