What about these community police, do you think they are a help or cause more trouble?

Answer 1

Help!

Answer 2

I take it you mean the PCSOs? Tricky one... there's advantages and disadvantages. They do have some powers, but if they need those powers enforcing, they need a Police officer to back them up. They are more likely to stay in the community than Police officers, so they get known a lot more - but only if they make the effort. A lot don't bother that much and are wannabe Police officers. Personally, I think they should scrap PCSOs and put the money into proper prisoner processing units. The Police officer would then bring in their prisoner, and then a civilian member of staff take on the investigation, get the statements, etc. etc. That way, all the Police Officer would need to do after an arrest would be to write his/her arrest statement and get back out, as the public want... not stuck behind a desk for 4 hours r more doing the paperwork. I can see PCSOs being given powers of arrest in the future, and do all the fun stuff, and the Police Officers will get stuck with all the investigation.

Answer 3

Ragill S1849 sums it up pretty well. Most rank and file Officers are in two frames of mind about the use of PCSOs. They are useful in theat they engage the community and can bring reassurance to the public that there is a Police presence about, albeit one that has limited powers and can't deal with confrontational situations. A further use of PCSOs is that they bring in a lot of valuable intelligence that is fed into the Area Intelligence Teams at the local nick which directly impacts on how the Police assign their resources.

However, there is a more cynical answer here in that as civilian employees PCSOs cannot join the Police Federation which means it is easier for the government to change their working practices by passing the very powerful Fed. If a PCSO makes some questionable choices on duty and the local commander wants to sack him it is far easier to do because he won't have to fight the Federation for his resignation. It is also Policing on the cheap and you should expect to see a lot more PCSOs in the future and I can easily imagine the day when they outnumber uniformed Officers because they are cheaper to train and cheaper to pay and easier to manipulate. In the future the uniformed Officer is going to be used purely for reactive purposes and not proactive, ie; responding to crimes committed/being committed as oppossed to preventing crime by the various methods currently employed. Essentially the concept of the PCSO is a further politicisation of the Police by an all too controlling Labour government.

Answer 4

I live in a small village and have had reason to call the local Police in. I must say I was a little worried at getting a community policeman not a 'Real live Bobby'.
It didn't take me long to realise that this man was exactly what he said he was, he knew the community better than some police constable from the 'local station (10 miles away) and was able to act on his knowledge to sort out the local hooligans in very short time.
The next time I ring for police assistance I will able ask for my community policeman by name.

Answer 5

The safer neighbourhood schemes: pcso - have no powers whatsoever - they cannot stop and search - but they can stop and question, then cannot arrest, they have to call the regular police to arrest.

That gives me the impression that it is just another labour PR Stunt to try and make you feel better about your decaying community. The yobs laugh at them - they know they have no powers and that is why a lot of neighbourhoods are lawless now - the regular police only come out on 999 calls now - the local police station is nothing more than an administrative centre beyond the emergency calls. Standard policing has dissapeared and that is not a good thing at all.

Answer 6

I feel sorry for PCSO the ones I know do a good job but the Government does not give them the powers they need , in most cases they do have a better local knowledge and don't suffer with police officer arrogance which most new recruits have , some may join because there not able to get in the regs but that maybe because there local force is not recruiting so they are helping career by being a PCSO same as specials.

Answer 7

It is policing on the cheap. More police are needed on the street and in the community and this is just a way of getting partially trained people and paying them less. What we need is properly trained police, getting paid a proper wage, out on the street.

Answer 8

They seem to act upon information
that is from less than credible sources
they are not from the area they "police"
and generally have no idea about who
the agressors are and who are the long suffering
victims,their leaders are operating from out
of a text book and are politically correct brainwashed,in my personal opinion they are
a waste of time and money and have given the
perpotrators of vandalism and general cretinism
a new lease of life,there are undoubtedly ones
with their heart in the right place but when your orders come from a troop of baboons what is
there you can do?

Answer 9

Cause more trouble... they have no police powers what so ever!!! So need the REAL police to come and bail them out of trouble...lol

Answer 10

I think they can serve a purpose and be a helpful addition to the Police, but they should definitely not be used as a cheap alternative.

Answer 11

Police community support officers are a waste of money and resources they cant even arrest you! Ha they only have the powers of a citizens arrest