A Decade of Policing Outsourcing: Revisiting the Lincolnshire Police-G4S Strategic Partnership

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Project start and end dates

2012-2014 and 2022-present

Research team members

PI: Dr Adam White

Background and aims of the project

The Lincolnshire Police-G4S Strategic Partnership ran from April 2012 to March 2022 represents the most extreme and far reaching instance of police outsourcing in UK history. Between September 2013 and January 2014 I conducted initial research on the Partnership. This research was driven by two questions: i) how and why did Lincolnshire Police outsource 18 services areas to G4S?; and ii) what is the impact of the Strategic Partnership on the delivery of frontline service areas (force control room, custody suites and police station front counters)? My methodology comprised a review of official documents (e.g. HMIC reports) and semi-structured interviews with key individuals in both Lincolnshire Police (including the PCC, Chief Constable, Commercial Partnership Managers and officers working in the force control room and custody suites) and G4S (including senior managers, call handlers, custodians and town enquiry officers). Using the resulting dataset I published two widely-cited journal articles (details below).

Since Autumn 2022 I have been conducting new research on the final phase of the Partnership, updating – or ‘completing’ – my initial piece of research. This research is being guided by three questions: i) what are the key moments on the timeline of the Strategic Partnership from 2014 to the present?; ii) what is the impact/legacy of the Strategic Partnership on the delivery of frontline service areas (force control room, custody suites and police station front counters)?; iii) what are the main issues and practicalities surrounding the ending of the Strategic Partnership? The methodology is taking the same form as the first study – a review of official documents and semi-structured interviews with key individuals in Lincolnshire Police, G4S and other organisations with a relationship to the Strategic Partnership. My intention is to use the resulting dataset to publish new journal articles on the final phase of Strategic Partnership.

Project publications to date