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Outsourcing 'has saved 700 frontline police hours'

Published: Tuesday 7 October 2014

By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

 

A force has announced that it will be outsourcing the guarding of crime scenes to a private company following a successful pilot.

Dorset Police evaluated the performance of having Securitas provide guards at its crime scenes rather than its own officers between October 2013 and February 2014.

A force spokeswoman said the firm was called out 15 times - "releasing a total of 700 police hours back into frontline services".

It has now been agreed that the arrangement - which sees the contractors arriving at serious crime scenes within four hours - will continue.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Cooper, Head of Dorset Police's Criminal Justice Department, said: “The trial was considered a success and released police officers back to the front line to perform other essential tasks.

“Following the completion of the scene guarding trial, a review has deduced that the introduction of an outsourced guarding service could release more than 3,000 police hours each year.

“Using a private company to fulfil a very small area of business more cost effectively, allows the force to reinvest policing time into other front line matters.”

A spokeswoman for the force said that the cost of the contract will vary from year-to-year as it is worked out based on the amount the company is called upon.

She added: "The cost of employing private scene officers is significantly less than highly trained police officers whose warranted powers are better served on the front line."

The firm is not called in to guard crime scenes on every occasion but as and when they are felt to be needed.

Fed acceptance

Tony Tester, Chairman of the Dorset Police Federation, said that while government cuts had led to the situation arising, officers do feel some benefit from the arrangement.

He told PoliceOracle.com: "I'm dead against the 20 per cent cuts on policing and it is government cuts which have brought us to this, but when you ask the guys and girls their opinions on it, their time could often be better spent doing something else.

"Years ago maybe it wasn't such an issue but officers are saying that there are only so many hours in the day and they have to get what they need to done."

Securitas already had contracts for similar work in Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall.

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