The new PCSOs and youth workers will increase confidence

New PCSOs and youth workers put safety first

Staffordshire will be even safer following a decision by the county council to fund 38 new police community support officers (PCSOs) and sixteen new detached youth workers.

In a joint venture between the council and Staffordshire Police, the new recruits will work in Partnership Reassurance Teams dedicated to addressing anti-social behaviour, fear of crime, engaging with hard-to-reach youth groups and other quality of life issues within communities.

The teams will be deployed across the county's eight local authority areas, wherever such issues have been highlighted by the community.

County Councillor John Taylor, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour is a high priority for many neighbourhoods in Staffordshire. These appointments will provide reassurance to communities that we not only listen to their concerns but are prepared to put money into solving the problem.

"This is so important that the county council has identified up to £3million to fund these posts.

"Young people also tell us that they need more activities and don't like being demonised. Putting youth workers into the same neighbourhoods as the PCSOs will allow us to offer positive, practical alternatives to hanging about on the street."

The new detached youth workers will target those hard-to-reach youth groups and individuals who are thought to be responsible for anti-social behaviour. Using their specialist skills they will reintroduce displaced young people back into mainstream youth support activity. These activities will include getting young people involved in community-based activities such as volunteering.

The intention is to have the youth workers in place by early 2009 at the latest.

Just over 200 PCSOs currently work alongside police officers in 21 neighbourhood policing teams covering the entire force area.

They are uniformed members of police staff, employed in a non-confrontational role to provide a highly visible and accessible presence at the heart of communities.

Assistant Chief Constable Douglas Paxton said: "PCSOs are now firmly established throughout the force area, and we know from feedback that their work is highly valued by the public. Anti-social behaviour can have a massive impact on people's lives, which is why Staffordshire Police and the county council are committed to doing all we can to reduce it.

"We are confident that the new Partnership Reassurance Teams will go a long way towards reducing anti-social behaviour and people's fear of crime. The PCSO and youth workers' roles complement each other perfectly, and the teams should also allow us to engage positively with young people to better understand and respond to their needs and issues.

"We already work very closely with our crime and disorder reduction partners throughout the force area, and these teams will be a welcome additional resource as we continue to keep Staffordshire the safe place that it is to live, work or visit."

PCSOs carry out many of the tasks that do not require the experience or powers of a police officer (such as arrest). A certain level of fitness is required, given that a PCSO could spend up to 90 per cent of a shift on visible patrol - and that could mean walking upwards of eight miles a shift.

Page Last Modified: 04/07/2008 11:54:07

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