PCSO’s may help with issues such as:

• Providing a visible and reassuring presence within the community.
• Attending incidents of disorder, nuisance and anti-social behaviour.
• Dealing with community issues.
• Gathering evidence through observation.
• Helping with missing person’s enquiries.
• Assisting with house to house enquiries.
• Involvement in patrolling major public events and ceremonials.
• Protecting the public from security threats.
• Helping to control crowds.
• Helping to support victims.
• Helping to direct traffic at roadblocks or scenes of accidents.

PCSO’s are actively involved in a number of initiatives and work closely with councils and other partner agencies to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and raise the awareness of crime prevention among the public.

PCSO’s regularly attend community and Neighbourhood Watch meetings, visit nearby schools and colleges and organise days to meet with local residents. They are pro-active in offering personal safety advice and carrying out crime prevention surveys on properties, which include taking property notes about the location, type of house it is and any vulnerable points of access.

Every day can be different and depends on other incidents that have happened, but in a fairly typical day, officers may visit previous burglary victims to ensure they have security measures to protect their homes from repeat victimisation and carry out crime prevention surveys.

Taking part in high visibility foot patrols allows PCSO’s to talk with members of the public about issues that affect them and as a result they become well known within the community.

On occasions PCSO’s will team up with police officers, under the management of a police sergeant. PCSO’s do not have the same powers of arrest as police officers, although they do have the right to detain suspected offenders for up to thirty minutes until a police officer arrives. PCSO’s carry the same radio units used by police officers, so that they can communicate with the force control room and other colleagues.

What are we looking for?

A PCSO needs:

• Good verbal communication skills, with the ability to use tact and diplomacy when dealing with upset, aggressive or confrontational people persuading them to follow a more appropriate course of action.
• Clear, accurate and concise written communication skills, including the ability to draft reports and other correspondence.
• A confident, mature and assertive manner.
• To be able to develop effective and positive working relationships with people at all levels and from diverse backgrounds.
• Good teamworking skills.
• A willingness to get involved in a range of possibly difficult situations.
• To be physically fit and able to perform extended foot patrol duties in all weathers.
• An appreciation of the importance of the confidential nature of police work.
• To be flexible and adaptable with regards to approach to working practices, demands and working hours.
• To demonstrate high levels of initiative, awareness and sound judgement.