Essex: Police spend more than £1m on security (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Police spend million spent on extra security

10:00am Wednesday 29th August 2012 in News

Essex Police spent more than £1million on private security during the past five years.

The force hires an outside company to provide guards to patrol one of its sites because of fears cocky criminals will even burgle police buildings.

Taxpayers’ money has also been spent hiring guards to man alarms and escort people around police sites.

Essex Police said the money comes from a national budget and would not say where in the county the building is because of concerns criminals would then target it.

The company hired is responsible for surveillance, patrols, reception and detection as well as parking.

However if a crime is being committed it is the police who would be called.