A POLICE force is seeking to privatise civilian roles in a cost-cutting move designed to save jobs and protect frontline policing.

Councillor Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said members had agreed to consider outsourcing support functions involving up to 500 jobs.

Coun McLuckie said the move could generate tens of millions of pounds over ten years.

The two partners shortlisted by the authority, Capgemini/ Reliance and Steria, had already been asked to come forward with proposals for information technology posts and control room operations.

Their remit has now been extended to include other back office positions involving between 450 and 500 staff.

Coun McLuckie stressed that protecting staff interests would be a top priority.

He said all members of staff affected would be employed under their current terms and conditions, and their pension and representation rights would be fully protected.

There would be full and open access to opportunities in the partner organisation and both bidders would be required to agree to a long-term guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee (Hac) issued a report yesterday stating that working with the private sector could provide the police with expertise they may lack, value for money and a source of upfront investment.

Coun McLuckie said: “This situation is not of our choice, but we have to recognise the realities and, unless we are able to continue modernising the way we operate, in other words doing things better and smarter, we could in a very short time be facing the prospect of having to consider big cuts in both jobs and front-line policing.

Sean Price, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, said: “In this type of environment, many organisations will be looking to reduce services and staff, indeed many already are.

“This is not the way I want us to go in Cleveland Police, and I believe that these proposals have the potential to protect our people’s future and provide the people of Cleveland with an ever better service.”

Peter Chapman, Unison regional organiser, said the public service trade union had been campaigning against the privatisation of Cleveland Police for more than a year.

He said: “We will be assessing all the information we can get from the force and consulting our members.

“What we cannot do is just dismiss the offer of a ten-year guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.”

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said of the Hac report: “Decisions to to bring in private sector support must be the result of a wholesale review of policing and not a quick-fix solution for the sake of cost-cutting.”