Tayside Police chiefs continue to spend beyond their target budget when it comes to paying overtime to some of its workers.
Latest figures released by the force reveal that despite slashing overtime payments among Force Communication Centre (FCC) staff by more than 12% on the 2009-10 figure, the police still paid out £37,257 in additional wages last year a significant increase on the budget of £25,650.
The FCC is based in the West Bell Street headquarters.
Its staff routinely answer emergency and non-emergency calls, and co-ordinate the response to incidents, despatching officers where required.
In a time of unprecedented public sector cuts, it is still not known how the force plans to bridge the substantial gap in the coming years, but it is understood the extra payments have come about to cover absence of other staff who may be on annual leave or sick.
A police spokesman said, “The reduction in overtime costs within the Force Communications Centre has been achieved through a more efficient use of existing resources and processes, whilst retaining a service which meets the needs of our communities when they require to contact the police, both in an emergency and for routine inquiries.”