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Police custody will not go private Print E-mail
Tuesday, 08 April 2008

Scottish police custody services will not be privatised Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has said today in response to recommendations in a  report from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary  Paddy Tomkins that the private sector could expand into the area.

MacAskill said:

“I have made it perfectly clear that this Government is completely opposed to privately run custody facilities, public safety must be put before private profit. Although we have no direct funding or delivery responsibility for police custody, we don't think privately run police custody facilities are any different to privately run prisons and we don't support them. I will not hesitate to make this clear to forces if necessary.”

In his report, Tomkins said that new funding options may have to be explored to ensure that standards of care and levels of provision were maintained.

“The standards expected in terms of the duty of care are properly much higher than they were in the times when these facilities were first built - that means that adopting the higher standards will cost in terms of capital investment. Police authorities and central government need to be aware of this when projecting capital spend and, for some, this may mean that new ways of collaborating or 'out-sourcing' will have to be explored,” he said.

MacAskill’s statements were welcomed by key union UNISON, which argues that police forces would be surrendering real control over a key police function.

UNISON’s Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said:

“Police forces in Scotland have introduced civilian custody staff in recent years to free up police officers from duties that do not require police powers. That is the way ahead for custody services – not the dead hand of privatisation”.
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