This is something else I noted from the Daily Mail article. It says "The £1.2bn spent on PCSOs could have funded 7,200 full-time police officers.". Then later on it points out that there are 17,000 PCSOs. So they're presuming that 7,200 police officers would achieve more. Anyone with any common sense can tell you that there are some tasks for which less-qualified (no disrespect to PCSOs!) people can do the job just as well, and at less cost
Police community support officers have failed to solve a single crime in three years.
- Thread starter Shadeyman
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Police community support officers have failed to solve a single crime in three years.
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Why aren't they allowed to manage cordons of a major incident? But smaller ones they are?
Looked online, and found something about the Terrorism Act 2000.
I've not looked up the Police Reform Act as I've got work, but looking at it...suggests that they are allowed to manage cordons of a major incident...can't think of anything bigger than terrorism.
I wasnt aware that PSCOs were expected to actually solve crimes.
In light of this I am thinking to myself......I wonder how many crimes have been solved by the regulars as a result of the fact that PCSOs have freed up time for them and in addition how many crimes have been prevented by the presence and the work of the PCSOs?
Perhaps the Daily Wail could provide us with these figures instead of concentrating on what would appear to be attempts to stir up political unrest.
I hold a deep pity for media victims, and there seems to be one or two amongst us.
In light of this I am thinking to myself......I wonder how many crimes have been solved by the regulars as a result of the fact that PCSOs have freed up time for them and in addition how many crimes have been prevented by the presence and the work of the PCSOs?
Perhaps the Daily Wail could provide us with these figures instead of concentrating on what would appear to be attempts to stir up political unrest.
I hold a deep pity for media victims, and there seems to be one or two amongst us.
OP
OP
Yes and I'm retired(builder).
Probabely best you ask The Beard that question.
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I was asking you
. A murder scene I would class as a major thing, same as the gas explosions, and terrorist attacks, all which PCSOs are allowed to manage.
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PCSO website says
Police community support officers (PCSOs) are uniformed staff whose role is to support the work of police officers and work within their local community. Their role is to assist the police in areas that need a certain level of police presence, but not necessarily the expertise of a trained police officer. They free up some of the time police officers might spend on routine tasks or low-level crime issues, and provide a valuable service to the community.
Police community support officers (PCSOs) are uniformed staff whose role is to support the work of police officers and work within their local community. Their role is to assist the police in areas that need a certain level of police presence, but not necessarily the expertise of a trained police officer. They free up some of the time police officers might spend on routine tasks or low-level crime issues, and provide a valuable service to the community.
i would have thought they was tbh though, early 2010 we had a polceman and a pcso come round when we wanted to report something.
OP
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A set of 20 standard powers for PCSOs came into affect in all forces in December 2007.
The powers are to:
• request the name and address of a person who is believed to have committed a relevant offence
• request the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner
• issue fixed penalty notices for littering
• issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on a footpath
• request a person to stop drinking in a designated public area and to surrender containers of alcohol
• confiscate alcohol from young people
• confiscate cigarettes and tobacco from young people
• require removal of abandoned vehicles
• seize vehicles used to cause alarm and distress
• enter a premises to save life or limb or prevent serious damage to property
• stop vehicles for purpose of a road check
• maintain and enforce a cordoned area established under Section 36, Terrorism Act 2000
• seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
• photograph people away from a police station
• stop pedal cycles
• control traffic for purposes other than escorting a load of exceptional dimensions
• require name and address for road traffic offences
• place signs
• stop and search in authorised areas under supervision of a Police Constable
• issue fixed penalty notices in respect of offences under dog control orders
PCSOs do not have powers of arrest, cannot interview or process prisoners, cannot investigate crime and do not carry out the more complex and high-risk tasks that police officers perform.
The powers are to:
• request the name and address of a person who is believed to have committed a relevant offence
• request the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner
• issue fixed penalty notices for littering
• issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on a footpath
• request a person to stop drinking in a designated public area and to surrender containers of alcohol
• confiscate alcohol from young people
• confiscate cigarettes and tobacco from young people
• require removal of abandoned vehicles
• seize vehicles used to cause alarm and distress
• enter a premises to save life or limb or prevent serious damage to property
• stop vehicles for purpose of a road check
• maintain and enforce a cordoned area established under Section 36, Terrorism Act 2000
• seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
• photograph people away from a police station
• stop pedal cycles
• control traffic for purposes other than escorting a load of exceptional dimensions
• require name and address for road traffic offences
• place signs
• stop and search in authorised areas under supervision of a Police Constable
• issue fixed penalty notices in respect of offences under dog control orders
PCSOs do not have powers of arrest, cannot interview or process prisoners, cannot investigate crime and do not carry out the more complex and high-risk tasks that police officers perform.
So you agree then that the story is pointless as PCSO's don't have the skills or powers to 'solve crimes' in the first place, so the figures given by the Daily Mail are crap?
Edit: Incidentally, I also support the work of Police Officers by recording faults with their radios and control systems and assigning engineers to fix them, but no-one expects me to 'solve crimes'.
Edit: Incidentally, I also support the work of Police Officers by recording faults with their radios and control systems and assigning engineers to fix them, but no-one expects me to 'solve crimes'.
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OP
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The London Evening Standard. (also linked in the original post)
The 265 PCSOs in Nottinghamshire Police cost £7 million in wages and detected six crimes in 2009/10, while the 311 support officers in South Wales cost £9.3 million and detected eight crimes in 2009, according to figures released by the forces.
The statistics showed PCSOs cost each force almost £1.2 million per crime, but the forces warned that the main role of their PCSOs was not to detect crime, but "to be accessible, visible and provide reassurance to the community".
Not to solve but to detect.
£1.2 million to be accessible and visible. It took 311 of them a whole year to detect 8 crimes in South Wales.
And how many crimes did that same 311 prevent by being visible and accessible?
OP
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Thats already been answered.
Makes you wanna become a criminal
They are useless and just get bullied by people completely though
It's not answer, it's an opinion. That question can only ever be answered with a supposition as there is no way of knowing whether or not the (hypothetical) little crew of chavs on the other side of the road were planning to snatch the (hypothetical) old lady's handbag when the (hypothetical) PCSO rounded the corner and made them stop and think (hypothetically).
It's not about how many crimes they've detected, it's about how many crimes are being committed in areas where PCSO's are deployed. If those numbers are the same or higher than prior to the deployment of the PCSO's, then I'll agree that PCSO's are most likely a waste of money. If they're lower, then it just proves they're doing their job.
It's not about how many crimes they've detected, it's about how many crimes are being committed in areas where PCSO's are deployed. If those numbers are the same or higher than prior to the deployment of the PCSO's, then I'll agree that PCSO's are most likely a waste of money. If they're lower, then it just proves they're doing their job.
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OP
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Your talking hypothetically so I guess anything could happen.
On the other hand the FACTS and FIGURES released by the Police force speak for themselves.
On the other hand the FACTS and FIGURES released by the Police force speak for themselves.
Your talking hypothetically so I guess anything could happen.
On the other hand the FACTS and FIGURES released by the Police force speak for themselves.
No the person interpreting these facts and figures speaks for them.
Facts and figures speak for themselves when you have all of them, and even then they may not speak very loudly.
What is detecting a crime? And for comparisons sake how many crimes did the real police from the same constabularies "detect" in the same time frame. Add to that is detecting a crime a role of the PCSOs?
It's a word that only seems to be being used on the side of the polemics
If you would like to improve the quality of your posts can I suggest looking at these matters with a fresh perspective.
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Its not my perspective thats in question as I'm only supplying the links.
Perhaps you should take a good look at your own and contribute to the thread instead?
In my opinion PCSO's are a waste of time and money. The money would be better spent increasing the number of real Police officers that actually have the powers to make a difference on our streets.
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Did you look up the figures I suggested?
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Have you?
Funny thing, I'm working so I've got more important things to do than try and prove a point. I thought I'd leave that up to the people with more time on their hands ...
