Where Do the Police Get Their Money From?

panthro

panthro

panthro

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To buy an Audi RS4 Avant?
My friend got pulled over the other day and got a warning about his speed. He told me it was an undercover RS4, I didnt believe him....until I saw it on the A329M zooming up behind me with its hidden lights flashing (thought I was going to get pulled), but then went past me. It was definitely an RS4.

Where does the police department get the money to buy a £50k car like that for traffic policing?
 
Mostly taxes, but they are probably allowed to keep part/all of the fines they issued to invest in new police equipment. There are some pretty high end BMW E39 and now E60 police traffic cars around and about too.
 
they tend to have these flagship cars as impact weapons - it does wonder for the "you'll get caught"

you'd need a very spicey car indeed to get away from an RS4 drivn by a police cat 1
 
From taxes.

They probably decided that getting something like that for the traffic division would be better than spending it on a couple of Mondeos.
 
saw a very nice Golf GTI the other day with its lights on, also the audi, if its a grey/silver one. Both on the M1.
 
as much as i love my vag stuff this would be more impressive :)


mmmm brabus goodness

0611_b+2007_mercedes_benz_cls_brabus_police+5.jpg
 
I would love that job, driving around in a high speed sports cars chasing bad dudes. I been informed by one of my friends who work for vice that a lot of the unmarked cars in the police force have the letter 'Z' in their plate, this is quite true from what I seen of the unmarked cars in the midlands.
 
panthro said:
To buy an Audi RS4 Avant?
My friend got pulled over the other day and got a warning about his speed. He told me it was an undercover RS4, I didnt believe him....until I saw it on the A329M zooming up behind me with its hidden lights flashing (thought I was going to get pulled), but then went past me. It was definitely an RS4.

Where does the police department get the money to buy a £50k car like that for traffic policing?
Click to expand...

The same place they get the money from to fund everything else they buy and pay for I would assume. A quick google revealing the following, taken from here:

Today, although police forces are subject to considerable control from the Home Secretary and Chief Constables remain responsible for operational matters, Police Authorities have principal responsibility for police funding.

Police Authorities are corporate bodies, which raise revenue to fund the operation of their police forces by levying a precept on Council Tax Collection Authorities - District Councils and Unitary Authorities - which is added to local people's Council Tax bills. Police Authorities include nine Councillors from relevant Local Authorities (upper tier only in two-tier areas), three local Magistrates and five independent co-opted members.

In addition, Police Authorities receive grants from the Home Office, determined on the basis of the specific needs of their areas. The Home Secretary issues an overall police strategy and Police Authorities are provided with funding broadly to pay for meeting the strategy's objectives.

The Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994 increased the Home Office's control of Police Authority activity by imposing a statutory requirement to publish a local policing plan, with details of objectives and targets for the coming year, which must be consistent with the Home Secretary's 'Ministerial Priorities'.

Funding is divided into a number of individual categories, including standard spending, capital spending and Special Police Grants and Central Support Services. The Police Resources Unit (PRU) at the Home Office is responsible for police grant funding.
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As mentioned it'll come from a mix of council taxes and central funding (IIRC almost no money from fines goes directly to the police, almost all of it goes back to central government*).

They'll have high performance/profile cars for some jobs because they
A: Provide the performance needed to catch criminals who may try to run(otherwise why not have them all driving diesel astra and mondeo's).
B: Don't look like your typical police car - handy for an unmarked one.
C: Have a certain visual impact, and thus a psychological effect on crime.


*Except for some money from speeding fines which is funnelled (in some cases) back towards funding the cameras etc (but only in a few areas).

[edit]
was typing before the previous post was made :p
 
TheVoice said:
Add the cost of lighting, comms, ANPR, and all the other equipment, and it costs a lot more than that...
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All of which would cost the same going into a Fiesta or Mondeo, so it's hardly relevant to this discussion is it?
 
Except Fiestas and Mondeos don't tend to get all the extra stuff. In any case, it seems pretty relevant to me, what with the core of the discussion being about the cost of the vehicles they use.
 
There are BMWs, Audis, Volvos and some other fun fast toys around in Bournemouth. Seen a fair few people pulled over by them :D

Was coming back from the SouthWest a while ago, on a dualie section, I was going at a fair pace overtaking someone, then a BMW and a Merc (both estates) came screaming up behind me (no flashies), I pulled out of the way when I could, and they went steaming off.
I then pulled off at the next stop as I needed fuel, and there was Mr. Merc parked behind Mr. BMW with the policeman giving Mr. Merc a good old telling off. :D

If they only had Astras etc. the Merc would have been long gone and he wouldn't have been caught. It's all good...so long as it isn't me being pulled over :p.

Love watching Traffic Cops when it's on, the latest episode I saw they have something like 2 scoobies and an M3, both tooled up with Police gear and uprated engines etc. :cool:

It may cost a lot to fund it all, but I'm happy with where my taxes are going.

InvG
 
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