Police community support officer

A Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) (Template:Lang-cy), or Community Support Officer (CSO) (Template:Lang-cy), is a uniformed non-warranted officer employed by a territorial police force or the British Transport Police in England and Wales. Police Community Support Officers were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002. Proposals for PCSOs in Northern Ireland were prevented by a budget shortfall in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

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, PCSOs can - usually, this is UNISON. Unlike other civilians in the police, PCSOs cannot be special constables, as this may conflict with their role as community officers, since specials have the same powers as regular constables. As of June 2007, there were about 4,000 PCSOs in England and Wales; 1,200 of whom worked for the Metropolitan Police. The PCSO recruitment process has assisted the Metropolitan Police in achieving recruitment targets for under represented groups. PCSOs often assist neighbourhood policing teams with environmental disorder and low level anti-social behaviour.

In Scotland, PCSO stands for Police Custody and Security Officer.

Uniform

A PCSO on duty with two police constables. Note the blue epaulettes and cap badge

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 or grey band and some having a blue/black and white chequered band.

Hi-visibility clothing is provided and recommended for traffic direction, but not mandatory for 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 badging and epaulettes to distinguish them from other PCSOs due to the additional traffic powers they have.

In 2007, UNISON, the union that represents most PCSOs in Britain, called for a standard uniform for PCSOs that would be similar to a constable with the exception of blue and white chequered hat band, blue tie and epaulettes but all other uniform and stab vest police constable standard issue. Unison claimed this would be to give PCSOs the authority they needed, and to stop them being confused with traffic wardens, parking attendants and other non-police uniformed workers. The Home Office reacted by saying that PCSO uniforms were an issue for individual police forces. Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, opposed the idea, stating that it would make PCSOs look too much like constables and put them in situations they could not deal with.

Powers

PCSOs do not have the traditional powers of arrest of Police Constables and other personnel, but are able to use common law powers of arrest under s24a of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. This means they are able to arrest anyone without warrant providing there is reasonable belief they are committing, or have committed an indictable or 'either-way' offence. This covers offences such as arson, criminal damage, theft, assault and burglary.

PCSOs are entitled to use reasonable force in order to effect an arrest as described above, or to forcibly detain (see below) using their powers from the Police Reform Act 2002. The use of reasonable force is supplemented by s3 Criminal Law Act 1967, s117 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, common law and the Human Rights Act.

Assaulting, resisting or wilfully obstructing a PCSO is a criminal offence under the Police Reform Act 2002. This also covers any individuals who are assisting a PCSO in the course of their duty.

The following are also criminal offences under Police Reform Act 2002:

• failing to provide personal details upon request to a PCSO
• failing to provide correct personal details upon request to a PCSO
• failing to comply to detention or arrest instructions of a PCSO

Again, individuals can be detained and subsequently arrested for failing to comply with, or contravening the powers of a PCSO.

The majority of 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 by the Chief Constable of each respective force. Unlike a police constable, a PCSO only has (Police Reform Act) 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:

• Issue fixed penalty notices for traffic offences, 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 offence, an act of antisocial behaviour or is in possession of a controlled drug.
• Confiscate alcohol from persons in designated places and from under 18s or those considered involved in the supply of.
• Seize and dispose of 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 if authorised and supervised by a police officer.

A PCSO on duty at Newport railway station

Additional powers which may be assigned to PCSOs by the Chief Constable (or Commissioner in London), but which vary from force to force, are:

• Detain a person suspected to have committed an offence or an act of anti-social behaviour.
• Detain a person who does not provide their name and address when required
• Detain a person who fails to provide details or complies with orders of a PCSO.
• 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.
• Issue fixed penalty notices for disorder, truancy, excluded pupils found in public places, dog fouling, graffiti and flyposting.
• 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 citizens.

Use of reasonable force

There is a great deal of confusion whether a PCSO can use reasonable force to arrest or detain a suspected offender. As citizens of the UK, all PCSOs have the power to use reasonable force. Most police forces have designated the power of reasonable detention (i.e. force). Forces which have not yet designated such power still have PCSOs capable of using it, as they are unable to remove these common law powers from PCSOs, even when on duty. PCSO's in theory can all use handcuffs to detain using their own detention powers or arrest using anybody person powers when on duty. At present only 2 forces permit this and issue handcuffs.

The use of reasonable force is supplemented by s3 Criminal Law Act 1967, s117 Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, common law and the Human Rights Act.

PCSO roles in the Metropolitan Police Service

Within the Metropolitan Police, which is responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, several different types of PCSO exist

• Neighbourhood PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence in Safer Neighbourhood Teams, which police London's boroughs and other areas within the MPS district.
• Safer Transport PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence on buses (policing on the railways and London Underground being provided by the British Transport Police.)
• Traffic PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence by assisting the Traffic OCU in roads policing, along with issuing penalty notices.
• Security PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence in well known areas in London, safeguarding against terrorism.
• Royal Parks PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence within the Royal Parks in the MPS District.
• Aviation Security PCSO - Provides a uniformed presence, assisting the Aviation Security OCU in policing of London airports.
• Station PCSO - Acts as front counter liaison with members of the public.
• Victim PCSO - Responsible for updating victims of crime about police investigations.

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 vehicles of their own, including mopeds. Some forces maintain a small fleet of special PCSO vehicles for purely transportation of the personnel. PCSOs may only use blue lights when stationary to indicate a hazard or an Incident Rendezvous Point.

PCSOs also regularly use mountain bikes, or other bicycles. Since 2007, PCSOs and Police Constables have had to take a training course before being allowed to use bicycles whilst on duty, after a trainee PCSO died after being hit by a truck in Wigan. In 2007, Segways were reported to be used by Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) in Sutton. These teams consist mostly of PCSOs. There was concern that their use may be dangerous, and may possibly contravene the 1974 Road Traffic Act.

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. One such officer of the Thames Valley Police Force, 17-year-old PCSO Nadia Naeem made news. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. As a result of this incident Greater Manchester Police suspended PCSOs from using bicycles. This was later rescinded.

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. His superior, Sergeant Dave Casley, described PCSO Bird's effort as an "heroic attempt" to rescue the children.

Similar programmes

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has launched a Community Safety Officer (CSO) (Template:Lang-fr) Program based on the British model. The first seven special constable CSOs were sworn in on 16 June 2008. This is a pilot programme, with each CSO giving an 18 month commitment. After the 18 months, the pilot will be evaluated and a decision will be made as to whether it will continue.

Although they do not carry pistols like ordinary officers in the RCMP, they do carry pepper sprays and batons to protect themselves. CSOs are given the title "Constable", although they are not police officers.

See also

• UK police ranks

External links

• A private website about PSCOs, contains a forum
• The Plastic Fuzz, a blog by a former serving PCSO, who is now a trainee PC