Privatisation threat continues to hang over police and probation

The threat of privatisation continues to hang over UNISON members in the police and probation services, despite the success of the union’s Stop Police Privatisation campaign and others, conference heard today.

Delegates applauded the successful anti-privatisation campaigns by police force branches in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and the West Midlands.

The union’s successful lobbying of police and crime commissioner candidates had also helped to deter a number of privatisation plans.

But Jeff Grace of Eastern Region said: “These battles are being won, but the war continues against the ideologically-driven privatisation agenda of this coalition.”

Another delegate spoke of the “irrevocable damage for our members and the public” caused by persistent cuts in police and probation services.

And Helen Davies of the NEC, said that government’s desire to privatise the police ran the risk of  “transforming our society beyond all recognition.”

Ms Davies was concerned that privately contracted police services, such as those run by G4S in Lincolnshire, were not subject to investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. “What on Earth does that mean for accountability?”

But delegates were also encouraged by public support, with polls showing that two thirds of the public were against handing police services over to private companies.

 Conference called on the NEC to:

  • provide support, guidance and assistance to branches faced with privatisation;
  • maximise publicity to ensure the public are aware of the consequences of privatisation to their services;
  • ensure local branch campaigns are integrated into a national campaign;
  • work with PCCs to seek to keep privatisation off the agenda.