THE PSNI spends more per head of population on public relations than any other UK police force, according to recently released figures.
The figures obtained under a freedom of information request showed that the PSNI spent 99.5p for every member of the Northern Ireland public, which by a clear margin was the highest per capita of any force in the UK.
Next highest was the the Metro
politan Police, which spent 85.6p per person, according to the figures, which were obtained by The Times newspaper.
The lowest expenditure was by Derbyshire, which spend 12.5p per person, and next lowest was Dyfed-Powys, which spent 19.1p per person.
A spokesman for the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said he was “not surprised” at the figure.
He said: “It indicates the enormous challenges the PSNI faces and the huge amount of information they have to convey.”
In a statement released yesterday, the PSNI defended its spending, which has in fact dropped from previous years.
It said: “The police service is committed to openess and transparency. It is also committed to providing value for money.
“The Patten Report, which was published in 1999, commented on the need for the police service to improve how it communicated with the public as well as how it communicated internally.
“Significant effort has been made over the past eight years in improving the police services communications capabilities.”
It argued that not all the spending should be seen as ‘just PR’ but as part of the drive to reduce crime and catch offenders.
“The department of media and public relations supports front line policing by issuing appeals for information and has made a real difference in terms of solving crimes and reassuring the public.
“Campaigns have been run providing crime prevention advice and targeting those engaged in anti-social behaviour.
“Advertising campaigns have also been run to assist in murder investigations.
“Policing in Northern Ireland also attracts considerable international interest.
“Last year the press office received over 16,000 calls from Northern Ireland and UK media outlets and also from international journalists from all over the world.
“The department of media and PR also facilitated over 650 media interviews.”
Almost £40 million is spent by forces across the UK, with Scotland Yard totting up the biggest bill at £6 million, and is also one of the biggest spenders per head of population.
The full article contains 406 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
