Community Support Officers

Jan Berry, Chairman, "We welcome measures to standardise CSO's powers. However we remain unconvinced of the need for CSOs to have the ability to use force while detaining people.
 
"We also believe chief officers should not retain the discretion to alter those powers to suit their needs as this merely adds to the confusion. Standardised powers should be just that – standardised”
 
Community Support Officers (CSOs) are designed to act as the eyes and ears of the police force but have been the subject of much debate over issues that include accountability, role definition, powers and responsibility. 
 
The Police Federation of England and Wales: 
 

• Feel that CSOs should not be judged purely upon the visible presence they provide. It has not been proven that CSOs have a tangible impact upon crime. It would be imprudent to increase CSO numbers until robust analysis of their performance and cost-effectiveness has taken place.

 

• Although we await the results of the research into the use of powers by Metropolitan CSOs with interest, we are disappointed that more widespread research has not been conducted.

 

• Has always opposed the creation and presence of an ill-equipped and ill-trained second layer of law enforcers. We believe it causes members of the public more confusion as to who has what power, in what circumstances, and for how long when a better alternative is that offered by a fully trained auxiliary police force who receive the same basic training and are able to fully support the regular police.

 

• Questions over the sustainability of CSO funding also remain unanswered despite the Federations repeated call for clarification. It is essential that the government establishes a clear and unambiguous definition of the demarcation of powers between police and non-police personnel and how CSOs will be financed in the future.

Download PDF Version