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[Fedster + 1,307]

Force wants to recruit 300 volunteer PCSOs

It is hoped the unpaid workers will help maintain a quality of service 'within challenging financial times'.

Kent will become one of the first forces to introduce volunteer PCSOs, it has been revealed.

Two years ago the then Home Secretary Theresa May announced that she would extend the powers that chiefs can give volunteers – opening the door to create new roles such as volunteer police community support officers.

The subsequent introduction of the Police and Crime Act 2017 gives chief constables the power the power to bestow the limited powers that PCSOs have on volunteers for the first time.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott announced at a meeting of Kent and Medway police and crime panel that plans for VPCSOs are already well underway. 

He said: “The force is currently looking at plans around volunteer PCSOs because that is a new position that is available under the Police and Crime Act reforms.

“The chief constable has been very clear it is something which he supports and which he wants to do and we will support him if that’s the case.”

Documents for the meeting add that “the overarching aim is to develop a group of volunteers who sit somewhere between the special constabulary and Kent Police’s current volunteers”.

“They will deliver for their communities and where appropriate be designated with powers to assist in their roles,” they add.

A spokesman for the force said Chief Constable Alan Pughsley’s aspiration is that there will be around 300 in total.

There are no plans for the volunteers to replace ordinary PSCOs the force claims, but says “their introduction [is] to maintain a quality service within challenging financial times”.

A regular inspector has been appointed to manage the introduction of the new role and a draft plan is awaiting formal sign-off.

National officer for UNISON Ben Priestly said the concept is "conning the public". 

He added: "The reality is the PCSO workforce has been cut the most severly over the last seven years, [it] has declined by 40 per cent since 2010.

"It's something the public needs to be concerned about. They are designated PCSOs but may be able to use some of the powers of police officers as well. They will able to deploy CS gas. We simply don't think of they're capable. 

"The other problem with VPCSOs is that there is a big difference between an employee and a volunteer. A PCC cannot require a volunteer to work at short notice - they can just turn around and say I'm not available. I don't think that's very helpful to a dynamic emergency service."

He pointed out that the number of PCSOs at Kent Police has fallen from 387 in 2010 to 276 this year, and raised concerns about the potentional for redundant PCSOs' jobs to be taken byunpaid replacements. 

Kent Police was the first force in the country to grant policing powers to non-special constable volunteers under provisions introduced by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 when it helped the organisation South East 4x4 Response to gain limited powers for its members. The safety group can now place cordons on roads (except motorways) and direct traffic.

Lincolnshire Police created volunteer PCSOs before they had a legal basis however it is yet to make use of the new legislation.

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[Beaker 817]

Don't we already have some kind of front line volunteer police roles? I'm sure there was some kind of Special Police officers that did work for no pay. Don't quote me on that, might be wrong.

[Hyphen + 693]

Hopefully I’m not going to offend anyone here but I really don’t get this. Why would someone be a volunteer PCSO? What would the motivation be? It just sounds like a gimmick. I’m not convinced that the standard of recruit will be that good.

The option of a Special Constable is there if you wish to volunteer and help the local community and has done for many many years. 

Policing really is a sinking ship.

[miffy + 74]

I've directly asked the DCI about this, and she responded that some people aren't cut out to do the same role as a Special, and the VPCSO enables them to still support the community without having to deal with the "bad side" to policing. 

I think she got a little bit annoyed at me asking her that when I rank well below her...

VPCSO is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard to come from CiP. Current SC's in the force can barely do above minimum hours, and a PCSO need to be constantly out in the community to develop relationships with people to be able to be successful. No chance of doing that if you are doing 2 shifts a month. 

Another role to try and plug a gap without further consulation.

[obsidian_eclipse + 1,202]

I'd say it's a much harder job for pcso's than it is for special constables. They don't just walk about in yellow jackets but get quite involved in community issues which require a lot of follow ups. Building a relationship with people harassed by antisocial behaviour on a housing estate is more than just turning up once a fortnight for an hour, particularly when some of the parties don't trust the police. It might not be all crime related, however it can take a lot of diplomacy to diffuse certain situations as well as striking the right balance and standing your ground to challenging behaviour. For instance I've been out with pcso's whereby some of the abuse they have received and threat of violence has escalated way beyond that which I'd expect a warranted officer to tolerate, yet they have and fair play to them! It's something which has been honed over many months and years of duty where they know every single nominal by name and what they are capable of.

I'm not sure what the article means about the vpcso's being given cs. Does this mean full times pcso's won't be? If a vpcso deploys cs and it doesn't work then what back up do they have? How do they restrain someone - for there own safety too if they are in a busy street. Afterall there is a duty of care to offenders who have been incapacitated. If they are issued cs then won't they pretty much be required to meet the same fitness standards as the special constabulary, thus rendering the remark about those unable to meet the same standards a moot point.

[Zulu 22 + 4,570]

The whole idea of VPCSO's has never been thought out. It is just a case of a Chief Constable and PCC who are not fit for purpose.

[Hyphen + 693]

2 minutes ago, Zulu 22 said:

The whole idea of VPCSO's has never been thought out. It is just a case of a Chief Constable and PCC who are not fit for purpose.

I have to agree. As I say it strikes me as a gimmick novelty idea from people who don’t really know what they are talking about.

As has been said you can’t have a volunteer PCSO, how can you build the relationships with partners and the community required to actually do the role. All this will be will be someone in a high vis jacket for a few hours a month doing nothing. What a waste of their time and the time of officers.

At least Special Constables can actually make a difference, I don’t agree with many being On neighbourhood teams for the reasons above however on response can be invaluable to allow more double crewing and more capacity.

[Sceptre + 2,699]

1 hour ago, obsidian_eclipse said:

I'm not sure what the article means about the vpcso's being given cs. 

It seems like a remark some clown from UNISON has plucked out of the air as an example of what potentially being given police powers could mean. In reality it won't as there's no appetite anywhere at all for it, and as there are something like twelve or fifteen thousand specials currently armed with incapacitants on the streets this strand of his argument is rather weak anyway. 

3 hours ago, miffy said:

Current SC's in the force can barely do above minimum hours, and a PCSO need to be constantly out in the community to develop relationships with people to be able to be successful. No chance of doing that if you are doing 2 shifts a month. 

Out of interest what's stopping you doing more than two shifts a month?

[Pathca + 612]

I think it's crazy, You have the Special Constabulary for the 'policey' side of things. Then, certainly in my area ,there are lots of voluntary roles that probably contribute more than a VPCSO could. I manage a very active volunteer career ( Often most weeks) in my different 'jobs'

[Zulu 22 + 4,570]

I think that I will volunteer to be a Volunteer C.P.S. so that I can authorise charges, and g to court an prosecute them instead of offering no evidence for an easy life.

[miffy + 74]

4 hours ago, Sceptre said:

Out of interest what's stopping you doing more than two shifts a month?

Not me personally, but we're currently seeing a lot of SC barely doing above minimum hours and taking too long to reach IP due to the lack of hours they do.  

Many SC expect to do the gucci stuff every shift and get bored, or their personal lives get busy which I understand. I think people need to be told that to progress anywhere, you need to put in well above 16 hours a month.

 

[Beaker 817]

Not me personally, but we're currently seeing a lot of SC barely doing above minimum hours and taking too long to reach IP due to the lack of hours they do.
 

I feel bad that this month I'll only get 22 hours in this month. Usually manage 30 at least. Quite a few I've spoken to do 16 hours flat, and a few of those have only joined to get police experience before they start on their plans to get in to Firearms/Dogs/Traffic.

[Mac7 808]

What an absolute joke this is. Who does the PCC and the Chief think they are kidding? Let me guess, it’s a Tory PCC??

The person from Unison is correct - they are conning the public. If you need that many volunteers then something has gone badly wrong and to gloss it up by saying people can help in their communities is a p*** take. Why can’t people high up in this job be honest. The force clearly needs staff but the cuts are that savage that they can’t afford to pay people. No doubt these volunteers will be doing the work of paid PCSO’s or other staff that either they can’t afford to recruit or have been laid off.

I just wish people would be honest in this job and tell the government how it is. Do they honestly think that volunteers can replace paid employees and deliver the same or a better service???


This kind of thing winds me up. I have had a bad day at work to top it all off so most of my posts tonight will be a rant.

[Hyphen + 693]

6 minutes ago, Mac7 said:

What an absolute joke this is. Who does the PCC and the Chief think they are kidding? Let me guess, it’s a Tory PCC??

The person from Unison is correct - they are conning the public. If you need that many volunteers then something has gone badly wrong and to gloss it up by saying people can help in their communities is a p*** take. Why can’t people high up in this job be honest. The force clearly needs staff but the cuts are that savage that they can’t afford to pay people. No doubt these volunteers will be doing the work of paid PCSO’s or other staff that either they can’t afford to recruit or have been laid off.

I just wish people would be honest in this job and tell the government how it is. Do they honestly think that volunteers can replace paid employees and deliver the same or a better service???


This kind of thing winds me up. I have had a bad day at work to top it all off so most of my posts tonight will be a rant.

I’d say pretty well put.

I agree re being honest, how bad will it get before senior officers actually tell it how it is (without all the politics). Like I said in other threads, we are well and truly cutting in to the bone now.

[Mac7 808]

Some politicians and senior officers really do live in ivory towers. Do they honestly think that officers and staff can be cut and volunteers will flock to fill the void?? I’ve mentioned in the past that the number of people volunteering in my force was initially very good. When they realised they were being used as gofers they soon left. Some even commented they didn’t like the fact that they were doing tasks that paid employees were doing before being laid off. The volunteering department had an eye watering budget that should have been used to recruit or retain people.