They may have the power to allow someone to die while the police conduct a safety assessment, but it seems that in some things the police are not to be trusted.
The Daily Mail today tells us that if a light bulb fails, they must not replace it but rather report it to a twenty-four hour helpline and fill in a list of required supplies (one bulb?). The helpline will then contact a designated supplier, having made a decision on the severity and priority of the need, and the supplier will have to comply within a certain time or face a fine. Finally, in a five point list of instructions, if the contractor doesn't turn up the police are empowered to replace the bulb themselves.
This apparently relates to police stations in the South East, and there are also instructions about ordering toilet paper, putting up crime prevention posters or re-positioning plants and litter bins.In these cases they must also contact a hotline.
We have been concerned about the time officers spend in police stations, and how little on the beat. It seems that they may sit in the dark, unable to finish their paperwork, because they are not permitted to replace a light bulb. (The NHS sometimes pays hundreds of pounds for a bulb replacement, so there must also be a charge when a contractor eventually comes to replace a bulb, presumably?)
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