No to outsourcing in Herts police

Hertfordshire police force are considering out sourcing again after the G4S contract bid was dropped out sourcing has crept back on their agenda. All efforts must be made to prevent these first steps towards privatisation. An existing Herts Police arrangement with Beds and Cambs’ forces is to be dropped while police and crime commissioner David Lloyd searches for savings. In a statement leaked by Herts Police Unision commissioner Lloyd states: “Work [is] underway to seek further collaboration opportunities beyond those already underway with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire (Police) will cease.” He also is quoted as saying: “Clearly there are some things that only warranted officers can and should do. But I want to ensure that all other policing services are considered for outsourcing over the next two years”. It also reveals the police will now “explore the benefits of outsourcing policing functions which do not require warranted powers”. Before the statement was sent out commissioner Lloyd, chief constable Andy Bliss, senior staff and representatives of the Police Federation and Unison met. During yesterday’s (Wednesday) meeting chief constable Bliss is alleged to have said: “If there is a better deal to be had in house, we will very seriously look at that. “However the expectation is very clear from PCC Lloyd that we will be going out looking at market opportunities.” Herts Police Unison want commissioner Lloyd to look “in house” for savings and think costs could be cut internally. A union spokesman said: “All Hertfordshire Police Staff and Officers have worked tirelessly over the last three years to implement savings not only through the collaboration of services with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire but internally within Hertfordshire Constabulary alone. “We believe there are still more opportunities to make savings internally and we strongly urge PCC Lloyd to give the staff and officers of Hertfordshire Constabulary the chance to do this first before outsourcing services. “In public service we feel morally obliged to do what is right and necessary to help those affected by crime, in private enterprise the only imperative is to service contractual obligations and thereby maximise profit.” The announcement follows a failed outsourcing bid with private All sounds quite concerning what the unison guy says words like collaboration and finding cuts in house rather than out saucing show a sign of a union who is more bout finding compromises than actually standing up for its members. Just shows the urgent need to transform that union to a fighting left union. But we will have to watch this one closely as privatisation in our police seems to be back on the table and being seriously considered.

Policing on the cheap in Hertfordshire

It’s been revealed today that new recruits in Hertfordshire’s police force will be earning 2 thousand pounds less than they used to according to new plans unveiled today. The Tory Police and Crime Commissioner who never miss’s an opportunity to have his voice in the media has been speaking out today. Herts Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd HERTFORDSHIRE’S £75,000-a-year police chief supports the reduction of a constable’s starting salary to £19,000 per annum. Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has backed the national plan to reduce new officer’s salaries, despite his Surrey and Hampshire counterparts going against the proposals and offering a higher amount. New constables joining Herts Police will now be on £2,000 a year less than before the recommendations on reform, made by the Police Arbitration Tribunal, and were accepted by Home Secretary Theresa May in January. Speaking at a meeting of Braughing parish council last Thursday, Mr Lloyd said: “I believe in the market. “You will still have 50 people applying for every job at £19,000. “They get a bloody good job, a great pension at the end and have a great career. “I think it’s a wonderful job and people are quite happy to start on £19,000. “I will look at the market if no one’s applying.” Officers in Hertfordshire will start on £19,000 if they join with no experience, but they will receive an annual regional allowance of £2,000. The package works out to £403 a week, £92 a week less than the average for the East of England. Mr Lloyd’s salary works out as £1,442 a week. Chair of the Hertfordshire Police Federation Neil Alston believes the lower starting salary could lead to narrowing of expertise in new recruits. He said: “I understand Mr Lloyd’s appreciation and worship of the free market principle, but there’s some more complex issues. “There might be lots of applicants, but they might not be the right applicants. “If you are a married person with a family to support you might not feel able to apply to join the police. “The diversity, and I mean that in every sense, may become very limited. “There might be plenty of fish to catch, but they might not be the right fish. “It’s likely to only be young people who probably live with their parents who can live on that sort of money.” Mr Alston acknowledged constables would be able to climb the salary ladder quicker than before, but he could see officers being poached by London’s Met police as it offers a greater package of benefits, including free tube travel. SO it looks like we’re doing policing on the cheap in Hertfordshire What socialists say? Police should have the democratic right to join a trade union and Fight for the right to strike For decent pay linked to average national earnings No to a two tier pay structure causing division To bring the police certainly the rank-and-file closer to the labour movement as they have more in common with workers at the lower end than the ruling c lass at the top.

Tell David Lloyd No to commercialisation of the Police In herts

Our beloved Police and Crime Commissioner not happy with coming out with other ridiculous ill thought out ideas before on charging arrested people for their night in a cell whether guilty or not has now come out with another idea straight from the Tory box of money making stupid ideas. Today David Lloyd thinks that sponsoring the police is a good way to go to raise cash for the force while the Tories force through 20% cuts to the police. Police cars, uniforms and equipment could carry sponsors’ logos to raise money for the force under a plan unveiled by Police Crime Commissioner David Lloyd. The idea for businesses to advertise through the force and even have products officially endorsed by Hertfordshire Constabulary was first proposed in Mr. Lloyd’s Police and Crime Plan. In the plan, Mr. Lloyd writes: "The strong commercial brands based in, or operating within Hertfordshire may see business sense in collaborating with me on a range of direct sponsorship and corporate responsibility ventures. "This could include sponsorship of elements of my Drive Safe initiative or sponsoring traffic calming measures outside our schools. "Finding new and innovative ways of securing funding will ensure that the people of Hertfordshire can continue to enjoy exceptional policing as well as low taxes. "I will establish a commercial unit to assess properly and implement a range of proposals to partner better with business." Speaking to the Watford Observer Mr. Lloyd expanded on the idea and said he would welcome contact from businesses interested in sponsoring the force through direct advertising. He said: "From a business point of view anything is possible. What a disgrace. Bringing sponsorship into our publically funded police to allow private business to benefit from this is an idea that we should not entertain. It no doubt is a Tory dream but no way should our police become a marketing tool for a multinational or a local business for that matter. Police although are not class neutral as we well know should not be seen to be endorsing a certain brand, company or a for profit organisation. I’m disgusted to hear of this plan. Were we told of this before David Lloyd was elected with a 14% turnout in Herts ? I’m sure if we’d all know about this he wouldn’t have even got that vote.

Opposing tory David Lloyd PCC pay for your crime idea

Our undemocratically elected Police and Crime Commissioner in Hertfordshire who received a embarrassing turnout to grant him a lovely annual salary of 80 k plus has come out with a reactionary right wing idea today. Yes this may come as a surprise but I thought it needed a response. If David is willing to debate with a local socialist I’m more than happy to oblige, I very much doubt he will have time though to speak to one of us plebs. Suspects should be charged for being kept overnight in police cells, a police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said. David Lloyd, PCC in Hertfordshire, said the "honest taxpayer" should not be forced to meet the cost. Instead criminals "should be punished in the pocket", Conservative Mr Lloyd said in an open letter laying out policing proposals. Hertfordshire Police said it was "working closely" with Mr Lloyd. Mr Lloyd said he thought "most people" would agree with his plan. Chase payment "Putting people up in cells overnight really is a very expensive part of policing and is almost always the fault of the individual," he said. "I think most people in this country would say [offenders] should pay for it, not the honest taxpayer." What an utterly ridiculous thing to come out with. It’s always the fault of the individual is it David? What about the social factors which can lead to a individual turning to crime be that through desperation addiction to drugs due to pressures of capitalist society or being driven to mental illness through work including depression and can lead to all sorts of difficulties in the community should these also be made to pay for their crimes they commit ? David Lloyd the conservative PCC in Hertfordshire who also wish’s to bring in G4S in Hertfordshire to run our police service seems to have spoken his mind in a hugely right wing reactionary fashion. He claims many people would agree with him I wouldn’t be so sure. He also claims not everyone will pay it will be something we’ll have to look at closely dam right you will it’s a ridiculous idea and something that is unworkable in so many ways. Crime for me is often a class issue like many things in society it is bound up in the class relations in society where many are left on the scrap heap with no future from a system which does not care for them. Much like with the riots in 2011 much of the sentences handed out were political trying to make a statement giving out 4 year sentences to someone who had stolen a bottle of water I ask you, seriously? I do wonder where the labour party is on this issue nationally and locally so far we’ve heard nothing from them. Given how tough they were on crime and civil liberties I wouldn’t be surprised to see them keeping quiet n this one too. Or is that the scent of hypocrisy rising again I can smell. Socialists are not against tackling crime and more often than not it’s the working class affected more so by crime but punishing criminals in the pocket further isn’t going to solve anything. How about properly funding a decent rehabilitation policy with funds for creating a future for people who fall into crime for whatever reason that may be.