£700K cost of each bobby on the beat

8:00pm Wednesday 2nd January 2013 in News

LANCASHIRE police is spending almost £700,000 per police officer and PCSO on the beat, it has been claimed.

New research from the Taxpayers’ Alliance has shown that on average only 11.6 per cent of officers and PCSOs in Lancashire are ‘visible and available’ to the public, compared to a national average of 11.8 per cent.

The figures, gathered using data from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, however revealed that overall that the constabulary spent £286million a year, which works at around £77,000 per officer.

A spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Alliance said: “With spending restraint needed across the board, it is vital that police forces improve their efficiency. Crime prevention does not have to suffer.

“This report reveals figures for each police force and compares how many police officers and Police Community Support Officers are ‘visible and available’. That is the best measure of the extent to which a police force can get officers out on the beat.

“This new research shows that forces can do more to focus resources on frontline, visible policing.

“It provides a benchmark for the new Police and Crime Commissioners, who control police budgets and set the forces’ priorities.

“While much of the work done by forces that isn't visible has value, the amount of the amount of frontline visible policing for a given amount of spending is still a good proxy for value for money.

“Communities value officers on the streets and their ability to respond quickly in the event of a crime taking place.”

Comments (13)

8:20pm Wed 2 Jan 13

rilistic says...

Who did the maths for you? Is it £700,000 or £77,000 per officer? It's a bit of a difference!
Who did the maths for you? Is it £700,000 or £77,000 per officer? It's a bit of a difference! rilistic

8:32pm Wed 2 Jan 13

Excluded again says...

I know most journalists are innumerate, but this is a joke. Not being able to translate £77 000 into £77k. And that is not just the journalist but the editor as who approved the piece as well.
I know most journalists are innumerate, but this is a joke. Not being able to translate £77 000 into £77k. And that is not just the journalist but the editor as who approved the piece as well. Excluded again

8:37pm Wed 2 Jan 13

Common_Sense1 says...

I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.
I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10. Common_Sense1

9:05pm Wed 2 Jan 13

english rose 1 says...

Maybe the LT could investigate the very wealthy individuals and shadowy groups who fund the Taxpayers Alliance to the tune of £1m a year ?!
*
Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?
Maybe the LT could investigate the very wealthy individuals and shadowy groups who fund the Taxpayers Alliance to the tune of £1m a year ?! * Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ? english rose 1

9:12pm Wed 2 Jan 13

Excluded again says...

Common_Sense1 wrote:
I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.
'Visible to the public' is a silly argument. Is a police office interviewing a suspect or a witness in the police station not doing their job? Is a police officer infiltrating a drugs or terror gang not doing their job? Is a plainclothes detective staking out a suspect's house not doing their job? Is a police officer waiting to give evidence in court not doing their job?
[quote][p][bold]Common_Sense1[/bold] wrote: I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.[/p][/quote]'Visible to the public' is a silly argument. Is a police office interviewing a suspect or a witness in the police station not doing their job? Is a police officer infiltrating a drugs or terror gang not doing their job? Is a plainclothes detective staking out a suspect's house not doing their job? Is a police officer waiting to give evidence in court not doing their job? Excluded again

9:35pm Wed 2 Jan 13

happycyclist says...

Common_Sense1 wrote:
I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.
LOL!
[quote][p][bold]Common_Sense1[/bold] wrote: I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.[/p][/quote]LOL! happycyclist

9:49pm Wed 2 Jan 13

Info-warrior says...

Everything is under funded...Welcome to Authoritarianism it affects everyone even the bobby on the beatt. Next it will be G4S filling the void left by all the cut backs to the Police force. Thats how criminals take over...isn't it..? The bobby on the beat was all well and good before the war started but since nine eleven the whole dimension of how live as changed for the worse.

They could scrap bobbies on the beat completely with all the surveillance tech gizmo's that have been crammed into every nook and cranny around the UK. You can't have a dump without the fear of a camera focusing in on your backdoors. Then again a kid minding his own business walking home gets beaten up in Nelson by three cowardly asian men and the Police appeal for witnesses. They charged us the tax payers a fortune to have all the CCTV cameras fitted around the country. Yet again they fail in Nelson.? Makes you wonder if the investments the politicians made on our behalf to protect us from criminals are really working at all..?
Everything is under funded...Welcome to Authoritarianism it affects everyone even the bobby on the beatt. Next it will be G4S filling the void left by all the cut backs to the Police force. Thats how criminals take over...isn't it..? The bobby on the beat was all well and good before the war started but since nine eleven the whole dimension of how live as changed for the worse. They could scrap bobbies on the beat completely with all the surveillance tech gizmo's that have been crammed into every nook and cranny around the UK. You can't have a dump without the fear of a camera focusing in on your backdoors. Then again a kid minding his own business walking home gets beaten up in Nelson by three cowardly asian men and the Police appeal for witnesses. They charged us the tax payers a fortune to have all the CCTV cameras fitted around the country. Yet again they fail in Nelson.? Makes you wonder if the investments the politicians made on our behalf to protect us from criminals are really working at all..? Info-warrior

10:35pm Wed 2 Jan 13

jellybiff says...

Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?because Johnson house publishing is one of them fool.
Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?because Johnson house publishing is one of them fool. jellybiff

11:25pm Wed 2 Jan 13

jimpy0 says...

More **** poor reporting by a rag that aspires to being second rate.
More **** poor reporting by a rag that aspires to being second rate. jimpy0

2:09am Thu 3 Jan 13

english rose 1 says...

jellybiff wrote:
Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?because Johnson house publishing is one of them fool.
Explain ... Johnson House publishing ? Then again I may just google it..
[quote][p][bold]jellybiff[/bold] wrote: Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?because Johnson house publishing is one of them fool.[/p][/quote]Explain ... Johnson House publishing ? Then again I may just google it.. english rose 1

8:33am Thu 3 Jan 13

midas says...

english rose 1 wrote:
Maybe the LT could investigate the very wealthy individuals and shadowy groups who fund the Taxpayers Alliance to the tune of £1m a year ?! * Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?
How much public money is spent answering FOI requests made by the Taxpayers Alliance?
[quote][p][bold]english rose 1[/bold] wrote: Maybe the LT could investigate the very wealthy individuals and shadowy groups who fund the Taxpayers Alliance to the tune of £1m a year ?! * Why on earth does the media take any note of such a biased group representing the super rich ?[/p][/quote]How much public money is spent answering FOI requests made by the Taxpayers Alliance? midas

9:38am Thu 3 Jan 13

halfhearted says...

The days of high visability Policing have long gone.
Although this is what the public want,resources are now governed by Bean Counters who have never done the job,nor do they come into contact with the public.
Departments have been formed and grown,each of them removing the officers from the view of the General Public.
Television programmes showing the work of the Police don't help either. We see on a daily basis van loads of officers breaking down doors and searching a house for a small wrap of cannabis. Is this a true reflection of their work ? I say No,but it dosn't show a proper deployment of resources.
Paperwork has and is a big problem,despite numerous promises to reduce it,I'll beg its growing by the day.
Until a proper plan of action is thought out and implemented the number of officers on the streets will reduce until there are none.
The days of high visability Policing have long gone. Although this is what the public want,resources are now governed by Bean Counters who have never done the job,nor do they come into contact with the public. Departments have been formed and grown,each of them removing the officers from the view of the General Public. Television programmes showing the work of the Police don't help either. We see on a daily basis van loads of officers breaking down doors and searching a house for a small wrap of cannabis. Is this a true reflection of their work ? I say No,but it dosn't show a proper deployment of resources. Paperwork has and is a big problem,despite numerous promises to reduce it,I'll beg its growing by the day. Until a proper plan of action is thought out and implemented the number of officers on the streets will reduce until there are none. halfhearted

10:15am Thu 3 Jan 13

Common_Sense1 says...

Excluded again wrote:
Common_Sense1 wrote:
I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.
'Visible to the public' is a silly argument. Is a police office interviewing a suspect or a witness in the police station not doing their job? Is a police officer infiltrating a drugs or terror gang not doing their job? Is a plainclothes detective staking out a suspect's house not doing their job? Is a police officer waiting to give evidence in court not doing their job?
I was only explaining the difference in te figures and totally agree with you. Just because an officer doesn't put a yellow jacket on and walk the streets doesn't mean they doing any less of an important job. The ones sat behind a desk doing pointless jobs that a civilian could dongle half the price are the ones that need looking at. The total figure quoted here clearly includes equipment, cars, Maintenance costs, etc and isn't exactly a cost per bobby!
[quote][p][bold]Excluded again[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Common_Sense1[/bold] wrote: I think they are saying that because they only spend around 11% of their time on the beat this multiples the figure by a factor of around 10.[/p][/quote]'Visible to the public' is a silly argument. Is a police office interviewing a suspect or a witness in the police station not doing their job? Is a police officer infiltrating a drugs or terror gang not doing their job? Is a plainclothes detective staking out a suspect's house not doing their job? Is a police officer waiting to give evidence in court not doing their job?[/p][/quote]I was only explaining the difference in te figures and totally agree with you. Just because an officer doesn't put a yellow jacket on and walk the streets doesn't mean they doing any less of an important job. The ones sat behind a desk doing pointless jobs that a civilian could dongle half the price are the ones that need looking at. The total figure quoted here clearly includes equipment, cars, Maintenance costs, etc and isn't exactly a cost per bobby! Common_Sense1

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