Low-level policing schemes mushroom
01 January 2004
The Police Reform Act 2002 initiated a new government policy designed to alleviate the work burden on police forces through the deferral of their powers, in minor areas such as low level crime, anti-social nuisance behaviour and motoring offences, to other, less qualified, people. The most obvious example of this is the introduction of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who have been patrolling London and other parts of the country since September 2002. Another example, and arguably the most controversial, is the Commencement Order, which came into operation on 2 December 2002, that granted chief constables the ability to pursue "community safety accreditation schemes". Accompanying a recent mushrooming in local authority employment of "street patrollers" and "neighbourhood wardens" to patrol council estates and borough town centres, it is intended to enable the more immediate combating of low level crime within communities. Organisations and their employees (which includes individuals from the private sector such as security guards) who display an "appropriate level" of training may be accredited powers to issue fixed penalty notices for a range of offences. In the Traffic Management Bill 2003 the government has also unveiled plans to give traffic wardens basic police powers to tackle motoring offences. A Home Office spokesperson outlined the thinking behind all of these recent changes: "It is our view that the extended police family should include all of those who have a role to play in combating crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, regardless of whether they are drawn from the public, private or voluntary sectors".
By January 2004, there were 3,243 PCSOs employed throughout Britain (over double the number of 1,601 in October 2003), with Home Secretary David Blunkett promising a rise to 4,000 by 2005. They are police authority employed civilian staff, designed to provide greater police visibility and presence within communities, performing non-specialist police functions and thus freeing up resources. Their legal powers are very limited and subject to their chief officer's granting under the provision of the Police Reform Act (2002) that came into effect on 15 November 2003. They may be granted the powers to detain someone for 30 minutes pending the arrival of a constable, direct traffic and remove vehicles, and issue fixed penalty notices in response to anti-social behaviour (under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act, November 2003). However these powers are only being piloted in six areas for the first two years (Gwent, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Devon and Cornwall and the Metropolitan police), and the chief constable can choose whether to confer all or any of these powers to all or any of their PCSOs.
There was initially little police enthusiasm for the scheme (apart from the Metropolitan police only about 30% of forces in England and Wales showed any desire to employ PCSOs) and more recently concerns have been voiced over the victimisation of PCSOs by officers opposed to the scheme. This is perhaps a police response brought about by both the usurping of their powers, the amount PCSOs are paid (given they are capable of performing only the most basic police functions), and also the corresponding level of training they initially received upon their introduction. The Home Office claims that training courses have been devised by forces themselves to meet local needs, but that many have adapted the Met's programme. According to the Metropolitan Police Careers website this includes only three weeks of specialist training, in contrast to a police officer's two years which includes 18 weeks at the Met's Hendon centre. In London, after their training, PCSOs can expect to earn around £21,000 a year while after their two years a police officer will be on around £27,000. Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said:
We have always had concerns that the level of trainin