Where have all the policemen gone? Replaced by Police Community Support Officers?
I do not know where the saying’ “if you want to know the time, ask a policeman” came from but, according to a number of recent reports, you would be better off investing in a watch. The Government say that they are committed to ‘visible policing’ – Bobbies on the beat – but when was the last time that you saw one walking down your street? Of course these days if you do see someone it is as likely to be a PCSO – Police Community Support Officer – as an actual police officer but even they are likely to be thinner on the ground than anticipated. Touted by the Home Office as the answer to neighbourhood policing, they were launched in September 2002 when 44 took to the streets of London as part of a pilot scheme. PCSOs provide “non-confrontational policing”, they cannot actually arrest anyone – only detain them for 30 minutes – but they do provide a uniformed presence on the street. It is their limited power though that gives cause for concern in some quarters. Ian Pointen, the Chair of the
