Home Office announcement on PCSOs

Warwickshire Police has confirmed that it won't be increasing the powers of its Police Community Support Officers, following a Home Office announcement that from 23 December, forces will be able to grant PCSOs the power to detain suspects for 30 minutes.

Ch Supt David Whitehouse, Southern Area Commander and the force lead on PCSOs says that at this stage the current powers, training and deployment of PCSOs in Warwickshire are working extremely well.

He said: "Whilst we welcome the flexibility that allows forces to make their own decisions on this issue, we don't believe that it would be right for Warwickshire at this time.

"The fact that our PCSOs are not caught up in the reactive elements of policing is their great strength. They are able to be out and about on high visibility patrol and talking to local people and businesses, helping to solve problems and gather information which is having a real impact in terms of crime reduction and detection, and increasing public confidence.

"Of course we will continue to review the way in which our PCSOs are deployed and their powers, in line with government guidelines, to ensure that they remain a valuable part of the policing family."

In the two years since PCSOs started patrolling in Warwickshire, the force has been overwhelmed by the positive response they have had from local people, who have appreciated the different skills and priorities they bring to the range of policing services.

Warwickshire was one of the first forces to recruit PCSOs, who are making a positive contribution by getting actively involved in resolving matters that are causing concern to the local community, including issues such as graffiti, abandoned vehicles, anti-social behaviour, and nuisance youths. They also play a major role in monitoring compliance with antisocial behaviour orders, and are key members of the new Neighbourhood Crime Fighting Teams.

Last month the force heard that a bid to the Home Office for further funding for PCSOs had been successful, which will bring the total number of PCSOs in Warwickshire to 61.