PCSOs Face Cuts As Funds Diverted To Warranted Officers

PCSO hours in South Yorkshire are likely to be cut to divert funds into providing more warranted officers.

South Yorkshire Police Federation says it supports the proposals, while understanding the criticism it has received from union leaders.

Federation Chairman Steve Kent said: “Nothing has been decided yet, but we’re not talking about making any PCSOs redundant, we’re talking about a potential budget reduction in terms of working hours.

“The good thing is, and what we support as a Federation, is that money will be reinvested back into the frontline.”

The PCSOs union, Unite, claims it will reduce the amount of visible policing on the streets as the force seeks to redivert £1.1m back into warranted police numbers.

Steve added: “The union is quite understandably protecting their members, because what we’re talking about is potentially taking money off them by not allowing them to do as many anti-social hours.

“But on the flip side, that will free up money for more police officers, which is what we as a force are looking into and something which we fully support because ultimately we would rather have warranted officers.”

Steve thinks the proposed plan would meet with public approval, especially as redundancies are not currently on the agenda.

“None of the options involve redundancies, which is reassuring. It may well be that there might not be any more recruitment,” he said.

“Without devaluing the work that PCSOs do, and we respect what they do and appreciate it, but we could do with [more] officers with the warranted powers.”