How much are your PCSOs?

Parish and town council funding of PCSOs is back on the agenda. In Cranfield we went down this route a few years back and then the scheme was withdrawn. There are issues about whether you have any managerial control over the police community support officer you are funding and the police’s right to withdraw them at any time for other priorities.  

At the recent Bedfordshire Councils Planning Consortium meeting in Flitwick , Sergeant Andy Rivers explained that a PCSO costs £51,000 of which £24,000 is their salary.

Bedfordshire Police are looking for £33,000 to be paid by parish councils plus £280 per month if a car is used. Parish councils should have received a letter explaining this. Some parish councils want to fund their own PCSO. 

 A review of PCSOs will be held in April.  A Harlington parish councillor at the meeting pointed out that there is a legal difficulty for a parish council to fund any facility, which is not unique to it. If that difficulty can be overcome then parish councils may be willing to contribute financially to fund a PCSO. There would have to be discussions between National Association of Local Councils, Central Beds Council and the Police.
Source – minutes of the BCPC meeting 13 December 2013

 
PCSOs were introduced in 2003 and while the tabloids attacked their lack of an arrest warrant, there are many examples of committed, boots on the ground, community involvement. Home Office funding is now being withdrawn and numbers have been scaled back. Pictured above is Cumbria's PCSO Jonathan Mann who won the 2011 Janes' Police Review PCSO of the year award. Jonathan has run very successful Junior PCSO schemes helping children to be come more aware of the police and to engage in worthwhile community activities - especially when school is out.