Kent NPAS Control Room.
Why is it needed ?
What benefit(s) will it bring for forces - such as those in the Central (Midlands) Region, ( and others ),
where there is already an efficient Despatch system operating amongst the four separate ASU's,
and covering 8 different Police forces, where the force in who's area the incident occurs takes on the Flight Following / Overdue Actions procedures ?
How can one single Control Room, wherever it is geographically placed in the Country, possibly hope to be as efficient as exisiting procedures ?
How can one single ADDITIONAL Control Room, with it's EXTRA STAFF,
possibly hope to make cost savings when compared with exisiting procedures using exisitng staff ?
Can anyone tell me what single benefit there would be in having a National Police Air Support Unit Control Room,
other than possibly protecting the jobs of some existing Control Room staff,
who might otherwise have been made redundant under the general Policing budget cuts ?
While thinking about that one, and thinking about how those proposed cost savings might be achieved,
I seem to recall someone saying that the "up to £15 million" anticipated savings,
would not be made for about 5 years ( I stand to be corrected ).
The cynic in me says that 5 years will be when the Police Officers seconded to NPAS,
( those that have chosen to stay in their role and accept the Thousands of Pounds pay cut for no longer being regarded as "Specialist" ),
have their secondment terminated, and may find themselves with no Police job to return to .......
Et Voila - Instant savings - experienced Police Officer Air Observers made redundant,
and replaced by Group 4 Security Observers reducing the previous wages bill.
Ball park figures ( plucked mainly out of thin air purely to demonstrate the principle ) :
22 ASU's with 8 Police officers at £36,500 = £6,424,000
22 ASU's with eight G4S Observers at £20,000 = £3,520,000
= £2,904,000 savings per year, multiplied by 5 years = £14,520,000 - that's "up to £15 million" isn't it ?
