Sound of music costs South Yorkshire police £70k

SOUTH Yorkshire Police has shelled out almost £70,000 in three years to allow staff to listen to music at work.

The payments went to the Performing Rights Society (PRS), which gives licences for music to be played in public places.

The force paid £24,943 last year, up from £20,961 the year before and £23,660 in 2010/11, Freedom of Information figures show. The figures are the fifth highest for police forces in Britain.

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The amounts were uncovered by Bramley Parish Council clerk Rob Foulds, who is challenging the amount that PRS has demanded for music at the parish hall.

Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright, in a joint statement with the police, said the police, like any organisation or business with premises where music is played, was required to pay for a licence from the PRS.

The PRS, which pays royalties to writers, composers and publishers, charges fees depending on the amount of use and size of premises.

“Without the licence, we would be liable for infringing copyright and could be sued for damages,” he said.

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“South Yorkshire Police, along with other forces in the country, purchase the licence to be able to use recorded music within police premises in accordance with regulations.

“The use of recorded music includes being played in canteens, rest areas and leisure facilities within police premises to enhance staff health and wellbeing, within departments and at workstations where access to radios is required to fulfil the job profile and when recorded music is utilised as part of training videos and presentations.”

Mr Foulds found that police forces across the country pay more than £600,000 a year to allow staff and officers to listen to music.

Only Norfolk Constabulary, Wiltshire Constabulary and South Wales Police do not pay PRS fees.

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Avon and Somerset Police paid just £297 a year on average for the same period.

Mr Foulds said: “South Yorkshire Police asserts just how important it is for them to listen to their radios at work.

“The implication is that there’s no intention of reviewing their usage of their transistors in their offices, even though they have the fifth highest music licence costs across police forces in Britain.

“By absolute contrast, other forces have adopted a proper and professionally responsible attitude toward public money.

“Wiltshire, for example, saw fit to opt out of this music licence swizz several years ago, saying they would much rather use public funds for productive purposes.”