About Articles Dating F A Q Forums Funding HATOs 2007 N E W S Origins Our Friends PCSO role Powers Products Safer Neighbourhoods Trouble shooters The Archive UNISON About Articles Dating F A Q Forums Funding HATOs 2007 N E W S Origins Our Friends PCSO role Powers Products Safer Neighbourhoods Trouble shooters The Archive UNISON

U N I S O N Monday 8th Oct 07 The union UNISON is calling for all police community support officers to be dressed the same as ordinary police officers so the public respects them more. The union, which represents PCSOs, says they're often mistaken for traffic wardens, stewards or even builders and they're not respected either by the 'proper' police, or members of the public. This was discussed Monday night on Radio 5 live for almost an hour, UNISON National Officer Ben Priestley took part in the ‘Richard Bacon Programme’ on BBC Radio 5 Live at 10pm. He was joined by a panel of invited guests including a Police Federation rep, and a PCSO resigned from the Service. The debate was superbly managed by BACON and Ben Priestly was excellent at putting the PCSO side. One of our original members from national-PCSOs managed to phone through and further details ARE HERE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 20 SEPTEMBER 2007 UNISON: TORIES SHOULD APOLOGISE FOR PSCO SMEAR UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis has called upon a leading Conservative MP to apologise for remarks he made in the press today, describing Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) as ‘policing on the cheap’. The comment was made by Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley in Lancashire, a former shadow cabinet member, and appears in today’s national press. UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “The Conservatives should apologise for this grossly inaccurate and insulting remark. Such commentary might make news headlines, but I wonder if the MP would have the courage to repeat his views to PCSOs in his own constituency. “The Conservatives should remember, that since they were turfed out a decade ago, the Labour government has increased both police officer numbers by around 15,000 and introduced 15,000 PCSOs to support them. Far from being substitutes, PCSOs have fast become the eyes and ears of their communities. “If the Tories truly stand by this comment, then I’m assuming their delegates will be refusing the assistance and protection by Lancashire’s PCSOs at their conference in Blackpool in a couple of weeks.” UNISON represents more than half of the UK’s 14,000 PCSOs. SOME PCSO POWERS Detain a suspect for up to 30 minutes until a police officer arrives Demand an offender's name and address Make under-18s and people drinking in prohibited areas hand over their alcohol and seize tobacco from under-16s Seize drugs and take the name and address of the person in possession of them Hand out fixed penalty notices and penalty notices for disorder Disperse groups Deal with abandoned vehicles Guard crime scenes, direct traffic, seize vehicles and carry out road checks Enter and search premises to save a life or prevent damage 21/08/2007 UNISON HITS BACK AT PCSO POLICING ON THE CHEAP JIBE The General Secretary of UNISON, the biggest public sector union in the UK, has today rejected as “inaccurate and irresponsible” negative comments by a senior Police Federation spokesperson that questioned the benefits of having Police Community Support Officers. UNISON represents more than half of the PCSOs in the UK. UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “PCSOs have become crucial to supporting and improving frontline police work over the past five years and are the eyes and ears of our neighbourhoods. Yet our PCSOs have been derided as ‘plastic police’ again by elements quoted in the press this week. “Pounding the streets for hours, deterring offences by visiting trouble-spots, name checking and holding suspects who may have breached an ASBO, gathering vital intelligence, knocking upon householders who left their keys in their door, are just some of the things our PCSOs do on our behalf. “Such comments are highly inaccurate and irresponsible and are insulting to thousands of our neighbourhood PCSOs up and down the country.” A senior Police Federation figure was quoted in the press yesterday claiming that ‘PCSOs have been seen by some as a cheap alternative to police officers’ and added ‘we were right to be concerned about what benefits they bring’. Tomorrow (22 August) the union will highlight its ‘right tools for the job’ campaign calling for proposed standard powers for PCSOs to be strengthened. Dave Prentis added: “PCSOs in many areas are being held back from tackling crime and disorder by the reticence of ACPO and the Home Office to grant them the powers they need to do their job properly. There is still time to change this.” In the 2006 Police Act, the Home Office promised to standardise the powers of PCSOs. During the following consultation process about what should constitute these powers, UNISON argued that all the existing powers should become standard powers across the country. This would have included the power to detain, to seize drugs, to stop vehicles and to stop and search in authorised areas under the Terrorism Act 2000. But because key police stakeholders such as ACPO disagreed, the Home Office watered down standard powers that are due to come into effect in December 2007.

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2006
Police community support officers in North Wales are growing angry after ACPO pulled the plug on their grade five, awarded after a job evaluation process.

The assessment partly recognised that they now exercised the power to detain. Both management and UNISON had agreed the outcome. But the Association of Chief Police Officers has stated that it should not be paid because the Home Office grant level is set at grade four, salary point 2.

Branch secretary Anne Roberts said: ‘Regional organiser Jean Brady and I met the PCSOs. We had a good attendance – they are very angry people. They have been told: “If you want a permanent contract sign up for grade four. Stay on five and lose your job”.

‘Their jobs were advertised “subject to job evaluation”. It has left a bitter taste.’Some newer PCSOs have already been confirmed on grade 5 leaving open the possibility that North Wales would have a two tier workforce. ‘We arranged a meeting with management and they have currently promised to come back to us with a proposal.

If there is no suitable response we will take legal advice,’ Anne added. ‘While this is an issue for the Branch, it reflects inadequate funding for PCSOs generally. The general feeling is that PCSOs throughout the UK have not been treated very well at all - poor training, coupled with lack of acceptance by their police officer colleagues in many areas, has led to a general feeling of disquiet amongst these staff.’

The police community support officer role has caused debate and, in some cases, attracted unnecessary criticism from other branches of the police family.

But some PCSOs feel they have not been helped by the design of their uniform. There are now many public and private roles where operational staff don peaked caps and a dayglo rain jacket. How can the public tell who is who?

For PCSOs, at the cutting edge of neighbourhood security, image and appearance are key. They represent the local police force and have an important job to do. But there have been grievances about uniform throughout the country.

This was felt particularly strongly in Sussex. The PCSO concept has bedded down well and there are around 240 staff employed by the force. But some of the early recruits believed their ‘cake band’ hat, was not helpful. There have been other issues too including waterproofing, seasonal clothing, cap/hat availability and epaulettes.

As a result of feedback from UNISON members like Elaine Anscombe and Tyson Pickett, Sussex has now modified the uniform. The familiar police checkerboard motif has appeared round the hat, for instance, clearly linking the wearer to the local constabulary.

In addition a metal badge containing the Sussex police crest has replaced the blue plastic identifier they started off with. Before the changes occurred PCSOs had taken some unilateral action of their own. ‘We felt the badge was tacky and when we went for a training session in full uniform, some PCSOs left their hats in their cars. Other people who had been traffic wardens were putting the old traffic warden badges back on,’ said Elaine.

Tyson, himself a former traffic warden commented: ‘They look for the badge. It gives you authority straight away. They are subliminally reacting to it.’

Sussex police management were willing to respond to these issues. The inspector responsible for overseeing PCSO training took the complaints direct to the chief constable. As a result the cap band and badge were modified. Unfortunately unwanted changes were made to the epaulettes but one PCSO said ‘I can live with that’.

As research, Police Profile carried out a survey of PCSOs generally, in Sussex, on the topic of their uniform. There are still areas to be tackled but many will have relevance in other parts of the country.

One member suggested that male PCSOs should have helmets instead of flat hats as a head injury from something thrown was ‘only a matter of time.’ Another believes the uniform is ‘almost perfect’ with one exception: ‘The epaulettes should be black not blue and read “PCSO”. That way the public will know (we) are members of the police force and not “plastic”.’

An Eastbourne PCSO called for summer and winter uniforms and waterproof (not just showerproof) coats and pouches.

The most positive reported: ‘As one of the original 22 PCSOs who accosted (chief constable) Ken Jones and got the changes we asked for, I really can’t complain. The band was changed to the checkered one and we got “Police Community Support Officer” on the hi-vis jackets.

The only complaint is the epaulettes. ‘I and most of our colleagues believe we have the best PCSO uniform in the country. We have been lucky with the way Sussex, and Ken Jones in particular, listened to our concerns and made changes.’

Sussex’s approach (give or take the epaulettes) seems to recognise that for police staff to do the job they need the right kit – and the force is moving in the right direction.

check out the above article in the SPRING 2006 issue of profile

About Articles Dating F A Q Forums Funding HATOs 2007 N E W S Origins Our Friends PCSO role Powers Products Safer Neighbourhoods Trouble shooters The Archive UNISON

Join UNISON and make your voice heard in our campaign for: a national PCSO pay grade a consistent set of powers in every police force a national training programme better health and safety protection permanent contracts for all PCSOs JOIN THE UNION! If you would like more information or wish to join UNISON call 0845 355 0845. Textphone users call 0800 0 967 968 or visit www.unison.org.uk Please note that UNISON happily represents Police Community Support Officers across the UK except for the Metropolitan Police who are represented instead by PCS

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