The Budget

The police take a lot of bashing in this country, but rarely do we hear people singing our praises. I would therefore like to talk about one of the things we do really well: economising. As the good Brits that we are, we take the view that if something ain't broke, don't fix it - and if it is broke, don't fix it. The amount of time and money saved by this approach is immense.

The same theory applies not just to the vending machines in our stations and the doors to our kit-lockers, but to police cars, computers and systems of policing. The result is a Can-Do attitude in our staff such that where a normal person might say, "That chair is not safe to sit on", we will just go right on ahead and sit on it anyway (after all if it is sent away for repair we will have no chair at all).

The reason for our inbred economy is of course obvious: World War Two. To be honest, most of the things that make Britons great can be put down to WW2.

It just goes to show that the British have a deeper understanding of budgeting than other nations. Whereas Germany and America splash out on top-of-the-range kit which will save time and money in the long run, the British understand that there is no point buying expensive systems and equipment such as air-conditioning, because within a year another Superintendent will replace the one who bought it in the first place and will introduce his own money-saving idea. It is far better for these Superintendents to keep away from the budget and let loose their hare-brained schemes in a field where no one cares how much damage they do... such as frontline policing.

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