Unwise G4S Plan to Outsource Police Support Work Scrapped After Liberal Democrat Pressure

Last October and November Liberal Democrats campaigned strongly against the "unwise" plan by the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner. County Councillor Nick Hollinghurst who spoke twice at Council meetings at County Hall said "Apart from G4S's lamentable performance with Olympic Games security, we have to remember they are a large multi-national corporation. They run prisons, courts, police administration, prisoner transport and support services. It is unwise to hand over yet another part of Britain's criminal justice system to an international private business with, some say, already too great an influence in UK policing."

However, Tory Commissioner Cllr David Lloyd finally took heed of the criticism and backed down, scrapping his unpopular and inappropriate plan.

But the question now being asked is how the conservatives will now balance the books? The G4S scheme had been their one and only plan to achieve much needed financial savings.

Liberal Democrat County Councillor Chris White said, "The Liberal Democrat Team are watching the police budget very closely. Significant savings need to be made - even more so now that the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner has appointed himself a Deputy. This means that Herts Police now have to find an extra £20,000 a year to pay for this additional two-days-a-week post.

Front line police numbers must not be cut to balance the books, especially when the Crime Commissioner and his Deputy are pocketing £95,000 a year in salaries plus expenses."