Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
A report by Kent Police and supported by the Police Federation states that CPSO's have done little to combat the 'yob culture' and anti-social behaviour. It concludes that the experiment has failed, presumably meaning that they serve very little purpose.
Is it not time that these amateurs who have little more power than the ordinary citizen was phased out and replaced by the good old bobby on the beat.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i must disagree here dave, they have actually forged a link between people and the top brass.
the traditional police dislike them as it exposes them.
they like to drive past in nice cars never having to speak to the great unwashed, and deliberately turning a blind eye to antisocial behaviour.
the PCSO chaps and chapesses do all the ground work, by being on the manor, talking to locals and gaining information.
it is then up to the top brass to actually feel collars.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes I saw this report Dave so glad you put it up. If the police themselves here in Kent see this PCSO thing as a failure then I guess it looks like a failure, as the Police themselves are the people that should know if anyone does.
But sadly this of course must be a crushing blow to the morale of these young PCSO officers which is a pity, and rather than getting support as you might expect, they must now feel marginalised and seriously undervalued.
Where do we go from here is the next question?
Howard the police themselves (in or out of their nice cars!) do a good job. Down here on the seafront last evening they called twice to some sort of very minor difficulty in the ghastly seafront shelter. While not exactly the hubbub of international crime, this irritating seafront shelter, occupied by p*ssheads as it is on a daily basis, is always the source of police activity, minor police activity it must be said. There are plenty of police too on call as we often see. There is no shortage.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Our very own forumite Keef is a PCSO I would love to hear your views on the role and usefulness of PCSO... Keef.
Over to you.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes Marek would be interesting to hear Keefs view but whether it would be easy for him to speak on the subject is hard to say. BUT..BUT Keef's delicate computer has sprung a gasket and he is temporarily out of circulation.
As we are only small nowadays we miss the posters when they are out of circulation with breakdowns or holidays...so henceforth all breakdowns and holidays are verbotten
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
Paul
The PCSO's themselves must know that they command very little respect when it comes to the yobs. The yobs know that their powers are limited and that they are told to avoid confrontation so honestly what is the point of having them in the first place.
Re-train those that would like a career in the Police Force and make those that don't redundant.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
I agree with Howard on this one, the PCSO's do a great job in liaising with the local community and reporting criminal acts when they see them.
They work very hard and deserve much more credit than this Police Report gives them.
Roger
Guest 648- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 258
I still think the money should be spent on policeman who have more powers.In River we pay part of the cost over £15,000,we also pay for the large Police precept.Give us a few more real policeman.
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
I have to agree with you Sue, far better to deal with anti-social behaviour on the spot, rather than having to radio for backup simply because you are not allowed to become involved in anything confrontational.
The other point raised in the report is that a PCSO works little more than office hours, it is surely at night when most of the anti-social behaviour occurs, I do believe that the problems you had in River were during the evening, where was your PCSO then?
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
We have a new PSCO in Tower hamlets Kerry Marshall but we are lucky to also have a good Community Warden in Alison Beaumont we meet regularly or call each other to keep each other upto date with any problems that we know about.I think any presents in Uniform is good because these PCSO and Community Wardens are seen and that works.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
One of the problems - and it applies to many organisations - is the lack of clarity and the overlap between different strands of the service. This causes confusion, and makes it difficult to seperate out the advantages and disadvantages of the various groups. It also has the potential to create an overspend as the groups compete for funding and attempt to big up their profiles.
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
I'm afraid JHG that the Police would disagree with you, when it came to the question as to whether crime figures had dropped as a result of PCSOs the answer was no.
The local yobs know that they are virtually powerless and therefore uniform or not have no respect for them. There is no substitute for the old community bobby who had an instant power of arrest and who did command respect within the local community.
Why cannot the funds used in paying these bunch of amateurs be used to recruit proper policeman?
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
I have to say I think our PCSO in River does a great job. She does what the police can not do; she has gotten to know a lot of the residents in the village and formed a bond with them.
We have found at the Mill we are getting less vandalism, due to our PCSO I do not know but certainly it has reduced since she has been around the village keeping her eye on things.
She calls in at events at the Mill and the Village Hall meets people both young and old, talks to people, forming a bond of trust. In my opinion she is doing what it is the PCSO's were formed for to become the eyes and ears for our police who are not pounding the beat any more.
I have seen her tackle the under age drinkers in the River Recreation ground on her own and command respect from them.
What I can not understand is why does a Special Constable who is a voluntary worker for the police and undertakes similar training to a PCSO allowed to do far more. Specials actual police work including having the power to arrest some thing a PCSO can not do when they are paid for their work.
I do think the police are not keen on the PCSO's because they are doing a job they do not do, they are communicating with the public and long may it continue.
H
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
Dave1 fine if we have more police rather than PCSO's where will they go. I know and so do you into their police cars dashing here dashing there.
Will they get to know people and communicate with the public forming a bond of trust, I doubt it as it's its difficult to do in a police car.
The PCSO's do have a roll to play and it must be hard to tell how good that roll is. The PCSO's pass the information they receive on I suspect and then the police take the credit.
90% in favour of PCSO's
100% if they were given the power to arrest.
H
Absolutely not!! The police arrest peoplre, the PCSOs talk to people. If arrestes are to be made and policing to be done it must be trained and dedicated police officers doing it. The PCSO role should be defined more clearly and the boundaries understood, for everyones sake!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i can only speak for what i have seen locally, until recently we had a young lady pcso that struck fear and respect into miscreants.
she did not need to arrest them, she simply made things clear, and behaviour was changed.
sadly, she done such a good job, she got promoted and someone else has come in, will take her a while to know what is what in the area.
previous to our ex pcso, we had the elite driving past in their nice cars ignoring all what was going on.
i would like to see them get the power of arrest.
any bad feeling from the official coppers is down to a bit of jealousy that they are forging a bond with the community, in my opinion.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
Respect your point of view Bern, but then why are Special's allowed to arrest, they are just volunteers after all, with as I understand it very similar training to a PCSO.
I still think though that the PCSO's do have a very important roll to play in the community while supporting the police.
H
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
The P.C.S.O.at River is very good and is a great help to us.
Cllr Vic Matcham of the River P/Council
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
Vic, surely it is results that are needed not help and how do you argue the point that even the police think they are no good.
Incidentally I spotted just down the road from where I live what I thought was a police car but it was marked 'community warden' or words to that effect. Low and behold who was driving it, none other than a PCSO. Defeats the object of the exercise a bit.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry but our P.C.S.O. has had good Results but we do need more police walking around and not in cars, I have wrote letters to the Kent Police and said at meetings we need the police Station open 24hours not till 20.00hrs,and we also need the policeman back in the all the villages in houses.
But I do not think it will happen not in my lifetime anyway.
Vic [M]