What is the role of a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)?
“Our role is to be the eyes and ears of the police. We meet and greet people, providing a physical link and presence on the streets. We are always on foot never in patrol cars so we are very visible and accessible. Specifically we have powers to • Detain someone for 30 minutes. • Ask for a name and address. • Check names – if a name doesn’t check out we can detain the person to ascertain the correct details. • Carry out vehicle registration checks. • Search property being carried by someone (for example a bag) but not the person. • Search a property or vehicle under the guidance of a police officer. We also do a lot of work with kids and young people.
