Blunkett plans to recruit civilians to police force

The
Government is planning to increase the use of civilians and contract staff in
non core operational duties as part of its police reform.

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Secretary David Blunkett claimed yesterday that using civilian support staff in
the handling of prisoners charged with less serious offences could free up
2,000 police officers to go on the beat.

The
Police Reform Bill is due to go before Parliament in January. Certain functions
such as handling missing person inquiries and lost property could be outsourced
to the private sector.

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Police
are also being encouraged to use videos of line-ups instead of live
identification parades to save on time and resources, reports the Financial
Times. 

By Mike Broad