Bedfordshire Police: Speed cameras and sponsorship 'may fund police'

[T_i_B]

Not sure that many businesses would want to sponsor the Police either way!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34719997

Turning on M1 speed cameras permanently and having sponsored uniforms and cars could help bolster a cash-strapped force's coffers, a police and crime commissioner has said.

Olly Martins told the Home Affairs Select Committee the force's "desperate financial plight" left him "no option". The Bedfordshire commissioner said he was "actively looking" at ways to generate more money.

The commissioner has already lost in a council tax referendum asking for the public's permission to increase the police precept and launched a petition calling on the government to ensure the force is adequately funded.

Asked whether easyJet could sponsor the county's "panda cars", Mr Martins said: "I'd welcome it because that's an alternative to reducing our police numbers below a level that I think is already putting our force in a position of not being viable."

[Ironing Man]

1. the mans an idiot.

putting the speed cameras on maximum sensitivity and being brazen about it being used to make money is the quickest way to lose public support - and increase the danger on the roads - there is.

(people who are constantly looking for speed cameras, and watching the speedo to ensure they never cross 69mph are not looking at the rest of the traffic...)

police forces in England need to follow the example of West Mercia and Warwickshire - they've effective merged. all their administrative work, call handling, fleet maintanence etc.. is done jointly. one HR manager instead of two, one call centre instead of three(?). operationally they are still seperate, but for how long... quite what a police and crime commisioner on a mere £85k will think of merging is a matter for no doubt whatsoever.

whether Police Scotland have gone too far i don't know, but do Cumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire and Northumberland all really need seperate constablaries each with its own management structures?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. He explained his problem with merging on Radio 4 - no-one wants his small budget

He said he'd be happy to merge with an adjacent police force, but his problem is that his per person budget is smaller than anyone else's, and the others don't feel like taking on his budget problems. And the current rules are that each force would have to agree to the merger. He'd need the Home Secretary to force a merger.