Neighbourhood Crimes Effectiveness of Police Community Support Officers 2022-11-14
2022-11-14
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from concerns about the role of PCSOs in reducing neighbourhood crime. The MP is questioning whether these officers are effective.
What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of police community support officers in tackling neighbourhood crime?
The Government are determined to reduce neighbourhood crime, and I am pleased to report that, since 2019, neighbourhood crime has reduced by about 20%. It is up to chief constables to decide on the level of PCSOs that they choose to recruit.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific effectiveness of PCSOs not addressed directly, only overall reduction in neighbourhood crime mentioned
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is following up on the effectiveness of PCSOs, asking for details on current vs. past police officer numbers assigned to neighbourhood roles.
Police community support officers have a vital role to play in tackling neighbourhood crime and building trust and confidence in policing at a community level. Will the Minister confirm how many fewer officers are assigned to neighbourhood roles compared with 2010?
Neighbourhood crime is about 20% lower than in 2019, and after the recruitment of an extra 20,000 police officers next year, we will have a record number of uniformed officers serving.
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Assessment & feedback
Number of fewer officers compared to 2010 not addressed directly, only current status mentioned
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the Mayor of London's funding decisions affecting neighbourhood policing.
Will the Minister ask the Mayor of London why he is starving boroughs such as Barnet of the officers needed to make up SNTs?
The Metropolitan police already have more uniformed officers than at any point in their history, and they received a £170 million funding increase this year.
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Assessment & feedback
Question about Mayor's decisions on officer allocation not addressed, focused instead on current officer numbers and funding
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the abstraction of police resources due to protests.
Will the Home Secretary undertake to publish abstraction figures as a matter of routine?
Such operational matters are for the police, but I share the hon. Gentleman's concern about the level of abstraction owing to protests and call for an end to these protests.
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Assessment & feedback
Request for routine publication of abstraction figures not addressed directly, focused on protesting issues instead
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about spiking incidents reported via email and social media.
Will the Minister join me in encouraging all those who think they may have been victims of spiking to come forward and report the incidents?
My right hon. Friend makes an extremely important point, and I join her in calling on victims of spiking offences to come forward as quickly as possible.
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Assessment & feedback
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Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is raising concerns about cuts in the number of PCSOs.
Will the Minister match Labour's commitment to hire thousands more PCSOs as part of a fully funded neighbourhood policing programme?
The total funding going into policing this year is £16.9 billion, with a £1.1 billion increase on last year. When those 20,000 extra officers are hired next April, we will have a record number of uniformed officers serving.
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Assessment & feedback
Commitment to hire more PCSOs not addressed directly, focused instead on total funding and officer numbers
Response accuracy