Police to step in as PCSO funding ends

Staffordshire Police are to continue to fund 38 PCSO posts when money put in by the county council runs out at the end of March.

The previous Labour administration of Staffordshire County Council had put in £3 million to fund the posts and the jobs of 16 youth workers for 18 months. Sgt Bev Rounds, PCSO co-ordinator for Staffordshire Police, said the jobs were created under the joint Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police community reassurance programme.

"The community reassurance programme sees the PCSOs working alongside youth workers throughout the county," Sgt Rounds said.

"They have had considerable success in making contact with hundreds of young people who have gone on to take part in a wide range of activities.

"We know that anti-social behaviour ranks high amongst many people's concerns about their neighbourhoods, and we are determined to do everything we can to address it."

Sgt Rounds added: "By engaging with young people, they are finding ways of tackling anti-social behaviour and improving the quality of life in neighbourhoods."

PCSOs work in partnership reassurance teams across the county dedicated to addressing anti-social behaviour, fear of crime, engaging with hard-to-reach youth groups and other quality of life issues within communities.

More than 200 PCSOs work alongside police officers in 21 neighbourhood policing teams covering the force area.

The 38 PCSOs taken on in 2008 were employed on 18-month fixed term contracts within a salary band of £15,687 to £21,342. Successful candidates completed a four-week course at force headquarters in Stafford before beginning work.

Councillor David Billson revealed at a Perton Parish Council on Monday that the force had agreed to continue to fund the 38 posts when the council funding ran out.

The cabinet member for communities and culture, Councillor Ben Adams, said: "This was a one-off project which is due to end on March 31 as agreed with Staffordshire Police."