Auditors

[Techie1 + 2,024]

Confusion over why money has not been spent after three years.

One million pounds of government roads policing funding has been gathering dust for three years.  

Concerns were raised about what had happened to the money, approved in 2015, at a roads policing conference in January as “equipment only gets more expensive”.

Delegates were later told the cash had been transferred to Surrey Police.

A department for transport spokesman told Police Oracle there had been no delays in handing over the funding to the police and it had been transferred from Sussex to West Mercia Police.

The money was intended to fund forensic roads policing equipment.

A National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) spokeswoman confirmed there had been no government delay.

After repeated Police Oracle requests for clarification to West Mercia, Surrey and Sussex Police a West Mercia spokesman confirmed the cash was still with Sussex Police but could not explain the three-year delay.

A comment from Assistant Chief Constable Martin Evans of West Mercia Police last week stated he “updated on the circa £1 million” when he stepped up as NPCC lead for forensic collision investigation in July 2017.

"A significant amount of work had taken place to try and secure a national procurement for laser scanners with this money for those forces that required them but unfortunately as is the case in many areas currently this has proved unfeasible due to forces using different systems, some of which still have a number of years to go on their existing contract, differing processes carried being out within different teams etc,” he said.

"As a result a national procurement was not possible.

“I have therefore recently conducted an audit across all forces to identify those in most need of Laser scanners and my intention is to provide them individually with the funding required from the DFT money to be able to purchase the equipment that they require themselves.

“The money has not been transferred but remains with Sussex Police pending the purchase of equipment.”

But when Police Oracle asked his office to clarify whether any work had been carried out on the national procurement before July 2017, we were told he did not wish to comment further.

Neither would he explain what kind of lasers he was referring to, whether he was replacing old equipment or commissioning new scanners and when it became clear national procurement would not be possible.

Police Oracle lodged a second request to speak directly with ACC Evans last week and was told he would not be in the office until Friday.

On Friday - three weeks after our first request - a West Mercia Police spokesman said ACC Evans would not be available until next week. 

View on Police Oracle