Community support officer? Lazy bugger.
Discussion
Walking to work this morning in London I stopped with a few people to cross a road at a pedestrian crossing. A few seconds later a minicab turned the wrong way, went through a red light and ended up scattering some pedestrians. Not exactly rare in London unfortunately. Lots of beeping from cars behind, telling the guy he was going the wrong way.
So, stood next to me watching this (or able to watch this if he wasnt asleep) was one of Mr Brown's (or was it Blunket?) Community Support Officers, so me feeling a bit chippy on a sunny Friday, we had a little exchange...
me "shouln't you take that guy's number or something?"
him "who"
me "the black passat sat on the green crossing, just turned the wrong way, causing the beeping"
him "what can I do? I wouldn't be able to catch him"
me "this is Oxford Street at 9am, you'd be able to catch him - plus he is still sat there behind a bus on the green crossing" (20 yards away)
him "I didnt see what he did"
me "oh"
him "what do you want me to do?"
me "well I thought you could take his number, but obviously not. Enjoy the sunshine".
him "I'd have to radio it in"
me "I wouldnt bother. I just thought as you were standing there, looking at him..."
him "fair enough"
So, what do they actually do? Do they have any powers? Was I completely wrong to expect a man wearing some kind of quasi-police uniform to want to do anything?
I probably need to get a life, but it riled me. Not that the minicab made the error, but that someone who could have tapped on his window and told him so couldnt be bothered.
Nice day for a walk though - for both of us it seemed.
So, stood next to me watching this (or able to watch this if he wasnt asleep) was one of Mr Brown's (or was it Blunket?) Community Support Officers, so me feeling a bit chippy on a sunny Friday, we had a little exchange...
me "shouln't you take that guy's number or something?"
him "who"
me "the black passat sat on the green crossing, just turned the wrong way, causing the beeping"
him "what can I do? I wouldn't be able to catch him"
me "this is Oxford Street at 9am, you'd be able to catch him - plus he is still sat there behind a bus on the green crossing" (20 yards away)
him "I didnt see what he did"
me "oh"
him "what do you want me to do?"
me "well I thought you could take his number, but obviously not. Enjoy the sunshine".
him "I'd have to radio it in"
me "I wouldnt bother. I just thought as you were standing there, looking at him..."
him "fair enough"
So, what do they actually do? Do they have any powers? Was I completely wrong to expect a man wearing some kind of quasi-police uniform to want to do anything?
I probably need to get a life, but it riled me. Not that the minicab made the error, but that someone who could have tapped on his window and told him so couldnt be bothered.
Nice day for a walk though - for both of us it seemed.
PCSO's are a PR persons dream....real police are being cut back and snowed under with paperwork whilst more and more of these wombles are on our streets with the Govt trumpeting how many more Policemen and Women are on our streets.
I regard them in the same light as Traffic Wardens - I respect them but they've no real impact on upholding the laws of the land.
I regard them in the same light as Traffic Wardens - I respect them but they've no real impact on upholding the laws of the land.
mel said:
Waiting for a thread to appear along the lines of "I can't believe it, I got pulled by one of those pretend coppers, he's not a real policeman, what right has he got, he can't pull over a moving vehicle, etc etc" we can't have it all ways I'm afraid.
Can he pull over a vehicle stopped over a pedestrian crossing, facing the wrong way, though 
Maxf said:
mel said:
Waiting for a thread to appear along the lines of "I can't believe it, I got pulled by one of those pretend coppers, he's not a real policeman, what right has he got, he can't pull over a moving vehicle, etc etc" we can't have it all ways I'm afraid.
Can he pull over a vehicle stopped over a pedestrian crossing, facing the wrong way, though 
t, It wasn't me and I wasn't there. But the can of worms about stopping vehicles and who can and cannot act on a moving vehicle offence is mahooooosive. Before we get all indignant about a PCSO not acting we've got to decide if we want to give him the powers to do so, if we do then fine but be aware those powers will also mean that they can start pulling you for speeding on the motorway and could be easily extend to HATO's , if we don't want that then we've no right to moan about inaction, because we the people through our elected government have not seen fit to extend those powers to PCSO's. mel said:
Maxf said:
mel said:
Waiting for a thread to appear along the lines of "I can't believe it, I got pulled by one of those pretend coppers, he's not a real policeman, what right has he got, he can't pull over a moving vehicle, etc etc" we can't have it all ways I'm afraid.
Can he pull over a vehicle stopped over a pedestrian crossing, facing the wrong way, though t, It wasn't me and I wasn't there. But the can of worms about stopping vehicles and who can and cannot act on a moving vehicle offence is mahooooosive. Before we get all indignant about a PCSO not acting we've got to decide if we want to give him the powers to do so, if we do then fine but be aware those powers will also mean that they can start pulling you for speeding on the motorway and could be easily extend to HATO's , if we don't want that then we've no right to moan about inaction, because we the people through our elected government have not seen fit to extend those powers to PCSO's. What would the driver had to have done for the PCSO to act, in some way? Run someone over?
Or just take down the vehicle reg and report it? It's Oxford Street and there are at least 2 witnesses, unless the PCSO genuinely didn't notice someone ploughing through some pedestrians. Actually, did you take down his number - he isn't really doing his job properly.
Edited by fido on Friday 16th April 11:06
And the driver says "what's it got to do with you big nose, fook off" what happens then? He backs down and loses all credibility (not that he had alot to start with) Or he tries to enforce powers he doesn't have then has to back down and lose all credibility. Simple really and one of the first rules of "police" work or law enforcment don't start something you can't finish, he knew he had no powers so took no action.
mel said:
And the driver says "what's it got to do with you big nose, fook off" what happens then? He backs down and loses all credibility (not that he had alot to start with) Or he tries to enforce powers he doesn't have then has to back down and lose all credibility. Simple really and one of the first rules of "police" work or law enforcment don't start something you can't finish, he knew he had no powers so took no action.
So we are just paying for someone to walk around in the sun. Sounds like a decent blag to me and an easy cut come a change of parliament.Maxf said:
mel said:
And the driver says "what's it got to do with you big nose, fook off" what happens then? He backs down and loses all credibility (not that he had alot to start with) Or he tries to enforce powers he doesn't have then has to back down and lose all credibility. Simple really and one of the first rules of "police" work or law enforcment don't start something you can't finish, he knew he had no powers so took no action.
So we are just paying for someone to walk around in the sun. Sounds like a decent blag to me and an easy cut come a change of parliament.soad said:
Put real coppers on the beat!
Might be too late for that to make any difference anyway, see: Police forced to stop traffic enforcementOne near me used to be the traffic warden in town and swopped over as the money is better. Saw him ticket a 4 by 4 the other day for bad parking, then promptly walk down the highstreet past about 10 cars parked on double yellows and not bat an eyelid. What do they do?? Sod all mainly due to no poweres. My local neighbourhood policing unit covering about a quarter of grantham consists of one proper copper and about 5 of these rent a cops with almost zero powers.
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