Private policing plans proposed

PRIVATE security groups could take on jobs traditionally overseen by the police in France under new proposals.

Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie has announced the creation of a “Economic Security Council” to discuss the way the country is policed.

The use of security firms would bring France in line with other European countries, however unions fear it will result in current police losing their jobs to security guards in the private sector.

Member of union Unsa-police Yannick Danio said: “We have already been told that jobs will be going. Long term, these jobs will be replaced by the private sector.”

The Interior Minister has not confirmed or denied the job losses.

In the UK, private sector staff manage nine out of 11 detention centres and 11 out of 130 prisons. In Spain the private sector is used to guard military bases.

Mr Danio added that he feared police would only have a “repressive” role, a theory he claimed is backed up by the “policy of quotas and productivity already put in place.”

He added that the progressive introduction of “citoyen volontaires”, who help voluntarily with work, similar to that of community police officers, is already heading in this direction.

Michèle Alliot-Marie said if “judicial investigations, maintaining order and confidential information” must stay the strict reserve of the police, roles such as “deterrance and prevention” could pass to the private sector.