[Tealeaf]

Gayle is right on this one and someone needs to pull Britcliffe up PDQ; PCSO's are an integral part of the police service. This is provided, in the case of Hyndburn, by the County and other than a minor consultative role, the borough has no say in operational police matters. Funding for the additional PCSO's comes from a combination of Whitehall and County, (taxes & rates) but has now't to do with Hyndburn. Once again, this clown of a council leader is claiming credit where no credit is due.

Graham is also right in stating that PCSO's have varying powers depending on the policy of the local force. When I leave my office here in London to get the bus back to my flat, I pass through the jurisdiction of three police forces within a walk of 500 yards- Met, City & BTP; the first appears to have a PCSO uniform of no more than that of a traffic warden with a reflective vest; the City PCSOs go further, wearing a stab-proof vest. Other than asking them for the time or directions though, both appear to do little.

However, the BTP PCSOs are fully tooled up with cuffs and sticks. I have seen them on several occaisions getting well stuck in and cracking heads alongside their warranted colleagues.
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Some consistency on PCSO powers needs to be applied and I don't particularly care what title people have - constable, pcso or warden. The thing that matters is that we have boots on the street who are there to assist and when neccessary to arrest. It just seems a shame that some of the hyndburn ex-wardens are not given priority for the new PCSO positions.