Police Interested in EasyJet Advertising on Patrol Vehicles
Jackie Reddy November 06, 2015
With coffers empty and crime unpursued, police in the English town of Luton are attempting to use the power of flight to fight crime.
The English town of Luton, 30 miles northwest of London, is the base for low-cost British carrier EasyJet. But officials in the town, whose public services have been hit by recent budget cuts, are hoping to use the carrier’s local connection to bolster the coffers of its police force, which has been especially impacted by this funding shortfall.
Several local constables have explained that, due to cuts, a number of types of theft have been downgraded. This, in effect, means that these crimes are now no longer pursued by police.
In an attempt to restore full policing powers, Olly Martins, the police and crime commissioner for Bedfordshire, the county in which Luton is located, recently suggested that police patrol cars carry advertisements in order to generate more revenue.
Speaking at a meeting earlier this week, Martins explained that, due to the budget carrier’s connection with Luton and nearby Luton Airport (LTN), he would welcome EasyJet’s logo on police cars in the area.
Craig Mackey, deputy commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, said that while the issue of sponsorship was not without pitfalls, the idea appeared to have some backing among policing staff in the greater London area.
However, the Daily Mail reported Mackey as saying that, “We would like to look at the whole issue of sponsorship, how you can help policing.”
While Luton isn’t the only area in the UK dealing with the impact of budget cuts to its police force, it may be the only municipality attempting to use the power of flight to fight crime.
[Photo: Getty Images]
