Suffolk police have vehicles dating back decades or more, new data shows
More than 1,500 police force cars across the UK are over ten years old
Last updated 27th Dec 2022
Suffolk are one of five police forces equipped with vehicles dating back 20 years or more, new Freedom of Information data has revealed.
The data, obtained by the Liberal Democrats, also shows that police forces across the UK operate more than 1,500 cars that are over 10 years old.
Information received by the party did not reveal what policing tasks the dated vehicles were used for, but it's led to claims that ministers are not resourcing officers appropriately.
'not the place to cut corners'
The party's home affairs spokesman, Alistair Carmichael, said:
"People would be shocked to learn that the police still own a vehicle from 1986.
"When the car was first registered, Lionel Messi hadn't been born, the Pet Shop Boys were topping the charts, and Google was still a decade away from invention. How can a car past its prime be reliable in an emergency?"
"Of course the police need to maximise their resources, but their fleets are not the place to cut corners.
"To ensure crucial parts of their jobs, like high-speed chases, are safe, the police should be using modern, fit-for-purpose vehicles, not cars older than the people driving them.
"Our police forces do a fantastic job 24/7, especially around the festive season, keeping our communities and families safe.
"But this Conservative Government has run their budgets into the ground, squeezing them on from every angle and making it harder to do their jobs effectively.
"Police must have their budgets restored and the Government must ensure each force has access to equipment that is state of the art and can function exactly as required in an emergency."
Police force funding
The Home Office said forces would get just short of £300 million in cash terms from the Government in 2023-24 - which would take overall spending to £17bn.
That's a cash increase of 3.6% on the current year, which is well below the rate of inflation that remains above 10%.
"Our police do an incredible job on the front line, often in the most difficult of circumstances," a Home Office spokesman said.
"We are ensuring police forces have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.
"That's why, overall police funding available to PCCs (police and crime commissioners) if they take up the full precept flexibility will increase by up to £523 million next year.
"It is for individual police forces to make decisions on how they use funding, which includes police vehicle acquisition.
"We continue to back our police, including by recruiting 15,343 additional officers and putting in place the police covenant to support officers, staff, volunteers and their families."