PCSO numbers halve under Tories as people less likely to see officers on beat

12 January 2023 , 18:30

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PCSO numbers have plummeted since 2010 (Image: Stoke Sentinel)

Communities have been left with one police support officer for every 6,816 people after devastating Tory cuts since 2010, shock figures have revealed.

A decade of vicious Conservative austerity has halved PCSO levels, with increasing numbers of the public saying they never see officers on patrol.

In March 2010, just before the Tories returned to power, there were 16,918 PCSOs on the beat - one for every 3,292 people.

However, by March last year the total had plunged to 8,750 - a drop of 8,168 officers, or 48%.

At the same time, the visibility of police plummeted, with 27% of people in 2010 saying they never saw officers on patrol - climbing to 48% by 2020.

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Labour has vowed to increase numbers (Peter Harbour)

Between 2012 and 2020, public confidence that local crime and antisocial behaviour would be dealt with fell from 61% to 52%.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pointed to Labour plans for a “fully-funded neighbourhood policing programme”, with 13,000 extra neighbourhood officers and PCSOs - an equivalent up to 20 extra neighbourhood police for every constituency in the UK.

Ms Cooper said tonight: “Neighbourhood policing was one of the last Labour government’s greatest achievements. But it has been decimated by successive Conservative governments, with communities up and down the country paying the price.

“PCSOs are at the heart of neighbourhood policing teams, working in their communities to cut crime at source and crack down on the anti-social behaviour that ruins so many lives.

“Labour will rebuild neighbourhood policing, putting 13,000 neighbourhood police, including 4,000 PCSOs, back on our streets to protect the public.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Police community support officers play a valuable role in linking local communities and policing, with decisions on their recruitment made by individual police forces.

“Our absolute priority is cutting crime and making our streets safer, which is why we are injecting record funds into policing and giving officers the support, training and powers they need to crack down on crime.”

The figures came as the Unison union, National Police Chiefs Council and Labour held an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the PCSO role, introduced under Tony Blair’s Government.

The commemoration was due to be held last November but was delayed.

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