by TheJusticeofthePeace @ 05.
Oct. 2010. – 15:46:17
Over the last few months I have
tendered some facts and offered my opinions on cardboard policemen and plastic
policemen otherwise known as Police Community Support Officers. Neither the
facts nor the opinions were complimentary. My experiences of PCSOs in court do
not impress.
The Tax Payers` Alliance, loosely described as a right wing pressure group, has certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons with its latest press release. Once again it`s dispiriting to read that this latest information was obtained by a Freedom of Information request. This legislation is probably the best thing that Tony Blair did and an action which in his memoir he now regrets. But it is dispiriting insofar as the amount of material that government clings to until forced to spill the beans.
And the can of beans opened revealing the unholy cost to the council tax payer of these poorly educated, poorly paid police wannabees. Examples are that Nottingham`s 265 PCSO s cost £7 million in 2009/10. In that year it cost Hampshire Constabulary £7.8 million to pay 330 PCSO s who detected just 50 crimes and handed out only 122 fines. The list goes on.
The Tax Payers` Alliance, loosely described as a right wing pressure group, has certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons with its latest press release. Once again it`s dispiriting to read that this latest information was obtained by a Freedom of Information request. This legislation is probably the best thing that Tony Blair did and an action which in his memoir he now regrets. But it is dispiriting insofar as the amount of material that government clings to until forced to spill the beans.
And the can of beans opened revealing the unholy cost to the council tax payer of these poorly educated, poorly paid police wannabees. Examples are that Nottingham`s 265 PCSO s cost £7 million in 2009/10. In that year it cost Hampshire Constabulary £7.8 million to pay 330 PCSO s who detected just 50 crimes and handed out only 122 fines. The list goes on.
I have noted conflicting
opinions on various police and PCSO forums as to whether PCSOs are going to be
reduced in number to allocate what funds are available to real police officers
or whether the option will be to keep the monkey and sack the organ grinder.
All should be revealed by the year end.
In the meantime feast eyes
below on the current powers given to PCSOs and reflect that they are the tip of
an iceberg concealing many other powers given to other poorly educated, poorly
trained and poorly paid men and women of quasi uniformed status.
1.Power to require name and
address for anti-social behaviour
2. Power to require persons drinking in designated places to surrender alcohol
3. Power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol
4. Power to seize tobacco from a person aged under 16
5. Power to seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
6. Power to require name and address for relevant offences or relevant licensing offences
7. Power to photograph persons away from a police station
8. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for littering
9. Power to issue fixed penalty notices in respect of offences under dog control orders
10. Power to remove abandoned vehicles
11. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on a footpath
12. Power to stop cycles
13. Power to control traffic for purposes other than escorting a load of exceptional dimensions
14. Power to carry out road checks
15. Power to require name and address for relevant road traffic offences
16. Power to place signs
17. Power to seize vehicles used to cause alarm
18. Power to enter and search any premises for the purposes of saving life and limb or preventing serious damage to property
19. Power to stop and search in authorised areas (terrorism)
20. Power to enforce cordoned areas (terrorism)
21. General Power of Seizure Section 19-22 PACE
22. PACE Section 18 – Power to enter and search a premises occupied or controlled by a person who is under arrest for an indictable offence and to seize items found on such a search.
23. Power to convey a detained person to custody
24. Power to carry out non intimate searches in respect of persons in police detention
25. Duty to prevent escape in respect of persons in police detention
2. Power to require persons drinking in designated places to surrender alcohol
3. Power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol
4. Power to seize tobacco from a person aged under 16
5. Power to seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
6. Power to require name and address for relevant offences or relevant licensing offences
7. Power to photograph persons away from a police station
8. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for littering
9. Power to issue fixed penalty notices in respect of offences under dog control orders
10. Power to remove abandoned vehicles
11. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on a footpath
12. Power to stop cycles
13. Power to control traffic for purposes other than escorting a load of exceptional dimensions
14. Power to carry out road checks
15. Power to require name and address for relevant road traffic offences
16. Power to place signs
17. Power to seize vehicles used to cause alarm
18. Power to enter and search any premises for the purposes of saving life and limb or preventing serious damage to property
19. Power to stop and search in authorised areas (terrorism)
20. Power to enforce cordoned areas (terrorism)
21. General Power of Seizure Section 19-22 PACE
22. PACE Section 18 – Power to enter and search a premises occupied or controlled by a person who is under arrest for an indictable offence and to seize items found on such a search.
23. Power to convey a detained person to custody
24. Power to carry out non intimate searches in respect of persons in police detention
25. Duty to prevent escape in respect of persons in police detention
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