Police Community Support Officer
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In the United Kingdom, a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) is a uniformed civilian working with the Police.
Police Community Support Officers were introduced following the Police Reform Act 2002 in response to long standing concern over the lack of a significant police presence on the streets. Their uniforms are similar to those of the regular police, but have a variety of distinguishing features depending on the area.
Powers
PCSOs have been given limited powers. The are able to:
- Issue Fixed Penalty Notices for public nuisance, dog fouling, littering, cycling on footpaths
- Request a person's name and address for certain minor offences
- Detain a person for up to 30 minutes, and use reasonable force to prevent them escaping
- Confiscate alcohol from young people
- Request a person to stop drinking alcohol in designated public areas and to surrender open drink containers
- Enter property to save life, prevent injury, or prevent serious damage to property
- Seize vehicles used to cause alarm and distress
- Require abandoned vehicles to be removed
- Stop vehicles for the purpose of a road check or for exhaust emissions testing
- Regulate traffic for the purpose of escorting abnormal loads
- Maintain and enforce a cordoned area established under Terrorism Acts
- Stop and search vehicles and items carried by driver and passengers (under the Terrorism Acts)
- Stop and search items carried by pedestrians (under the Terrorism Acts)
See also
External link
- Police Reform Act web site (http://www.policereform.gov.uk/reformact/index.html)