ScoobyAddict

Over the last couple of years in Stafford, we've lost the police horses that used to patrol Cannock Chase etc, not 'cost-effective' apparently, (despite many people saying they would happily pay a bit more on their council tax to keep them!), yet what do I see this money-conscious force up to the other day?
Only driving round town in a bl**dy brand-new BMW 1 series!
WTF? And WHY?
Are not particularly fast, no room in the back, no real load-carrying capacity & not exactly cheap either, for a round-town driveabout!
Total bl**dy cheek of 'em!

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

1) How do you know they actually paid for it? It's not exactly rare for manufacturers and even local garages to donate carts for testing.

2) If it WAS paid for, how do you know how much? It's entirely possible that the manufacturer chipped in to undercut Ford/Poxhaull.

3) Price isn't everything: believe it or not it might make sense to pay £15k for a car that last four years rather than £10k for one that lasts two.

4) To the above, factor in running costs and time off the road. Even if both last the same time, and the Beemer cost five grand more, if it turns out to break down half as often the trade-off might be acceptable.

5) Normal panda cars don't carry much, so load space isn't important. Neither is speed, as they're not pursuit cars. That assumes it was being used as a panda car, otherwise:

6) Do you know what it weas in use for? It might be the ideal vehicle for the purpose for which is being used.


Apart from that your argument is flawless.


M

ScoobyAddict

Sorry, which department of BMW do you work for again?

Boost II

iTrader: (1)

Don't know if the police are an exception but BMW don't normally do significant corporate/fleet discounts which is why they are so much more expensive on company car schemes when compared to Ford/Vauxhall/VW etc cars with similar list prices. An ex-panda car is not going to have significant resale values whether a BMW or not. Can't remember the other points but a 1 series has got to be more expensive than the Metros and Fiestas I remember them having a few years back! It doesn't matter if it lasts 4 years or more as all Police cars seem to be only a year or two old (except Jack Frost's blue Sierra - on a J plate IIRC, also Morse's classic S Type Jag is older again!)

ScoobyAddict

Quite!
So comes down to my original point - a total bl**dy waste of money!

fatherpierre

Our old Pandas are Fiestas with a resale value of nil after 60k or being hammered. But they are leased, so resale isn't an issue!

Toyota have been giving us their new dual leccy/petrol cars for virtually nothing, so I imagine BMW are doing the same as Vauxhall and BMW (for the 5 series derv) have done for years.

Cheap rates for cars that are perceived to be durable (they must be, the police hammer them and they still work well) so the public see this and maybe consider it??

I am in an Astra every working day and they are garbage but take the hammer we give them and are on view 24hrs a day - not a bad advert for them?

Felix.

Our force has just bought some new Focuses. Apparently, they were approached by a Mercedes garage who offred to supply us with a fleet of new panda cars at a lot cheeper price than Ford could do it. It was turned down as it was thought it would not go down well with the public us driving new Mercs.

ScoobyAddict

No, it wouldn't!
Unfortunately, it is another case of 'perceived value' & I am as guilty of this as the next person but when people see a dramatic reduction in coppers on the beat, due to cost-cutting or whatever & then see the few that are left driving around in BMWs etc......?

Sure, the police horses cost a fortune to run but they did a grand job, patrolling the Chase etc, where vehicles cannot get to easily, so were viewed as 'needed' but at the end of the day, pretty much any make of vehicle would do for driving round the town centre!
To see them them cruising along in a BMW just provokes a 'salt in the wound' reaction, that's all!

('Spose the dogs'll be the next to go, they're not exactly cheap either but in the middle of a late-night Wolverhampton punch-up, anyone caught in the crossfire or living nearby, would probably rather the fuzz turned up in a manky old Astra van with a 40kg Rottweiler in the back, than turn up in a shiny new Merc by themselves!)

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

I reckon the coppers turning up would rather have a 40kg rottie that can actually do a bit of pain to a "customer" rather than be in a new Merc by themselves...

Felix.

You need a reliable car as most 'town centre' panda cars are used as the main response car. Sure we have high powered traffic cars but 99% of the time its the panda that sees the TWOC'd car and pursues. You also need it to be able to run 24/7 without any major problems, easy and cheap to repair etc etc.

Most forces are using dogs more than horses now. Local beats also have mountain bikes and off road bikes that they use.

BenGee

iTrader: (1)

Maybe as a public service they have to be seen using as many different manufacturers as possible and not sticking to one.

If you look around stafford everyday as i do you notice that they have a range of all manufacturers. Ford Fiestas, Focus's, Volvos, Toyotas, Mercedes, Bmws, Vauxhalls and even a Skoda Octavia RS now.

The last BMW estate was donated to them, this could be the fact with the new 120.

I do agree about the Cannock Chase thing but it isnt just the horses that we've lost up there but how often do you actually see any police up there unless theres an incident occuring?

Its a low crime rate area with very little reported crime where as you may have seen violent crime has risen 6% so bobbies are being encouraged more to roam the town centre and high volume residential areas.