Hantspol: No to CSOs

[xxplod]

Hampshire Police Authority have said NO to having Blunkets Bobbies on our streets. Funding for Community Support Officers has not been established properly, so the authority voted no. The Chief has always said if he was spending taxpayers cash, he'd rather have proper Police Officers patrolling the streets. Good man!

Any other BiBs or indeed anyone had any experience of CSO, good bad or indifferent?

[HarryW]

Good to see the Hants CC stand up and be counted. Shame the bunch of vindictive scroats in power will have his head for it though .
Similar to theirline on speed camera's, Hants reluctantly took them up, but they seem to enjoy them now .

Harry

[No Discretion]

Sir,

Like has been explained elsewhere.....the good foundation with PCSO is that they'll be walking the streets etc and be a physical sight...Not looking for a cushy job in some modern fandangled crime fighting squad, behind a desk wearing a shoulder holster, after two years in the job.

[Tonyrec]

No Discretion said:

Sir, Like has been explained elsewhere.....the good foundation with PCSO is that they'll be walking the streets etc and be a physical sight...Not looking for a cushy job in some modern fandangled crime fighting squad, behind a desk wearing a shoulder holster, after two years in the job.

Yes, but have you seen them walking the streets, and youre correct, they are a physical sight?

[Tonyrec]

xxplod said:

Hampshire Police Authority have said NO to having Blunkets Bobbies on our streets. Funding for Community Support Officers has not been established properly, so the authority voted no. The Chief has always said if he was spending taxpayers cash, he'd rather have proper Police Officers patrolling the streets. Good man! Any other BiBs or indeed anyone had any experience of CSO, good bad or indifferent?

I recently posted about this......the thread was called, 'Policing on the cheap'.

[lunarscope]

xxplod said:

Hampshire Police Authority have said NO to having Blunkets Bobbies on our streets. Funding for Community Support Officers has not been established properly, so the authority voted no. The Chief has always said if he was spending taxpayers cash, he'd rather have proper Police Officers patrolling the streets. Good man! Any other BiBs or indeed anyone had any experience of CSO, good bad or indifferent?

Have a closer read of the statement from the Police Authority. It seems to me that they voted in the negative simply because there was no (new) budget for the CSOs, not as a matter of principle.

[xxplod]

Yes. It's always been a funding issue. Our CC has had the guts to satnd firm and say he'd rather spend his budget on Police Officers given the choice. Don't get me wrong, I think we are only delaying the inevitable. I'm not completely anti-CSO. They can be a good thing if used properly to tackle specific issues. The problem is when they start being asked to do too much and then become in effect one rank below a PC, and do indeed become Policing on the cheap.

[telecat]

I'm with Tony on this. Supposedly we have them in Leeds. I have to be fair seen them. Leaving or returning to a Police Station usually. They seem to come up short on been visible at other times! I have yet to see them actually dealing with any sort of situation.

[autismuk]

xxplod said:

Hampshire Police Authority have said NO to having Blunkets Bobbies on our streets. Funding for Community Support Officers has not been established properly, so the authority voted no. The Chief has always said if he was spending taxpayers cash, he'd rather have proper Police Officers patrolling the streets. Good man! Any other BiBs or indeed anyone had any experience of CSO, good bad or indifferent?

They'll end up pestering the law abiding public. Real villains will suss they have no powers - you can hold someone for 30 minutes if you think they've committed an arrestable offence - the law abiding will do it and moan, the villains will laugh at them.

Pathetic ; it's just a cheap copper.

[Streetcop]

It is cheap coppering, I agree....

Better than nothing though...as police numbers are as high as ever...but not on the streets.....

[HarryW]

Streetcop said:

It is cheap coppering, I agree.... Better than nothing though...as police numbers are as high as ever...but not on the streets.....

If police numbers are as high as ever . May I humbly suggest that these extra civvy's would be better employed in the 'back room' doing the donkey paper work (assuming that is the biggest hold back for the front line) so that all available officers can get out on the streets. So they can make a viable and visable presence and hence deterent. Also they can do the 'coppering' so loved, feeling the collars and nabbing the 'thieving slags' out there, excuse the Jack Reagan turn of phrase there .

Harry

[Dwight VanDriver]

Your most 'umble suggestion Harry was actioned moons ago.

Civilian statement takers, enquiry officers, warrant servers, file prepares plus others already in place.

Problem is that these are classed as "real" police so whilst record numbers are shouted the proportion of "real" bib is in decline.

Further bad news is that Australia have just announced an agressive recruitment drive to seduce trained "real' Bib's to their fair land with better weather, less population (al biet ex UK Con) better standard of living. Less pay but standard of living/prices compensates. With whats going on in UK who could blame them for jumping ship? (Read today's Times BiB"s.)

(Whistles - one a jolly swag man etc.)

DVD

[Flat in Fifth]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Further bad news is that Australia have just announced an agressive recruitment drive to seduce trained "real' Bib's to their fair land with better weather, less population (al biet ex UK Con) better standard of living. Less pay but standard of living/prices compensates. With whats going on in UK who could blame them for jumping ship? (Read today's Times BiB"s.) (Whistles - once a jolly swag man etc.)

When one compares house and fuel prices, the real millstones round many necks in UK, then Australia really does start to look like paradise. Not to mention the down under predilection for..... yes MEAT PIES

DVD : Taking a look at the article in the Thunderer, one hopes that those hats and the Village People 'tache are not compulsory!

(Whistles: - In the Navy)
FiF


>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Tuesday 7th December 09:57

[Dibble]

DVD/Fif

Can you dig out yesterday's Times for me and e-mail me a scan of the article?

Can't find anything on the Timesonline site, nut if there's a link I've not seen, let me know.

Ta

[Apache]

xxplod said:

Hampshire Police Authority have said NO to having Blunkets Bobbies on our streets. Funding for Community Support Officers has not been established properly, so the authority voted no. The Chief has always said if he was spending taxpayers cash, he'd rather have proper Police Officers patrolling the streets. Good man! Any other BiBs or indeed anyone had any experience of CSO, good bad or indifferent?

Would be nice if all the CCs agreed to veto this, can someone drop em an email?

[Flat in Fifth]

Dibble said:

DVD/Fif Can you dig out yesterday's Times for me and e-mail me a scan of the article? Can't find anything on the Timesonline site, nut if there's a link I've not seen, let me know. Ta

Will do, sending you a link though it doesn't contain the mentioned photo. I'll see if I can dig the paper out & scan etc.

Ever been to Oz?

Edited to add Dibs YHM

>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Wednesday 8th December 21:20