Universities in Britain Spend Millions to Hire Police Officers

Universities all over Britain are spending a lot of money to have police officers patrol their campuses. According to the data gathered by the news outlet, The Times, 27 universities have paid a sum of over £2 million to 17 police forces since 2016, and have earmarked approximately £1.2 million for police service in the current academic year. Five more universities also started investing in campus police in 2018. Among these universities, the University of Northampton is spending the most on police service, setting aside £775,000 for the next three years. Universities hire the police to deter offenders from targeting their students. This is because students are usually equipped with expensive devices, such as laptops and mobile phones. As a result, these students become vulnerable to criminal activity. Crimes like robbery and violence are some of the activities that are likely to trouble students. Despite the universities’ efforts in ensuring their campuses’ safety, some are not happy with the idea of investing in police service. Police officers are saddened that universities resort to spending money to make their campuses a safe place. According to the Police Federation of England and Wales’ national chairman, John Apter, these universities are clearly aware of the importance of security on campuses. However, the situation is a reflection of the country’s lack of police officers. This scarcity implies that the number of police officers in neighborhoods is also waning. Since universities have the means to retain good-performing officers, critics pointed out that this capacity might create a system wherein only those who can afford security are at an advantage, while those who cannot are left out.