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At the May 2004 Annual Parish
Assembly the Parish Council committed to establish the benefits and costs
of a PCSO for the Maylands and to gather your view on whether or not we
should pursue this opportunity.
Now it is your turn: please read the following information which lists
the roles, responsibilities and costs of a PCSO, study the options on
the attached page, select your choice and
return it to the Clerk to the Parish Council or any Parish Councillor.
What is a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)?
A PCSO is a uniformed employee of the Essex Police Force with many,
but not all the powers of a regular Police Constable. The costs of his/her
employment are shared between Essex Police, Maldon District Council
and the participating Parish Council. The initial contract is for three
years.
Currently the costs of a PCSO are shared 50% Essex Police, 25% Maldon
District Council and 25% the participating Parish Council. The costs,
listed in detail on the attached page,
are based on 2003/2004 financial information but may vary.
One of the major items in the agreement with Essex Police is that the
PCSO is allocated to the participating Parish on a permanent basis (except
in very exceptional circumstances e.g. a national disaster).
The PCSO's activities in the Parish are the result of continual liaison
between the officer in charge at Southminster and a representative appointed
by the Parish Council. This means that the PCSO’s day to day activities
in the Parish will be based on information provided by both the Police
and Parish Council.
What does a Police Community Support Officer
do?
The following list states the functions of a PCSO:
1. To provide a visible and reassuring street presence, which will help
address community concerns about reduction of crime, disorder and antisocial
behaviour on our streets.
2. Supporting local community policing by working in support of a designated
beat officer or team (e.g. increasing capacity for directed police patrol
or community contact; performing additional reassurance patrols at peak
times).
3. Patrolling in hot spots identified through intelligence and tasking
& coordinating processes.
4. Helping to work towards social cohesion and community regeneration
with medium and long term goals.
5. Supporting partnership work, e.g. helping manage “problem families”
(Anti Social Behaviour Orders) as part of an inter-agency initiative.
6. Helping improve the physical appearance and management of local areas
and fostering social inclusion through partnerships with local authorities
and other agencies.
7. Relieving uniformed officers of static duties for which the full
range of police powers and training is not necessary (e.g. security
patrols of sensitive areas, scene management and logging).
The PCSO has powers to deal with the following issues: Disorder, litter,
dog fouling, cycling on footpaths, confiscation of alcohol or tobacco,
deal with removal of abandoned vehicles and, finally, visit schools,
residential homes, parish forums, youth clubs or groups and neighbourhood
watch co-ordinators.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read this document.
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