Police community support officers

Want to give something back to your community? Then have you considered taking up a challenging role as a police community support officer?

As a police community support officer (PCSO), you will work on the frontline of your local force, providing a visible and reassuring presence on the streets and tackling the menace of anti-social behaviour.

This is a paid, usually full-time position that can lead to a long career with the police.

PCSOs have different roles in different forces, but they usually patrol a beat and interact with the public, while also offering assistance to police officers at crime scenes and major events.

Depending on where you work, you could:

• deal with minor offences
• offer early intervention to deter people from committing offences
• provide support for front-line policing
• conduct house-to-house enquiries
• guard crime scenes
• provide crime prevention advice

You would be a critical part of the force

Although PCSOs do not have the same powers as regular police officers, they still carry a lot of responsibility, and are a critical part of the police force.