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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2010 13:25:32 GMT
[A bit off topic - another learning experience for me - discovering what a PCSO is! I was imagining what a member of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists was doing sorting out hooligans.]
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2010 14:41:37 GMT
PCSO is a police officer without any convential powers, they have limited power to do things, but can't arrest. Sometimes known as 'plastic policemen'.
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Post by railtechnician on Sept 22, 2010 15:17:50 GMT
PCSO is a police officer without any convential powers, they have limited power to do things, but can't arrest. Sometimes known as 'plastic policemen'. A Police Community Support Officer is not a policeman in any form or fashion except in the 'plastic' sense. AFAIK the only 'power' they have is advisory and for anything 'policing' they must radio for a policeman. However, they are dressed similarly and are generally officious. The police chiefs sing their praises but they don't have much choice, PCSOs looking like police are the preferred affordable option when the wages budget is tight and 'presence' is an issue in terms of deterrence of crime and disorder.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2010 15:34:03 GMT
The PCSO debate is always quite controversial, I have nothing against the individuals, just the concept. It isn't fair on them really.
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Post by harlesden on Sept 22, 2010 16:26:47 GMT
[A bit off topic - another learning experience for me - discovering what a PCSO is! I was imagining what a member of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists was doing sorting out hooligans.] Ah yes, they have real cops in America - handcuffs, guns, tasers, night sticks, the whole works. None of your namby pamby Community Support Officers there. While in Inglewood CA in 1999, I had the unnerving experience of a CHP unit screeching to a stop in front of me and the officer giving me a good telling me off for crossing the street in the wrong place.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2010 17:27:18 GMT
Harlesden - jay-walking is a big offense here on low-crime days. My work mate across the aisle once got a $120 (£75) ticket for that a few years back.
I am (please believe me!) a very law abiding person. However I have had, over the years, 3 "incidents" with "CHIPS" while visiting California. Seems like a curse.
The last one (in 2000) wasn't too bad, just that a motorcycle CHPie started weaving back and forth in front of 6 lanes of expressway traffic in San Jose at rush hour. I thought I was in deep $#%^& again. Turns out they do that occasionally to slow things down and stop tailgating. I just happened to be in the first row of cars.
Just saw someone get tazed at lunch hour on our main plaza here last week! We do have policepersons on foot, car, horse, bicycle, and segways here in our area. (No Apache helicopters, though). They are all "equipped" to the teeth.
The closest thing to PCSOs here are school crossing guards (SCGs?) who wear yellow or orange chest belts and carry an octagonal STOP sign on a stick.
[TOTAL END of OFF-TOPIC commentary. Sorry.]
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Post by norbitonflyer on Sept 22, 2010 20:02:53 GMT
A Police Community Support Officer is not a policeman in any form or fashion ......... However, they are dressed similarly and are generally officious. . You can be arrested for impersonating a police officer............
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Sept 22, 2010 22:24:12 GMT
As you can probably tell, I've split the thread titled "older Plaxton Buses" in the Rant area and created this thread as it suddenly went off on a tangent about PCSO's (Police Community Support Officers). As there have been a few posts, we might as well have a thread in its own right, even it isn't public transport related - well it is now....did you know British Transport Police have PCSO's too?!! Anyway, for all the facts relating to PCSO's, this website may be useful
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2010 22:53:39 GMT
As you can probably tell, I've split the thread titled "older Plaxton Buses" in the Rant area and created this thread as it suddenly went off on a tangent about PCSO's (Police Community Support Officers). As there have been a few posts, we might as well have a thread in its own right, even it isn't public transport related - well it is now....did you know British Transport Police have PCSO's too?!! Anyway, for all the facts relating to PCSO's, this website may be useful BTP PCSOs carry handcuffs and can be used to secure a suspect whilst awaiting an Officer, such as on a train before arriving at a station. There are now also 'Rail Neighbourhood Officers' which are employed by the TOCs and are accredited by BTP and can issue FPN and the like. Fortunatly at present most BTP assigned to LU are Officers and not Police Staff. Also, it is planned that the new Boris Johnson inspired 'New Bus For London' will be staffed by PCSOs when in open platform mode.
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Sept 22, 2010 23:35:49 GMT
Someone recently suggested to me that PCSO stands for: Please Call Someone Older However, a year ago today there was a car crash outside my home. The first 'official' presence was from a PCSO who surveyed the scene and arranged for the vehicles to be moved out of the road where they were causing an obstruction. It transpired that the Traffic Police were on shift changeover at the time, and they had to travel from their base ten miles away, an officer arrived an hour after the incident. This to me showed the value of PCSOs, in that they can be rapidly on the spot and take command. In the particular case I have just outlined above, it is a shame that the PCSO concerned was beaten up in late autumn last year.Also, at work I regularly deal with PCSOs who are readily on hand to deal with any awkward customers I have. Last week two of my clients resorted to fisticuffs outside my business, first to appear was a PCSO, then a PC, and then the ambulance service.
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SE13
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Post by SE13 on Sept 23, 2010 11:51:52 GMT
They are actually really nice people in this area, we have three locally on this estate, and they fairly much know everyone and who the problem makers are. Sarah (one of the two females) quite often has a coffee here and a chin-wag with the kids.
As outlined above, there was a collision just outside a few weeks ago, and the PCSO were first on the scene some ten minutes before the OB got there, in fact the ambulance was there before OB turned up. Meantime one PCSO was taking all the details, another directing traffic.
They've been here for a while now, and have the respect of most of the community. For the record, ours do carry handcuffs but not those tazer stun thingies, and naturally none of our local OB are armed.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2010 12:32:23 GMT
What concerns me is that they face the same dangers as regular bobbies without the equipment or powers. Although I agree with the BTP's PCSO's having handcuffs, very confined spaces are the railways!
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SE13
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Post by SE13 on Sept 23, 2010 12:42:31 GMT
I don't know about anywhere else, but certainly here they have handcuffs, CS gas and the stab-vests, so are as well equipped as the regular OB.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2010 14:27:12 GMT
Police in the UK don't carry guns generally, do they? [Or is that some long-dated misconception I have - say, from watching "Dial 999" back in the day?]
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2010 15:27:45 GMT
Not routinely armed, no. But let me tell you, if the proverbial hits the fan, they'll fight back!
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SE13
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Post by SE13 on Sept 23, 2010 16:41:59 GMT
It all varies from area to area, but here the OB don't carry arms as standard. They do have CS gas, and that's about it. Trained OB have to be pulled in when arms or other are required.
Before anyone says it, having been on the back end of CS gas, it's the last thing I want, the OB used to spray it all over football fans in the terrace era.
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