A large group of PCSOs and local dignitaries pose for the camera

Hertfordshire celebrates 20 years of PCSOs

Hertfordshire Constabulary and UNISON have held a joint celebration for community support officers to mark 20 years of the role. Hertfordshire welcomed its first PCSOs in 2003, when 10 officers joined the beat in Watford and another four hit the streets of Stevenage. More joined later that year. To mark the occasion Chief Constable Charlie […]

Peterborough Tories refuse to stand up for neighbourhood policing

Conservative councillors in Peterborough’s decision to vote down a motion calling for more neighbourhood policing cash is ‘deeply disappointing,’ says UNISON today. Labour Councillor Ansar Ali tabled a motion last night expressing concern over job losses at Cambridgeshire Constabulary that will see PCSO numbers cut by half alongside the loss of enquiry officers and community […]

Cambridgeshire crime commissioner candidates call for pause on cuts

Candidates to be Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s next police and crime commissioner (PCC) are unanimously calling on the force to shelve its planned cuts until after May’s elections. Plans to halve the number of police community support officers (PCSOs), disband the community safety officer team and close all but two enquiry offices were announced in September. […]

Government should step in to protect community policing in Cambridgeshire

The government must step in to provide urgent funding in Cambridgeshire to prevent serious damage to local policing, says UNISON today. The union has written to police minister Kit Malthouse to call for action to stop the number of police community support officers (PCSOs) in the county being halved from 80 to 40, under plans […]

Government only doing ‘half the job’ by replacing police officers, says UNISON

The government must replace hundreds of police community support officer (PCSO) and other police staff jobs axed across the east of England since the start of austerity, UNISON said today. The union warns that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge to recruit extra police officers is not enough on its own to halt the rise in […]

Suffolk Constabulary reveal plans to axe over half of PCSOs

Preventing compulsory redundancies will be a priority Plans to axe more than half of Suffolk’s police community support officers (PCSOs) would put public safety at risk UNISON has told Suffolk Constabulary. The proposed cuts would see a 78% reduction in the number of PCSOs in the county since 2010. The number of PCSO posts will […]

UNISON welcomes Martham Parish Council’s support for keeping PCSOs in Norfolk

Wednesday 22 November 2017 – for immediate use UNISON welcomes Martham Parish Council’s support for keeping PCSOs in Norfolk Commenting on Martham Parish Council’s opposition to the proposed removal of police community support officers (PCSOs) from Norfolk, Chris Jenkinson, UNISON regional secretary said, “The concerns of parish councillors in Martham over the disappearance of visible […]

Norfolk PCC forced to apologise after insulting county’s PCSOs

Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Lorne Green has been forced to apologise after insulting the 150 PCSOs in the county are who under threat of redundancy. At a public meeting held Long Stratton on Tuesday the Conservative PCC said that he would not employ more PCSOs even if he had “all the money in […]

Scrapping police community support officers is short-sighted, says UNISON general secretary

Friday 20 October 2017   UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has today (Friday) written to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd, urging her to intervene to stop the scrapping of police community support officers in Norfolk. In the letter he said: “This is an extremely short-sighted move by the Norfolk constabulary. “Police community support officers play […]