Evidence given by the Home Secretary to the Home Affairs Committee
Can someone decode the following?
Taken from Issues and Challenges: The Viewpoint of West Midlands Police Authority p11 para 4
So who does provide custody facilities for Staffordshire Police?
Case study: Staffordshire Police
The Staffordshire Police northern custody facility became operational in 2005 providing centralisation of policing services across North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. G4S operates and maintains the facilities as well as providing a complete range of support services, which includes carrying detainees to and from the facilities and between police forces.
“The flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile is always there; our Custody Manager states that we get a better level of service from G4S CDO’s than we ever got in-house.”
Staffordshire Police spokesperson
Gargi Bhattacharyya ‘On human rights, Private security corporations and policing privatisation’
Gargi Bhattacharyya speaking on behalf of West Midlands against Policing for Profit speaking at the Public meeting ‘No Private Profits from Policing’ held on 27th September 2012 in Birmingham.
Dave Stamp speaking ‘On the death of Jimmy Mubenga and the treatment of asylum seekers by G4S’
Dave Stamp from ASIRT speaking at the ‘No Private Profits from Policing’ Public meeting on 27th September 2012 on the the treatment of asylum seekers by private companies contracted by the state.
Tory boy Matt ‘Zero tolerance’ Bennett supports privatisation of policing services
Forthcoming PCC Hustings meetings
Birmingham
Organised by Moseley Forum
Date: 7pm on Wednesday 17th October
Venue: St Columbas Church B13 9DD (corner of Alcester Road and Chantry Road)
For more details: http://www.moseleyforum.org.uk/?q=node/293
Birmingham
Organised by BRAP
Date: Thursday 18 October
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Venue: Handsworth Community Fire Safety Centre, 41 Rookery Road Handsworth, Birmingham B21 9QU
For more details:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2f74641cf124f7a1e6c908332&id=e4cbcadebf&e=caf7119a0e
Coventry
Women’s Question Time
Organised by Coventry Women’s Voices
Date Wednesday 31st October 2012
Time 7 to 9pm
Venue Coventry Council House
For more details:
Birmingham
Organised by Birmingham Trades Union Council
Date: Thursday 1st November
Time: 8pm
Venue: Birmingham Council House
Birmingham
Event: West Midlands Hustings
Organised The Drum
Date: 6.30pm Wednesday 7th November
Venue: The Drum, Potters Lane, Aston
Please let us know of any further meetings taking place.
Business partnering a ‘disaster from the start’
Bob Jones was asked his position on the Business Partnering for Policing programme should he be elected Police and Crime Commissioner on the 15th November.
Police and Crime Commissioner candidates called to sign the ‘No to privatisation pledge’
Take the pledge!
Anti-privatisation campaigners have called on the candidates standing for election for the post of Police and Crime Commissioner to pledge not to privatise any policing service if elected. West Midlands against Policing for Profit will launch the pledge at a public meeting to be held on Thursday at Birmingham Council House.
All the current candidates including Bob Jones for Labour and Matt Bennett for the Conservatives have declared themselves opposed to the current Business Partnering for Profit programme. The Business Partnering for Profit contract offered a lucrative potential contract of £1.5bn to private companies to provide policing services including Custody and Forensic services.
The Campaign wants a clear commitment from the PCC candidates that they will oppose all future privatisation of policing services and will be asking them to sign a pledge. The two part pledge reads:
‘1. If elected all Policing services will remain publically provided and retained ‘in-house’ within West Midlands Police Force.
2.West Midlands Police Force will not contract with companies proven to have committed human rights abuses.’
The public meeting has been called by Birmingham Trades Union Council and will include speakers from the UNISON and UNITE representing the Police staff affected and human rights campaigners including those concerned about the treatment of asylum seekers by private security companies.
A spokesperson for West Midlands against Policing for Profit stated:
We welcome the commitment of the candidates to stop the BPP programme. Some of the shortlisted Private companies have a poor track record in their treatment of vulnerable people in their care and custody. The loss of accountability through the privatisation of policing services has major implications for civil and human rights.
We want the PCC candidates to declare their position in regards to any privatisation not just the Business Partnering Programme and will accordingly ask them to sign the ‘No Privatisation’ pledge. Policing isn’t for profit , it’s a core function of the State and there is no room for the shareholder in that equation.
Details of the Public Meeting
The public meeting will take place on Thursday 27th September at 7pm at Birmingham Council House in Committee Rooms 3 and 4. The speakers include Jill Harrison on behalf of UNISON West Midlands Police Staff Branch, a speaker from UNITE, Dave Stamp from Asirt and Gargi Bhattacharyya for West Midlands against Policing for Profit.
West Midlands Police ‘throwing good money after bad!’
In minutes of Thursday’s meeting, Surrey Police Authority members noted that potential police and crime commissioner candidates, due for election in November, were “actively campaigning” to put a stop to the business partnering plan. “It did not seem prudent to continue to invest Surrey tax payers’ money in a programme that may not reach a fruitful conclusion,” the document read.’
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7aeeeb66-f83b-11e1-b0e1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz25rVwECA7
PUBLIC MEETING NO PRIVATE PROFITS FROM POLICING!
Birmingham Trades Union Council
PUBLIC MEETING
NO PRIVATE PROFITS FROM POLICING!
Thursday 27th September
Birmingham Council House
Victoria Square
7 pm
The West Midland Police Authority is developing a Business Partnering for Policing Programme. Companies that have been shortlisted for as possible suppliers of police services include G4S, KBR and Serco – companies that have been involved in serious human rights violations. All this, at a time when the public needs the police to become more accountable and answerable.
What will handing over policing to private companies mean?
Speakers:
Jill Harrison, secretary, UNISON West Midlands Police Staff Branch
Speaker from Unite The Union
Gargi Bhattacharyya, West Midlands Against Policing for Profit
Dave Stamp, ASIRT
West Midlands Against Policing for Profit 