Street-level view of community police / Yorkshire Post,
http://digbig.com/4rsac
Chris Bond
"While PCSOs were introduced to help combat the rise in anti-social behaviour, as the Yorkshire Post revealed earlier this week the numbers flouting Asbos ; the flagship Labour policy to combat crime ; are rising, and even force insiders have recently questioned the effectiveness of community support officers. The Kent Police Federation claimed plans to increase the numbers of PCSOs to deal with low-level crime would create a two-tier system within the force, condemning the move as nothing more than "policing on the cheap". Regular officers have expressed fears that experienced staff would be replaced by powerless novices with only a month's training under their belt."