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Police Community Support Officer
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Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) (Welsh: Swyddogion Cymorth Cymunedol yr Heddlu, SCCH or Heddlu Ategol) are uniformed personnel working with the Police in England and Wales. The "Police" prefix is optional, with Community Support Officer (CSO) (Welsh: Swyddogion Cymorth Cymunedol, SCC) also being common among some forces. Police Community Support Officers were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002.[1] Proposals for PCSOs in Northern Ireland were prevented by a budget shortfall in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [2]
They are not members of the Police Federation, the staff association to which, by statute, all police officers from the rank of Constable to that of Chief Inspector belong. Police officers cannot, by law, join any trade union, but as unsworn non-police officers, CSOs can: usually, this is UNISON. Unlike ordinary civilians in the police, PCSOs can't be special constables as this may conflict their role as community officers, as specials have the same powers of arrest as regular constables.
This role is not to be confused with the Scottish PCSO role which stands for police custody and security officer.
Uniform
The PCSO uniform is similar to that of a police officer, but has a variety of uniquely distinguishing features depending on the area.
A stab vest is usually issued to police officers, but wearing one is often left to the discretion of the individual, although in some forces the practice is compulsory. Vests are also usually near on identical to UK police constables, but often with different labelling and colouring. Three forces in the UK currently do not issue stab vests to their PCSOs, namely the West Midlands Police, Staffordshire Police and Surrey Police.
A PCSO's headgear may or may not display the force crest, some have a shield, usually blue, stating "Police Community Support Officer". The band on the hat may also be different with some sporting a reflective band, most commonly they sport the blue band and some having a blue/black and white chequered band.
Hi-visibility clothing is mandatory for traffic direction, and patrol. This tends to either be a jacket or a cover for the body armour.
Shirts for the PCSOs are most commonly white, although some variations in colour such as grey and blue exist in some forces. Most PCSOs tend to have the blue epaulettes, with the words "Police Community Support Officer" followed by their identification/area number number. Some forces use black epaulettes, like those of a police officer.
Traffic PCSOs usually have special badgeing and epaulettes to distinguish them from other PCSOs
Powers
All PCSOs' powers stem from the Police Reform Act 2002 (as amended). PCSOs do not have a duty to act, unlike police constables; it is up to their discretion whether they should exercise a power in each situation. Each PCSO is assigned their powers and must carry a card which lists precisely all the powers they have. Unlike a police constable, a PCSO only has powers when on duty and in uniform, and within the area policed by their respective force.
The powers that all PCSOs have at present are:[3]
- Issue fixed penalty notices for littering, breach of dog control orders and cycling on a footpath.
- Require name and address where they have reason to believe a person has committed a road traffic or antisocial behaviour offence or is in possession of illegal drugs.
- Confiscate alcohol from persons in designated places and from under 18s.
- Seize tobacco from under 16s.
- Seize drugs.
- Enter and search premises to save life or prevent serious damage to property.
- Seize vehicles used to cause alarm.
- Remove abandoned vehicles.
- Stop bicycles.
- Control traffic.
- Carry out road checks.
- Place traffic signs.
- Enforce cordoned areas under the Terrorism Act 2000.
- Photograph people away from a police station.
- Stop and search in an authorised area under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Additional powers which may be assigned to PCSOs by the Chief Constable (or Commissioner in London), but which vary from force to force, are:[3]
- Issue fixed penalty notices for disorder, truancy, excluded pupils found in public places, dog fouling, graffiti and flyposting.
- Detain a person (for 30 minutes if awaiting an officer or accompanying them to a police station if requested) who does not give their name and address when required to do so.
- Use reasonable force in relation to a detained person or to prevent a detained person making off. This may involve the use of handcuffs if the PCSO has been issued with and authorised to use them.
- Enforce byelaws.
- Deal with begging.
- Enforce certain licensing offences.
- Search detained people for dangerous items.
- Disperse groups and remove under 16s to their place of residence.
- Remove children contravening bans imposed by a curfew notice to their place of residence.
- Remove truants to designated premises.
- Search for alcohol and tobacco.
- Enforce park trading offences.
- Enter licensed premises (limited).
- Stop vehicles for testing.
- Direct traffic for the purposes of escorting abnormal loads.
Traffic PCSOs (TPCSOs) also have the powers of Police Traffic Wardens
PCSOs have the same powers of arrest as other ordinary citizens, and can arrest anyone without warrant if they know or believe they have committed an indictable offence. Individual force guidelines, however, usually instruct them not to use this power.
Equipment
PCSOs are not normally issued with any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the sense that they are not authorised to carry; Extendable or fixed batons or CS Incapacitant Spray. Stab resistant vests are issued, however, the compulsory nature of wearing on duty is left to each respective force. The British Transport Police PCSOs as well as those in North Wales (and others) are given handcuffs. PCSOs carry a torch and a limited first aid kit containing rubber gloves, a bag to put bloodied clothing in, a resuscitation mask to allow them to give mouth to mouth CPR without contact with actual lips, and alcohol wipes. PCSOs also carry a radio identical to the police, which they use to communicate with other PCSOs, police officers and the control room on the same channel. Some neighbourhood police teams also monitor local shop/pub watch radios. Some PCSOs have been known to use head cameras and hand held digital cameras to film or take pictures. PCSOs who do this normally receive special training.
Vehicles
Some forces allow their PCSOs, commonly those assigned to duties managing traffic, to drive marked police vehicles but most do not. Some forces have issued PCSO's vehicles of their own including mopeds. Some forces maintain a small fleet of special PCSO vehicles for purely transportation of the personnel. Generally, PCSOs may only use blue lights when stationary to indicate a hazard or an Incident Rendezvous Point.
PCSOs also regularly use bicycles. Recently for Health and safety reasons PCSOs and Police Constables have had to take a training course before being allowed to use bicycles whilst on duty.[4] Recently Segways were reported to be used by Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) in Sutton. These teams consist mostly of PCSOs. There has been concern that their use may be dangerous, and may possibly contravene the 1974 Road Traffic Act.[5]
Young PCSOs
It has recently been revealed that several forces have recruited PCSOs under the usual recruitment age for police constables, which is 18 years and 6 months. The criterion seems to be that such recruits must be at least 16 and their appointment must be authorised by the Chief Constable of the force being applied to.[6] One such officer of the Thames Valley Police Force, 17-year-old PCSO Nadia Naeem made news.[7] The decision to appoint her and other 16- and 17-year-olds has been the subject of much debate. On 26 November 2007 Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made the decision that from December 2007, all PCSOs must be 18 before they can be appointed. PCSOs under 18 years who were already appointed, or had applied prior to this ruling are to be allowed to hold their positions.[8] A few police forces are accepting applications from candidates below 18 years due to the lengthy recruitment process. Candidates will therefore be able to begin training upon reaching the required age.
Incidents
On 31 January 2006 45-year-old PCSO Adrian Martin of the Metropolitan Police collapsed and died of heart failure when cycling on a road exercise while undertaking a police cycle training course at Hendon. He was the first PCSO to die on duty.[9]
On December 4, 2006, PCSO Gary Etchells was stabbed in the neck whilst assisting a local housing trust to carry out an eviction in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. He has since made a full recovery and is back to work. A 63-year-old man was charged with attempted murder in connection with this case. Etchells is believed to be the first PCSO to be seriously injured whilst on duty. [10]
Although full details of this incident have never been released, it has been suggested that Etchells was acting "outside of his duty" as PCSOs are not expected, nor are they informed that they will be issued a response officer due to the potential conflict situations they are faced with. Forces recommend that PCSOs hold back, gather information and await an armed police response in these situations.
On 3 May 2007 two Greater Manchester Police PCSOs, had been called to a lake where 10 year old Jordon Lyon had disappeared under the water after his sister had fallen in. They did not attempt an underwater rescue because "they were not trained" to do so. Neither PCSOs nor warranted police officers receive any water rescue training; in fact there has been no requirement for police officers in England and Wales to pass a swimming/life saving test during training for many years. On 20 September the Greater Manchester Police defended their actions as it was found at the inquest that the PCSOs had initially been given the wrong location of the boy, and when they did find the correct place he had already been under water for at least seven minutes, leading the coroner to believe that he was already dead.[11]
On July 3, 2007, a Metropolitan Police PCSO was slashed whilst driving a marked police van in Victoria, London. A man was chased and arrested for the offence. The PCSO was later released from hospital; his injuries had been minor.[12]
On 10 September 2007 20-year-old PCSO Christopher Donald Maclure of the Greater Manchester Police was killed in a road traffic accident while on bicycle patrol. He sustained fatal head injuries in a collision with a lorry at a road junction in Hindley Green. The lorry driver who hit him had to be treated for shock.[13] As a result of this incident Greater Manchester Police suspended PCSOs from using bicycles. This was later rescinded.[14]
On 21 February 2008, PCSO Dave Bird of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, a former fireman, helped to rescue two children from a house fire in south Devon after they were trapped upstairs by flames. He arrived before the fire brigade and made two attempts to reach the children. Despite being unable to reach them, he directed firefighters to the girls' location in the house, resulting in their rescue. He was commended for his actions.[15][16] His superior, Sergeant Dave Casley, described PCSO Bird's effort as an "heroic attempt" to rescue the children.
References
See also
External links
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