Councillors blast proposal to stop PCSOs working after 8pm
A decision to stop having Police Community Support Officer’s (PCSO’s) in Shropshire after 8pm has been labelled “intolerable”.
Marc Bayliss, Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Mercia, confirmed the news at a meeting to discuss rural crime.
He said there wouldn’t be a reduction the amount of hours PCSOs are employed to work, with their shifts taking place during the day.
“What the proposed shift was from the Chief Constable, was to stop them working past 8 o’clock so they wouldn’t be paid the additional shift allowance,” said Mr Bayliss.
“But we recognise that has implications for local communities. And that is why the Chief Constable is using the extra PCs to actually bolster our availabilities to cover those nighttime economy areas.”
However, Councillor Roger Evans (Longden) said what is happening “is intolerable.”
“I was involved in the budget for West Mercia Police and I cannot remember it at all in the consultation or the budget out forward by the PCC,” said Cllr Evans.
“No one has talked to parish or town councils about this at all and it was only after a rumour came from Herefordshire [Council]. No official communication whatsoever about it.
“The area that the PC and PCSO covers is enormous. One PC works a shift work, but isn’t around very often in the evening. So there’s no allocated police officer in the area, apart from those on call in an emergency. And where they are, I do not know.
“But a number of people have contacted me saying they’re very upset about the loss of police and availability in the evenings, especially in the summer.”
Cllr Evans also said that parish councils rarely get a visit from the police, and if they do it’s invariable from the PCSO. However, if they have to stop working at 8pm, that will mean they won’t be able to attend evening meetings.
In response, Mr Bayliss said that the community charter says there will be a dialogue with each parish and their Safter Neighbour Team (SNT) to discuss how frequently a police representative should attend meetings.
However, Councillor Viv Parry (Ludlow South) said that she is constantly “blanked off” whenever she has tried to speak to an officer,
Nobody has been out to do anything about drug dealers,” she said.
“It’s just not on. I need to be able to say to these people that they’re going to do something about their children being abused by some of these people who are selling drugs. It’s not fair on them and their community.
“We also have people throwing rocks from the railway bridges and smashing them onto car windows. I would like to sit down and talk to a police officer and I’ve been asking that before I started before the election, and have just been blanked.”
Mr Bayliss said there are 3 PCSOs in Ludlow, and one officer in the SNT.
The policing guarantee is likely to mean more officers in Ludlow int he very near future,” he said.
“You message about needing more resources is something we absolutely share. But it’s an enromous patch so trying to cover it with one office ris always going to be a bit of a challenge.”
Replying to that, Cllr Parry said she was able to get around and speak to everyone twice during the election campaign.
“If I cannot get in touch with a police officer to come and speak to me, it’s a disgrace,” she said.
