Gestapo Watch - Police Support Staff Auctioned Off To IBM

[TonyGosling]

BACKROOM POLICE JOBS PRIVATISED
Fri26Jan08 - Bristol Evening Post

Avon and Somerset police is to privatise key sections of its civilian workforce to save money - the first move of its kind in Britain. No other police force in the country has gone to such lengths to cut costs, although others are now expected to follow the ground-breaking move.

Although the Police Authority has yet to formally sign a contract, its members last night effectively gave the go-ahead for computer giant IBM to run a number of its key departments.

Although the details have not yet been released, it is thought the deal will mean that the force's finance, IT and human resources departments will all be privatised. It will not affect frontline policing or the way 999 calls are answered.

Following 15 months of intense negotiations, the force will join Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council. Both councils have already signed up to the £400 million partnership.

The two councils signed a deal with [holocaust specialists] IBM last year to set up a private company, called Southwest One, to run a number of departments including human resources, IT and finance. It is understood that the deal will affect about 600 backroom civilian police employees, whose jobs will now transfer to the new firm.

There are not thought to be any redundancies expected as part of the deal and the Police Authority stressed that it wanted to safeguard jobs. The deal will be rubber stamped before the end of March.

It comes after the Evening Post revealed this week that the Government is shortchanging Avon and Somerset police by almost £60 million, which is likely to lead to a substantial council tax increase in April. Unions were expected to give this latest announcement a mixed response.

Unison, the biggest trade union in Britain, had previously complained that it was being left in the dark about the impact such a deal would have on its members. The union was last night unavailable for comment.

The [spineless as a masonic chief-constable] Avon and Somerset Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has welcomed the prospect of privatising a number of backroom departments.

Chairman [and master of the lodge] Paul Green has previously said: "By joining this partnership, we may be able to divert money back to the front line. "As representatives of front-line officers, we broadly welcome that."

[TonyGosling]

Welcome to Southwest One, a newly formed company that aims to transform the face of public services in the South West.
Southwest One is a joint venture between Somerset County Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council and IBM. The vision of Southwest One is to enable the social transformation of Taunton, Somerset and the South West to deliver better value for money for council taxpayers and improve access to services for all Somerset residents.

Nine Directors of one IBM shell company with a Common Purpose
http://www.southwestone.org.uk/directors.asp

[TonyGosling]

Expanding the role of police staff
By Clifford Thompson - BBC News - Thursday, 7 February 2008

There are at least 50,000 support staff working alongside police officers in England and Wales. Sir Ronnie Flanagan's review says they could carry out as much as 90% of all police duties - so what do they do, and where do they work?

Sir Robert Peel was the founding father of modern policing and established the first organised force - the Metropolitan Police - in 1829.

His officers were known as Peelers, they were armed only with wooden truncheons and wore blue uniforms to distinguish them from the military, factors that led to the philosophy of "policing by consent".......

[TonyGosling]

Thousands of police face the axe due to Government cost-cutting, report warns
Review chief claims civilians could carry out 90% of the force's jobs
Daily Mail - 7th February 2008

The report claims just 10 per cent of policing work needs to be done by trained officers

Rank-and-file police officers are outraged at proposals to give much of their work to civilian staff.

A new report released today says police numbers will have to fall because of the Government's cost-cutting drive.

The review into police efficiency by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Chief Inspector of Constabulary, suggests trained officers are not needed to carry out 90 per cent of all policing duties and calls for sweeping cuts in bureaucracy and a greater use of civilian staff.

He called for civilian staff to carry out tasks, such as taking statements from suspects, so that uniformed officers would have more time to concentrate on frontline crime-fighting duties....................