Police officers are reportedly outraged over a decision by Leicestershire Police to ban all radios and TVs from constabulary buildings in an effort to save on licence fee costs. The force’s chiefs announced the cost-saving measure, which is expected to save £10,000 annually, on the staff intranet last Friday, according to officers.
The move has been met with a flood of criticism from staff who believe it will negatively impact morale. Currently, most police stations have TVs in their canteen areas and radios in offices.
One officer expressed his discontent, stating: “It’s gone down very badly. There are comments from people saying officers’ morale and welfare is going to suffer.”
He added that many officers don’t even get to take their allocated 45-minute break due to their workload. The decision has left many fuming, with calls for a review and representation in the decision-making process.
The insider revealed that the ban is part of a larger plan to save a total of £2 million, but pointed out that this particular saving represents just 0.7% of that target, branding it as “People have ridiculously high work loads. and crime queues and people are off sick in most departments.”
A TV licence, costing £169.50 annually for both homes and businesses, is accompanied by a music licence required to play radio in an office, which starts from £195 per year. Leicestershire Police confirmed it had posted “an internal news story” regarding “TV/Radio licenses in the force and savings”.
A spokesperson stated: “Following 60 comments the Chief has asked for more work to be undertaken to understand the new requirements and specifically what options may be available to reduce costs into the future whilst also being able to provide some facilities on site.”
They added: “We are reviewing the situation and considering what our options are moving forward.”
The force currently spends thousands on licences for buildings equipped with TVs. Additionally, there is a PPL/PRS Licence based on the number of devices and the audience size at any given time.
The Motion Picture Licensing Corporation is also seeking additional license payment from the police.