Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Police Community Support Officers: Effectiveness

Monday 9 November 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Police community support officers are valued for their role as a liaison between communities and policing.
  • Daniel Zeichner questioned the decision to halve the number of PCSOs in Cambridgeshire due to budget constraints.
  • The Minister announced an award of 10.9 million to Cambridgeshire police to recruit more police officers.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Policing & Resources
Context

The MP is assessing the recent effectiveness of PCSOs in local communities and their impact on policing resources.

Question

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of police community support officers?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

Police community support officers are a valued part of the police workforce as a key liaison point between local communities and policing, and we are all, I know, grateful for their service. Decisions about the best use of resources at the frontline, including the deployment of PCSOs, are for chief constables and democratically accountable police and crime commissioners based on their local knowledge and experience.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment requested was not provided, instead general praise for PCSOs was given along with stating decisions rest with local authorities.

How: Hedging Language

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Q2 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Policing & Resources
Context

Cambridgeshire has recently announced a reduction in the number of PCSOs to meet budget gaps, citing reasons for this decision. The MP is seeking commitment from the government to bridge these gaps.

Question

The Minister will know that Cambridgeshire has recently announced that the number of PCSOs is to be halved. The reason, in the words of the chief constable, was “to ensure budget gaps can be met next year”. Will the Minister do the right thing: bridge the gap and allow Cambridgeshire to keep our PCSOs?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

I am very pleased to say that we have already started augmenting the resources available to Cambridgeshire police, with an award of £10.9 million last year, in the largest police settlement for a decade. Happily, it has already recruited 62 of the 99 allocated police officers, which I know will be making a huge difference in the hon. Gentleman's constituency, as they will across the whole of the county.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific commitment to maintain current levels of PCSOs was not directly addressed; instead, funds for general police officers were cited.

How: Hedging Language

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