Thin blue line... and yellow and pink! The gay pride police car
IT’S certainly an arresting sight – but a cash-strapped police force has been criticised for spending taxpayers’ money to give two patrol cars a ‘gay pride’ paint job.
Inspector Mark Evans of Sussex Police proudly posted an online photo of one of the cars, explaining it was decorated ready for events in Eastbourne and Hastings.
And the force revealed the cars will retain the eye-catching livery when they return to normal patrols after the carnivals have finished and will become a regular sight on the streets of Sussex. When asked by a member of the public how much had been spent, Insp Evans replied it had ‘cost £750 to decorate two cars, mainly paid from the diversity budget’.
The makeover provoked criticism on social media, with Kate234 writing: ‘The police should be professional and inclusive at all times but not ridiculous. This means not using taxpayers money to cover their cars with stickers like this.’ Another online critic called Melee posted: ‘A police car ought to have a bit of dignity, not look like a clown car when it turns up at a serious incident.’
But John Steed remarked: ‘ Looks rather good, I thought.’ One car will take part in the Brighton and Hove Pride parade in August, while the other will attend sister events in Eastbourne, Hastings and London.
In 2015 Sussex Police said up to 1,000 jobs are to be cut, including the loss of 500 officers. In August that year the force debuted a similar car painted in Pride colours.