Cost of Trafpol
Discussion
Does anyone have up to date figures for the overall cost of "a road traffic policing unit".
Think along this route. This year about 3 million fixed penalty notices will be generated by speed cameras. While the 180 million pounds generated will go to the treasury in the first instance around 120 million will be claimed back by camera partnerships to fund their operations.
The 120 million pounds could have funded xx Police roads policing units.
I'm imagining that a road policing unit is something like one car and 8 officers working in shifts, plus management, equipment, maintenance, premises etc.
Can anyone help with actual roads policing costs and definitions to go into the conclusion?
Does 70,000 pounds per annum for a managed and equipped officer sound right? (I read that somewhere)
Think along this route. This year about 3 million fixed penalty notices will be generated by speed cameras. While the 180 million pounds generated will go to the treasury in the first instance around 120 million will be claimed back by camera partnerships to fund their operations.
The 120 million pounds could have funded xx Police roads policing units.
I'm imagining that a road policing unit is something like one car and 8 officers working in shifts, plus management, equipment, maintenance, premises etc.
Can anyone help with actual roads policing costs and definitions to go into the conclusion?
Does 70,000 pounds per annum for a managed and equipped officer sound right? (I read that somewhere)
I dont have numbers but... this may sound like a silly question mate...
If the money raised by the cameras could have paid for xx traffic units what happends when the cameras are replaced (purely speaking about the money generated nowt else) as wouldent the money stop comming in, and traffic units wont generate that much revenue so would become running at a loss?????
If the money raised by the cameras could have paid for xx traffic units what happends when the cameras are replaced (purely speaking about the money generated nowt else) as wouldent the money stop comming in, and traffic units wont generate that much revenue so would become running at a loss?????
Paul
Unfortunately, no two RPUs are the same - even within one Police Force. For example, in the division neighbouring mine, Road Policing officers deal with a lot more general Police stuff, and only "Fire Brigade" Police collisions. In my division, we get daily taskings - this may or may not be proactive traffic work, it could be autocrime, town centre late night violence etc etc. I'm led to believe that a lot of Cumbrian RPU double as ARV - but IAHA may be able to confirm this.
Some forces have separate RPU under control of HQ, others are devolved (with their budgets) to Divisions. Equipment varies from force to force, from cars through to an officer's individual kit.
In financially poorer Forces, there is an almost blanket ban on ANY overtime, in others, there is not. All in all, it's tricky to suggest what an "average" traffic unit might consist of in terms of officers and equipment.
However, if you take an "average" mid service PC, you're looking at about £30k gross for salary (plus NI etc paid by the employer), and a mid range PS is about £35k, Inspector £42k (I think). We don't have any line supervision above Inspector, and even he is not responsible for RPU - he had other jobs as well. Other forces have dedicated Superintendents, at about £60k pa.
So no help really...
Unfortunately, no two RPUs are the same - even within one Police Force. For example, in the division neighbouring mine, Road Policing officers deal with a lot more general Police stuff, and only "Fire Brigade" Police collisions. In my division, we get daily taskings - this may or may not be proactive traffic work, it could be autocrime, town centre late night violence etc etc. I'm led to believe that a lot of Cumbrian RPU double as ARV - but IAHA may be able to confirm this.
Some forces have separate RPU under control of HQ, others are devolved (with their budgets) to Divisions. Equipment varies from force to force, from cars through to an officer's individual kit.
In financially poorer Forces, there is an almost blanket ban on ANY overtime, in others, there is not. All in all, it's tricky to suggest what an "average" traffic unit might consist of in terms of officers and equipment.
However, if you take an "average" mid service PC, you're looking at about £30k gross for salary (plus NI etc paid by the employer), and a mid range PS is about £35k, Inspector £42k (I think). We don't have any line supervision above Inspector, and even he is not responsible for RPU - he had other jobs as well. Other forces have dedicated Superintendents, at about £60k pa.
So no help really...
mcflurry said:
I believe it costs an employer something like £50k a year to hire someone on £30k
(Desk, car, electric, rent, rates, petrol, personnel, payroll etc)
+ management, + equipment. Yeah.
I did see a figure of £70,000 for a managed and equipped traffic officer, but I can't find the source any more, and it may have been quite out of date.
Dibble said:
Unfortunately, no two RPUs are the same - even within one Police Force.
I understand, thanks.
I just need example figures for an article I'm working on. It'd be great if they were "best estimate" "middle of the range" figures, but frankly any real figures at all would do. The precise figure won't alter the thrust of the article one little bit, but I have to be able to justify the figures I use.
If you are basing your estimates on 8 officers and 1 car, then it will be something like the following.
8 officers with allowances, average overtime and salaries will average out about £30K each.
If all officers were on top banded salaries and receiving rent allowances you would be looking at an average of about £38K.
A Vauxhall Omega patrol car fully kitted out costs around about £20K and will be run for between 2 and 3 years or over a mileage of between 100K to 200K depending on the car. You then have the running costs of fuel and depreciation etc. Average prices for resale at decommision of car are about £2500.
I think you are working on the basis that 2 officers work 24 hours in the car at all times and 2 are on days off. In fact during daylight hours you could get away with less than a crew of 2 except for motorway patrols where there must be two. You could probably run the car with 6 officers.
I hope that helps but bear in mind these are only educated guesses and not based on any proper research.
8 officers with allowances, average overtime and salaries will average out about £30K each.
If all officers were on top banded salaries and receiving rent allowances you would be looking at an average of about £38K.
A Vauxhall Omega patrol car fully kitted out costs around about £20K and will be run for between 2 and 3 years or over a mileage of between 100K to 200K depending on the car. You then have the running costs of fuel and depreciation etc. Average prices for resale at decommision of car are about £2500.
I think you are working on the basis that 2 officers work 24 hours in the car at all times and 2 are on days off. In fact during daylight hours you could get away with less than a crew of 2 except for motorway patrols where there must be two. You could probably run the car with 6 officers.
I hope that helps but bear in mind these are only educated guesses and not based on any proper research.
gone said:
If you are basing your estimates on 8 officers and 1 car, then it will be something like the following.
8 officers with allowances, average overtime and salaries will average out about £30K each.
If all officers were on top banded salaries and receiving rent allowances you would be looking at an average of about £38K.
A Vauxhall Omega patrol car fully kitted out costs around about £20K and will be run for between 2 and 3 years or over a mileage of between 100K to 200K depending on the car. You then have the running costs of fuel and depreciation etc. Average prices for resale at decommision of car are about £2500.
I think you are working on the basis that 2 officers work 24 hours in the car at all times and 2 are on days off. In fact during daylight hours you could get away with less than a crew of 2 except for motorway patrols where there must be two. You could probably run the car with 6 officers.
I hope that helps but bear in mind these are only educated guesses and not based on any proper research.
Thanks. I'd sort of got that far anyway, but at least it's nice that you're confirming the way I'm thinking.
How many trafpol per car where you are? How many hours a week are the cars on patrol?
safespeed said:
Thanks. I'd sort of got that far anyway, but at least it's nice that you're confirming the way I'm thinking.
How many trafpol per car where you are? How many hours a week are the cars on patrol?
In my sector the base has about 28 officers and 9 vehicles, two of which are unmarked. One of the vehicles is a marked Discovery.
The 30 officers are divided between 4 shifts. That includes 1 Sgt per shift so when a full shift is available, 6 per shift. One of those cars is double crewed and has Motorway responsibility. That obviously leaves 4 on patrol. RPU duties start and end at 0700 in my force. From 0700 the routes/area patrols are on duty and finish at 0200 the following morning. Shifts are 9 or 10 hours and late shifts start at 1600 and run until 0200. Routes cars are generally single crewed unless there is a particular need to double them up.
The Motorway car runs 3 X 8 hour shifts from 0700-1500, 1500-2300, 2300-0700. Between 0200 and 0700 there are no routes cover vehicles. The motorway car covers both routes and Motorway committments with the priority being the Motorway between 0200 and 0700.
This unit covers a substantial amount of M4/M25 Motorway and 3 large towns.
>> Edited by gone on Thursday 18th November 09:54
gone said:
Thanks. I'd sort of got that far anyway, but at least it's nice that you're confirming the way I'm thinking.
How many trafpol per car where you are? How many hours a week are the cars on patrol?
In my sector the base has about 28 officers and 9 vehicles, two of which are unmarked. One of the vehicles is a marked Discovery.
The 30 officers are divided between 4 shifts. That includes 1 Sgt per shift so when a full shift is available, 6 per shift. One of those cars is double crewed and has Motorway responsibility. That obviously leaves 4 on patrol. RPU duties start and end at 0700 in my force. From 0700 the routes/area patrols are on duty and finish at 0200 the following morning. Shifts are 9 or 10 hours and late shifts start at 1600 and run until 0200. Routes cars are generally single crewed unless there is a particular need to double them up.
The Motorway car runs 3 X 8 hour shifts from 0700-1500, 1500-2300, 2300-0700. Between 0200 and 0700 there are no routes cover vehicles. The motorway car covers both routes and Motorway committments with the priority being the Motorway between 0200 and 0700.
This unit covers a substantial amount of M4/M25 Motorway and 3 large towns.
OK. Thanks. I've been putting some figures from that into a working estimate and I've got £220,000 per car. I may be able to refine this a bit more. Standby.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff