Police want night in the cells to cost £200

Police want night in the cells to cost £200

A police force wants to start charging offenders £200 for every night they spend in the cells.

John Clarke, the chairman of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, has written to John Reid, the Home Secretary, asking for the power to bring in the charges.

He said yesterday that millions of pounds were being spent each year holding criminals in police custody, pushing up council tax bills, and that it was time to recoup some of the money.
advertisement

"Every weekend our custody suites are at bursting point with drunken yobs and other offenders," he said. "Officers have to clear up after them and feed them as if they were in a hotel. In a hotel you are charged and that is exactly what should happen to those who end up in custody who are later convicted by a court or given a police caution.

"Council tax bills are going up and up to cover the cost of policing, yet these criminals pay nothing. The innocent are funding the guilty; it is ridiculous.

Mr Clarke said it cost £135 to hold an offender every night and his idea was that anyone cautioned or later convicted would be ordered to pay £200, which would be ploughed back into policing.

Article in full

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/23/ncells23.xml

 

the cost of a night on the pi## is about to get more expensive!

 

Well since I'm never going to end up in a Police cell because I stay within the law and don't give anyone any trouble, I'm all for this.

 

I think it is an ok idea to be honest!

 

jokes aside it may reduce may council tax, which will not be a bad thing. then again, they will proably use all the cash to pay for more speed cameras or new police cars.

 

which in my opinion is fair enough, I don't spped and I don't break the law!

 

Sounds like a version of "march them down to the cashpoint" - still, it could be a nice little earner for the police, which they could put towards more coppers on the beat!

 

coppers on the beat tackling real crimes like muggings, burgalries, rapes & murders is what we need. I am in total agreament with this idea.
yeah, if yobs end up in the cells through their own fault, then it is only right they pay.

don't get me wrong, I'm just pissed at living in this country and having to pay so much for everything, which if the tax system was less harsh then things would be cheaper.
lets have ONE tax, not loads of different ones i.e income tax, vat on everything, council tax, road tax to name but a few.

 

But not those unrepresentitive white ones please!

 

council tax is the only one i really object to because it goes up all the time higher than the rate of inflation and is often sqaundered on airy fairy schemes and stuff no-one wants or couldnt care less about.

This scheme in question sounds like it would stop much of the voilent fri-sat night chavery in nottingham city centre and lower tax, people arn't scared of prison anymore but are scared of loosing £200 , if it is enforced properly and the debt recovered properly. I can't wait.

I would also like to see the scheme used against young offenders, might encourage their parents to bring up the little scrotes properly, but then thats not fair unless you allow them to smack their kids, which is a whole over issue.

 

Not a chance

 

Great idea.. however, the majority of those held in these "bursting point Custody Suites" are UNEMPLOYED... where will they get the cash to pay this £200....or more if a weekend stay is in the offing.

Sounds great, looks great, but its almost beyond practicable

 

I will be a good money making scheme. increase the number of cells and go round picking up anyone, for any reason. It's not like the arrestee will have that on their record and a fine without a conviction.

(homer style) hmmmmm ...... Police state .......

 

I think this could be a good idea, or at least worth a trail! All them obnoxious little feckers that have an instance on fighting on Friday and Saturday night and even though the police are stood right there they have to show how "manly" they are by carrying on, maybe if they think "oh sh1t I am going to have to fork out £200 for this in the morning!" they might not course it so you can't get a taxi as non of them will come near the club!

Also the money could be spend helping to increases policing in the local area, and as such benefit the law abiders.

Also not just the guys with a night in the cells, how about every time the cops have to run a chav home due to them mugging some old granny or setting a sheep alight and let in wonder around town on fire (this happened 2 weeks ago in my home town) the parents should be billed £50 for having to act like a taxi service.

 

If they can pay for booze then they can pay the cost to the Police.