'no-go Areas' For Officers In City

**Standard Dave** · 03-13-07, 02:33 PM

Parts of Nottingham are becoming "no-go areas" for police community support officers, it is claimed.

The civilian officers, who support the police but only have limited powers, have been attacked and intimidated by members of the public.

In one case last year an officer was beaten up as he walked the streets of St Ann's.

Now police authority chairman Coun John Clarke says such officers should be removed from high-crime areas for their own safety.

He said: "I am very concerned that parts of Nottingham are becoming no-go areas for PCSOs because of the actions of certain members of the public.

"There have been some very serious attacks on PCSOs, including one in St Ann's, and I would ask whether more can be done to protect them.

"I would also question whether they should be working in high-crime areas of the county as they are civilians, not fully-trained police officers."

Speaking during a recent police authority meeting, Catherine O'Riordan, an independent magistrate member, said she had spoken to PCSOs who felt vulnerable on duty.

Notts Deputy Chief Constable Howard Roberts said: "I do share concerns about the health and safety of PCSOs and it is an area that is being constantly monitored."
But Tony Smith, the force's director of human resources, said that PCSOs underwent "comprehensive training" and that there was a network of health and safety officers on each policing division to listen to individual officers' concerns.

One 44-year-old city-based PCSO, who was also a special constable for six years, said it would be wrong to remove PCSOs from high-crime areas. "They are the very areas we are most in need," said the officer.

"The fact that we are out on the streets day in, day out in the heart of communities means we can build up close relationships with the public. We do not have the powers of arrest, but we have made good use of the powers to detain a suspect for up to 30 minutes until regular officers arrive. I would like to see PCSOs issued with handcuffs, as the British Transport Police PCSOs have, and I understand that is being looked at by Notts police.

"All PCSOs are given unarmed defence training which is welcome. I also wear a stab vest. I have always done that since my time as a special constable."

There will be 257 PCSOs working in Notts by April 1 2008.

PCSOs are seen by police chiefs as a key element of their new 'Safer Communities' teams, which are being introduced across Notts in a bid to get back to 'Dixon of Dock Green'-style neighbourhood policing.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/di...pNodeId=133945

I'm sure this could have been predicted.

**Motorwaycop** · 03-13-07, 03:27 PM

Who'd have thought that policing on the cheap wouldn't work!

**Piggybank Cop** · 03-13-07, 04:30 PM

Go old school.

Something about heads on pikes at the city gates.

**countybear** · 03-13-07, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by 1sgkelly

Go old school.

Something about heads on pikes at the city gates.

+1!

**TXCharlie** · 03-13-07, 04:43 PM

When I worked for a little company headed by a "Very Rich ex-Presidential Candidate", I heard about a little incident at their office on Webb Chappel Road, where a security officer got beat up in the parking lot while making his rounds.

Word has it that the very next day all the guards were armed, over the initial objections of the property owners, who were told it's our way or the highway

**Jenna** · 03-13-07, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Standard Dave

Parts of Nottingham are becoming "no-go areas" for police community support officers, it is claimed.

Robin Hood and his Merry Men acting up again, huh?

**lewisipso** · 03-14-07, 04:06 AM

Originally Posted by 1sgkelly

Go old school.

Something about heads on pikes at the city gates.

All over that like stink on a pile of sh!t !

**Trojan 42** · 03-14-07, 04:37 AM

So the PCSO system doesn't work? Well, I for one, am shocked!

Shocked, in that it's taken this long for someone to notice cheap policing is not viable!!