Police forces in the UK spent £34 million on communications staff in just one year, a TaxPayers' Alliance investigation revealed. The spend was up by 8 per cent on the previous year. A total of 753 full-time staff were employed in these roles. The largest single spend by a police force on communications staff in 2021/22 was £3.1 million by Police Scotland.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, which published the findings, our researcher Tom Ryan said:
"Taxpayers are tired of their cash going towards misplaced priorities and non-jobs of questionable value.
"While huge numbers of crimes go unsolved, police are spending more and more on spin doctors.
"Forces should focus funds on fighting crime, not fighting fires in the media."