Police Community Support Officers – how do they make a difference in Reading?

Communities are benefiting from an increase in the uniformed presence on their streets as the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) grows across Reading. Their introduction has been one of hot debate, opinion has been divided and there has been a great deal of media coverage; yet there is still confusion about their role and powers.

Superintendent Steve Kirk, Local Area Commander at Reading police, said: “A common misconception is that PCSOs are being used as a replacement for police officers and I would like to reassure people that this is not the case.

“PCSOs are part of policing teams in this area and they provide crucial support to their police officer colleagues. They also work closely with staff, like neighbourhood wardens, from local councils and housing associations.”

Thames Valley Police employ nearly 500 PCSOs across the Force area. All kinds of people, of different ages and backgrounds, enjoy getting out on the streets of their community; meeting the residents and business people and finding ways to improve their quality of life.

Their job is designed to allow them to spend around 80 per cent of their time patrolling and, although they cannot arrest people, they have other powers which allow them to deal with lower-level crime, such as vandalism, which affects peoples’ lives but is very time consuming. This, in turn, frees up the police officers they support and enables them to focus on solving crime and tackling priority offenders.

If you haven’t met your local PCSO yet, keep an eye on the local press and publications for details of any events they may be organising. Or simply stop them on the street and say hello! You can also find out more about policing in your area at www.thamesvalley.police.uk

This is a full list of the powers available to PCSOs:

• Power to issue local authority fixed penalty notices (FPN) for dog fouling, littering, graffiti and fly-posting
• Power to remove abandoned vehicles
• Power to issue penalty notices for cycling on pavement
• Power to carry out road checks
• Power to direct traffic

• Power to issue a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for a range of offences including the unlawful sale and consumption of alcohol by people under 18 years of age; fireworks offences; causing harassment, alarm or distress, and trespassing on a railway

• Power to seize vehicles used to cause alarm
• Traffic wardens’ powers
• Power to require persons drinking in designated area to surrender alcohol
• Power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol
• Power to search for alcohol and tobacco
• Power to seize tobacco from a person aged under 16

• Power to seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
• Power to require name and address for anti-social behaviour
• Power to disperse groups and remove young persons to their place of residence (S 30 Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003)
• Power to require a person to wait for 30 minutes
• Power to enter and search any premises for purposes of saving life and limb or preventing damage to property
• Power to stop and search in authorised areas and enforce cordoned areas (Terrorism Act)