Greater Manchester Police is to lose more than fifty percent of its PCSOs to finance the recruitment of more neighbourhood police officers. PCSO roles will be lost by vacancies not being filled.
The announcement was made today by Chief Constable Stephen Watson and the region's Mayor, Andy Burnham.
Over 260 more neighbourhood police officers will be brought in under a new model, which the force say will help "make communities safer, fight crime and solve local problems – like burglary, speeding and drug dealing". They have been hailed by Mr Burnham as the "most significant change to policing in a generation and one that will command huge public support".
To fund the changes, a Neighbourhood Policing Review briefing obtained by the Manchester Evening News reveals that the number of PCSOs will be reduced by 333, from 518 to 215. There will be one named PCSO per council ward under the new model.
The briefing adds: "Savings made by reducing PCSO numbers will be invested in a further 264 warranted neighbourhood police officers. This figure will be achieved through natural attrition over time. No jobs will be lost."
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It adds: "PCSOs form a large part of our Neighbourhood Teams and we acknowledge the tremendous hard work they have undertaken during some of GMP's most difficult days to maintain visibility in communities whilst neighbourhood police officers were taken away to deal with responses to other issues."
But it says: "A disparate use of the PCSO resource throughout the force has become diluted and misunderstood over time," adding that there is a "significant imbalance of PCSOs to police officer numbers, 54 percent PCSOs to 46 percent."
In addition, the note says there has been "inappropriate" tasking of PCSOs to attend incidents and investigate crimes they are not equipped to deal with. As a result of this, the PCSO function has had a lesser ability to tackle neighbourhood issues and deal with priorities the community wants addressing, it says.
GMP says it is launching a new neighbourhood policing model "to make communities safer, following a vigorous review and public consultation."
In a statement, the force says: "With an additional 264 warranted police officers posted to neighbourhood teams across Greater Manchester, there will be a much greater focus on officers and partner agencies working together in communities to fight crime and solve local problems – like burglary, speeding and drug dealing.
"Through the back to basics approach, members of the public will know their dedicated named teams who will be more visible in communities and more accessible than ever before, with a commitment that they will be ringfenced to focus on their neighbourhoods rather than backfilling other duties.
"Neighbourhood officers will also be directly contactable through the new and improved ‘Your Area’ pages on the force’s website and the brand new community alerts system ‘Bee in the Loop’. Bee in the Loop will also allow those who sign up to be amongst the first to know about incidents and emergencies; get involved in shaping local priorities; and receive targeted crime prevention advice."
But one member of Greater Manchester Combined Authority said he believed the new model was the beginning of the end for PCSOs
Conservative Councillor, Russell Bernstein, a member of Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Police Fire and Crime Panel, said: "I fully appreciate that there has always been a debate regarding the effectiveness of PCSOs compared to police officers ever since their introduction by Lord Blunkett when he was Home Secretary.
"I totally respect the professional judgement of the Chief Constable particularly in view of the significant improvements the communities of Greater Manchester have seen since his appointment. As such as he is advising the Mayor and Deputy Mayor that Neighbourhood Teams of Greater Manchester will be more effectively policed by reducing PCSO numbers and redirecting the savings made to fund the recruitment of additional police officers in Greater Manchester. I believe we should all support that advice.
"However, what I will be seeking from the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief Constable at Thursday’s Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel meeting is an understanding as to the logic of having to wait so long to deliver the new model, and its impact for Greater Manchester in the period of transition."
Cllr Bernstein also asked why action was not being taken to implement the change immediately "if the professional view is that police officers are now a better fit for Neighbourhood Teams in Greater Manchester than PCSOs".
"I will also be seeking a clear understanding of what future if any exists for PCSOs with Greater Manchester Police," he added.
'Most significant change to policing in a generation'
Speaking of the new neighbourhood model, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “The people of Greater Manchester are at the heart of this new neighbourhood policing model, which is reflective of us taking a back-to-basics approach to traditional policing. Through public consultation, we listened to our communities and this is the embodiment of our action to ensure they are on the receiving end of the very best policing services. It combines the reassurance that comes from having local, visible, and accessible officers bound to a patch, with a determined focus on fighting crime.
“The model recognises that dedicated named officers are some of the most valuable in communities and that, as highly valued as they are, Police Community Support Officers do not have the powers to deal with those issues and crimes which we know are most concerning those who live and work in Greater Manchester. Whilst retaining a minimum of one PCSO in each electoral ward, the number of warranted officers will increase exponentially as we rebalance the teams.
“35 neighbourhoods will be serviced 24/7 by 89 teams, made up of 1,148 police officers and staff – 80% of whom will have warranted powers.
“As a result, the teams will have more time to spend in neighbourhoods and, benefitting from the continued support of partner agencies and that of specialist teams, they will also have more resources to fight crime and build resilient communities which can join with us to send a messages that crime is not tolerated in any community and that GMP will do everything in its power to take criminals off our streets.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, called the move the "most significant change to policing in Greater Manchester in a generation" said the changes would command "huge public support".
“I am ever aware that we have asked our residents to contribute more to support GMP and I am glad that we are now in a position to give them a clear return on that investment: a guaranteed, dedicated policing team in every single community with an increase in the number of warranted officers.
“GMP has already made great strides and is now the best force in the country on answering 999 calls. But there is more to come. I have said I want to see proactive, accountable policing in every single community in Greater Manchester. With an outstanding leader in Stephen Watson, and this new neighbourhood structure, that is exactly what GMP is set up to deliver and I am confident that they will.”
Deputy Mayor for Police, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, Kate Green, said: “The investment in neighbourhood policing and this new model shows that our priority is local policing – keeping people safe where they live and work. Neighbourhoods will have more officers with more powers who will be taking action to tackle the everyday crime that blights communities from car theft to anti-social behaviour. The neighbourhood teams will be ring-fenced to only work on local issues and to get to know their community and what the issues are.
“We also want people to know who their local police teams are, and so their names and contact details will be available on the new website. People can also be alerted to incidents in their area and be given crime prevention advice through the Bee in the Loop community alert system, funded through the police precept. We want people to have confidence in local policing and getting to know their neighbourhood teams by making this information available should help build stronger relationships.
“I believe these changes in local policing will have a positive impact in our local communities and help us all feel safer.”
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