York leaders hits out at ‘drastic cuts’ to police community support officers
York’s council leader says ‘drastic cuts’ to the number of police community support officers is leaving the city less safe.
The number of PCSOs has fallen by 20% since 2021 across North Yorkshire.
Last September, 190 full-time equivalent PCSOs were employed in the force, down from the 240 that were employed in 2021.
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe is proposing to pause PCSO recruitment until March 2024.
She told a meeting 50 PCSO posts “have been unable to be filled despite recruitment efforts”.
Lib Dem council leader Keith Aspden said:“These figures prove that Conservative Ministers are yet again letting our communities down.
“Communities in York value the links they have with their local neighbourhood policing teams and if the police continue to sustain significant underinvestment, it will be our local police teams that suffer.
PCSOs in North Yorkshire
| Date | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Sept 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCSOs in North Yorkshire | 196 | 185 | 163 | 173 | 183 | 230 | 240 | 202 | 190 |
“Police community support officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. The Government should be empowering them to do their job, not risking the slashing of their numbers, putting more pressure on stretched local council budgets to plug the gaps in community safety.
“We must return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and known personally to local people.”
As part of 2023/24 budget, York Lib Dems are proposing to spend £150k to improve community safety, tackling anti social behaviour hotspots, including through funding of extra specialist youth support workers.
Labour Group leader Cllr Claire Douglas said: “The reduction in PCSOs across communities in York has had a devastating effect on their ability to adequately tackle the anti-social behaviour that is blighting some of our communities in the west of the city.
“Labour councillors work very closely with PCSOs to tackle ASB in their wards. New PCSOs were already in short supply and the news that recruitment has now totally stopped is devastating.
“It now falls on Councillor’s in the wards most heavily affected to step up and respond to what residents in these communities are saying.
“Foxwood and Chapelfields residents have been waiting for many months for any action while the problems continue. It’s just not good enough.
“Inaction, timidity and the reluctance of the Liberal Democrat Party to focus resources where they are most needed have all added to a very poor situation. It needs to be turned around as a matter of urgency.”