Police pay £19,000 for top officer to relocate

Deputy chief constable retires 18 months later

THE RULES governing chief police officers’ perks have been questioned after it emerged a former South Yorkshire deputy chief constable received more than £19,000 in tax-free relocation expenses.

Dawn Copley moved from Greater Manchester Police to neighbouring South Yorkshire in October 2015 and received a total of £19,143 in relocation payments before retiring 18 months later.

The payment. which included just over £7,500 for private rented accommodation and more than £9,000 in solicitor fees, brought Ms Copley’s total pay package in her last year as a police officer to £185,918.

The relocation figure was included under a column titled ‘other payments’ to senior officers in South Yorkshire Police’s accounts for 2016/17, published last autumn. But the actual nature of the payment only became apparent when an Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request was made after South Yorkshire Police initially declined to clarify what the £19,143 was for.

The reason for its apparent initial reluctance to explain is unclear as the force could point to national rules governing chief officer expenses, which meant Ms Copley was entitled to the claim.

An internal letter sent by Ms Copley, disclosed under FOI, highlighted that the regulations allowed for “further claims to be made for redecoration, carpets, curtains, white goods etc” but pointed out she would not be making them.

But campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance questioned why chief officer expenses were being protected when police forces have had to slash officer numbers due to cuts. Chief executive John O’Connell said: “At a time when many police forces are saying that they are struggling to provide basic services, many taxpayers will wonder whether these payouts for the highest-paid police staff are entirely fair or necessary.

“Police chiefs are among the highest-paid in the force, so surely this money could be better spent on recruitment and training of new officers.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “On appointment to the role of Deputy Chief Constable to South Yorkshire Police in 2015, a clause was included in the terms and conditions of the role stating the appointee should be in reasonable travelling distance of police headquarters to enable them to fulfil the responsibilities of the role.

“The appointee, who lived more than 50 miles from the force, initially rented a property for a period of time, while progressing the purchase of a home, both of which were based in the force area. A clause within her contract of employment stated that the chief constable would reimburse reasonable removal and resettlement expenses and the tax liabilities of any relocation package would be met by the force in line with the relevant Home Office circular and Winsor recommendations. No upper limit was set and no repayment terms were specified.”