Bus arrests costing £11k each time

Each arrest on buses in the West Midlands by a special taxpayer-funded police team cost more than £11,000, new figures reveal.

A total of 125 people were arrested last year by the safer travel police team, which receives £1.4 million a year. Details released under the Freedom of Information Act show the number of arrests made on the region's buses increased from 87 in 2007 to 125 in 2008. Transport chiefs say the 30-officer team is good value for money.

They say it is more about preventing crimes than arresting people.

It receives a total of £1,414,000.

West Midlands Police contributes around £509,000, transport authority Centro contributes £450,000 and an additional contribution of £455,000 is made by the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership.

This works out at an average cost of £11,312 per arrest.

The team tackles incidents including smoking, drug smoking, vandalism to buses, anti-social behaviour and nuisance behaviour.

People using National Express West Midlands buses can contact the officers by texting a special phone number where details are then passed on.

The only other means of reporting problems directly to the team is by using www.safertravel.info

Officers said that in an emergency people should always dial 999.

The Safer Travel Police Team is made up of 30 police officers and police community support officers.