Tuesday 18 November 2008

Yes, Police.


"A POLICE agency set up to save public money has spent more than £2million on consultants in less than two years. A Sunday Mail investigation shows the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) spent £924,437 in its first year on private firms to advise on training, management, computers, advertising and public relations. The cost of consultants over the next six months was £809,848 - double the rate of spending in the first year. A further £273,798 was spent by the Scottish Government in the three months before the SPSA was formed, bringing the total to more than £2million. The same amount would pay for 75 new police officers."

A pretty clear example of the reality not living up to the aspiration. Wouldn't you rather have an extra 75 bobbies on the beat? There seems to be a very definite lack of oversight of what the agency is up to. Does that make them bad cops?

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