South Yorkshire admits giving emergency cars to civilians

SOUTH Yorkshire Police is among seven forces to give emergency police cars to civilian staff.

Across the UK, nine senior staff, including finance, human resources and IT directors, were given vehicles fitted with emergency response equipment, according to a Freedom of Information request carried out by BBC News. None of the drivers were qualified to use the vehicles in an emergency. 

In South Yorkshire, it was the director of finance and the director of IT.

The other forces that admitted providing emergency cars to civilian staff were: Devon and Cornwall, Merseyside, Humberside, West Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset, and Greater Manchester Police. None of the vehicles had been used in an emergency.

South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings said the scheme had pre-dated the appointment of PCCs.

“Even so, I am disappointed that I was not made aware of it,” he said. “I have asked the chief constable to review the policy and I understand that the equipment has now been disconnected, pending removal from the vehicles.”

One tax expert said the arrangement could be used to reduce a recipient’s tax bill, due to beneficial tax treatment available for emergency vehicles. However, all forces said the vehicles were part of their wider fleet and denied the cars had been provided to reduce tax payments.

A report from the College of Policing, published earlier this year, found many police officers felt “a culture of entitlement” existed at senior levels within forces.

“Our focus group participants described staff at chief officer rank being provided with executive cars fitted with emergency equipment (ie blue lights, sirens), despite the fact they would not have been trained or authorised to use it, apparently motivated by the advantageous tax treatment available for emergency vehicles,” said the report.