THE thin blue line is about to get thinner.

Essex Police has revealed plans to replace more officers with “civilian investigators” in a bid to cut its wage bill.

The force says a smaller number of police officers are needed because civilians can carry out most jobs – although not arrests, or searches and seizing of property.

Mark Smith, chairman of the Essex Police Federation, believes the plan is a big step towards a privatised police force.

He said: “I don’t know if using civilian staff will be cheaper – they will have to be trained and put on courses.

“Once they have got that, they will want more money and will be very enticing to others.

“There are certain roles that could be civilianised, but this is a step towards a privatised police force.

“Is this what the Chief Constable wants? No. Are his hands being tied by cuts? Yes.”

The force hopes the move will help it cope with substantial Government cuts of an estimated more than £100million between 2010 and 2020.

A spokesman for Essex Police said it was “highly unlikely”

there would be as few as 2,000 officers, as the Essex Police Federation believes, but admitted hundreds more officers could go.

He said: “We will have to look very closely at whether police officers continue to deal with everything they do or whether there are alternative ways to handle some matters.

“The force is planning for the future as far as possible and that will include fewer officers, but more flexible use of non-warranted roles.

“The change in budgets means Essex Police will be smaller in 2020, but we cannot say at this time how many officers it will definitely have.

“More than 80 per cent of the money spent by Essex Police is used to employ people and if austerity measures continue the total numbers will unfortunately fall further.

“We want to make sure police officers are in the roles where they can have greatest impact and are considering putting more civilian investigators into positions where warranted powers are not required.

“This will lead to a rebalancing between police and civilian numbers.”

Essex Police employs about 1,800 civilian staff, 250 PCSOs and 3,000 officers.

How the plan might work

IF all the civilian policing roles in operation around the country were used in Essex here is how a burglary could be handled:

  • A victim phones a civilian call handler in the force control room ! A civilian forensic team is sent to the scene
  • A civilian takes a statement either in person, or on the phone
  • A civilian investigates the crime – taking statements and gathering evidence on the police’s database
  • Police officers search the suspects’ properties, seize evidence and make arrests
  • Civilian detention officers deal with the suspects in custody, under supervision of a police sergeant.
  • Civilian staff make bail arrangements