27 July 2001
The Scottish Police Federation is calling for scrutiny of the money spent by the Northern Constabulary on consultants for work it says the police could carry out internally.
Northern Constabulary easily outstrips Scotland's other seven forces' spending on external advisers, with Phoenix and SGi consultancy firms earning £700,000 from the force in the past four years.
Northern paid consultants £216,460 during 1999/2000, with some external advisers earning as much as £800 a day. In the past year it spent £330 for each of its 650 officers on consultants.
Strathclyde Police only spent £90,000 in the same period, the equivalent of £12 for each of its 7,300 officers, with internal departments undertaking work normally farmed out to consultants.
John Finnie, the secretary of the Scottish Police Federation northern branch, told Public Finance that the Scottish Police College could have provided the leadership training courses and other services outsourced by the Northern Constabulary.
He said: 'What we want to see is detailed examination of the spending of public monies by police forces.'
Duncan Hamilton, the Scottish National Party MSP for the Highland & Islands, called the figures 'truly mind-boggling'. He said: 'One wonders what this does for the morale of police officers who are being told that resources are not available.'
PFjul2001
