Edinburgh Council Probes Police Event Fees

0:00It's March 23rd. Welcome to Edinburgh News Today, powered by AI. Edinburgh counselors have backed a motion calling for an investigation into whether the city pays higher fees for police coverage at public events, compared to other parts of Scotland. The push came from conservative counselor Joanna Moitt during a full council meeting on Thursday. She highlighted that Edinburgh has the lowest number of police officers per resident of any Scottish council area. The issue gained attention after the Terminal V Techno Festival announced it would leave the city after the summer, partly blaming steep policing, costs. Organizers shared their disappointment at a licensing meeting last month and planned to shift the event elsewhere, possibly Glasgow. Many residents and businesses rely on these events, which draw crowds and boost the local economy. Counselor Moitt noted the potential for uneven charging across Scotland, now that police Scotland fully recharges for event policing. Her motion also directs the council leader to check if the low police numbers here are driving up those prices.

1:01It calls for the chief executive to seek more transparency from police leaders. Recently, part of a 90 million pound visitor levy deal allocated millions to add 45 officers in the city center, with the council and police sharing costs. The motion passed without debate, signaling broad support for digging deeper into these expenses.