Lincolnshire police to outsource to G4S in £200m deal

Lincolnshire Police Authority (LPA) has selected security firm G4S to provide a number of services including IT to support front line policing in a £200m deal.

The LPA said that partnership with G4S will help it to better deliver operational services such as the Criminal Justice Unit and Crime Management Bureau and provide support services including HR, facilities and finance and procurement.

In a joint statement, LPA chairman Barry Young and chief constable Richard Crompton explained that the aim of the new partnership is to begin to bridge the financial gap while maintaining and improving services.

"Over the period of the contract this new approach will make significant savings, while also providing investment in key areas such as IT infrastructure," they said.

The push to cut costs follows a government-imposed 20 per cent grant cut for all police authorities across England announced in 2010, which is to be achieved by 2014/15. The LPA says that this equates to a £20.8m cut over four years for the authority.

The LPA goes on to say that the partnership is not a "total solution" to these cuts and that the authority still faces significant financial challenges but that the solution provides a good starting point.