Spending coppers on coppers

24-Sep-2008
It seems somebody isn't too happy with the money being spent on Police bands. Coppers for coppers so to speak...

A recent article has revealed the cost to a number of Forces of providing brass band music.

£1 Million.

The article by Rob Cooper states that cash spent on instruments, expenses and uniforms since 2000 is likely to reach £1 million by next year, the equivalent it is suggested of employing 35 new officers or 15,000 pairs of handcuffs

The information has come to light following a request under the Freedom of Information Act and showed that 19 out of 44 Forces around the country have bands of some description.

'Traditions are worth keeping alive, but this is a large amount of money to spend at a time when there's not enough money to pay front line police officers their promised pay increase'

~ Taxpayers Alliance

400 instruments

It also revealed that the various Forces own nearly 400 instruments of one kind or another, with the Greater Manchester Police spending over £200,000 on their band in the past nine years on its 39 members.

The cost of that band worked out at over £1,000 for each of its 188 public performances since 2000, although a spokesman said that the band charged at public events to offset the costs.

Efficiency savings

Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police spent £180,000 on its band during the same period and Cheshire Police £81,061 over the last four years, although it was reported that they were now trimming the £20,000 annual budget "subject to an annual efficiency saving of three per cent."

Meanwhile, Essex, Surrey and Wiltshire Forces didn't allocate any funds, but still managed to put on community performances, whilst Durham Constabulary has paid £17,868 on a bandmaster since 2000.

Taxpayers Alliance

The Taxpayers' Alliance have condemned the scale of funding saying: "Traditions are worth keeping alive, but this is a large amount of money to spend at a time when there's not enough money to pay front line police officers their promised pay increase."

Police response

However, the Police did respond in South Yorkshire: "The band members are excellent ambassadors for the force. We spend around £20,000 pounds per annum as part of initiatives to support the force band, and they are often used for many civic engagements and charity fundraising concerts."

The full story can be found at:
http://www.policeband.co.uk/content/brass_bands_in_the_news