FUTURE OF POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICERS

That this House recognises the crucial role of police community support officers (PCSOs) in combating crime and anti-social behaviour and the high degree of community support they have won; notes that the number of PCSOs who make up two-thirds of neighbourhood policing teams across the country are under real threat as a result of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announcement; is concerned that if the neighbourhood policing grant does not continue to be ring-fenced then PCSOs will lose their jobs, and believes that with the loss of their jobs effective neighbourhood policing will be damaged; understands that PCSOs are not protected from risk of redundancy, so that chief constables may well make PCSOs redundant as part of the 20 per cent. cuts which forces will have to make over the CSR period; and calls on the Minister for Police and Criminal Justice and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to extend the ring-fence on the neighbourhood policing grant to the end of the CSR period so that the contribution made by PCSOs to combating and reducing the fear of crime can continue.