PCSOs, what are they for?

Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin Posts: 4,330
edited February 2010 in The bottom bracket
Drove in this morning,I crossed the N Circular (A406) on the, Harrow Road (A404) in Wembley. A hundred meters further along I hit the back of a traffic jam, the traffic has never baced up that far. Not the end of the world for me as I can turn off and park as I was only 10 mins walk away from work. I walk back onto the main road to see traffic and Police everywhere, nothing moving. Phew I think, thank god Im not stuck in that. So off to my coffee shop for my morning dose to see 2 PCSOs sitting down in the warm in the back of the coffee shop with mocachocagheyboy lattes, I overhear their conversation, the carrot cake or the lemon drizzle cake, one of them couldnt make his mind up. Proper Police are directing traffic and therefore not stopping crime while 2 fake Policemen who could really be used to keep cars moving are getting fatter in the back of a coffee shop, ffs :evil: !

Comments

  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,716
    Are you sure their shift had started?
  • errruumm

    to make it LOOK like there are more polcie on the streets than there actually are ?
  • whyamihere wrote:
    Are you sure their shift had started?

    So they dont help unless they are being paid? Chaos outside and you dont chip in? Yes I have lost count of the amount of times that I have l left our office after our customer services have shut and been approached by people in the car park, I have never thought sorry my shift has finished.
  • do you go into work everytime it gets a bit busy? I'd never go home if that was the case. Give them a break.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    errruumm

    to make it LOOK like there are more polcie on the streets than there actually are ?

    Ah....the theatre of security at work....see airports fro various other examples.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • hells
    hells Posts: 175
    How do you know they wernt on break or just finished a shift.

    Uniformed emergency services personelle are human as well you know, they require breaks, food, drink and sleep jsut as much as anyone else. The situation was being dealt with anyway. If the cops dealing with it were traffic police then they were indeed doing their job anyway.
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  • Splottboy
    Splottboy Posts: 3,694
    They employ fat ones, so skinny coppers can hide behind them in a shoot-out...
  • Tonymufc
    Tonymufc Posts: 1,016
    errruumm

    to make it LOOK like there are more polcie on the streets than there actually are ?

    +1

    Useless feckers. Just put more proper coppers on the streets. Surely its as simple as that isn't it.
  • skinson
    skinson Posts: 362
    Could have just finished! Might not have started! Might not be trained for traffic control!! You'd be the first to cry foul if they were directing traffic without training and you got hit because of their mistakes!! As another poster said "give them a break" Or perhaps they were on their break?
    Dave
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    edited February 2010
    I think SG was being a bit unfair too, I mean they also may not have been trained to deal with traffic directing. :?

    They have their uses, but yes I agree it would be nice to have more proper Police. Perhaps those who moan the loudest should consider joining the Specials :wink::lol:

    Gawd I'm slow today.. missed that bit in Skinson's post
  • skinson wrote:
    Could have just finished! Might not have started! Might not be trained for traffic control!! You'd be the first to cry foul if they were directing traffic without training and you got hit because of their mistakes!! As another poster said "give them a break" Or perhaps they were on their break?
    Dave

    Could have just finished? Im sure common sense says that you dont just walk away if you are dealing with something because your shift has finished. Not trained to say to some cars stop and others go? FFS. I wouldnt have a go at them if my car got hit, I would, as I always do, have a go at the driver of the car that hit me as I did the other night. On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?

    I cant finish this post its hometi.................
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    skinson wrote:
    Could have just finished! Might not have started! Might not be trained for traffic control!! You'd be the first to cry foul if they were directing traffic without training and you got hit because of their mistakes!! As another poster said "give them a break" Or perhaps they were on their break?
    Dave

    Could have just finished? Im sure common sense says that you dont just walk away if you are dealing with something because your shift has finished. Not trained to say to some cars stop and others go? FFS. I wouldnt have a go at them if my car got hit, I would, as I always do, have a go at the driver of the car that hit me as I did the other night. On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?

    I cant finish this post its hometi.................

    Hold on, who says THEY can resolve it? You dont know 100% what was happening, surely.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    skinson wrote:
    Could have just finished! Might not have started! Might not be trained for traffic control!! You'd be the first to cry foul if they were directing traffic without training and you got hit because of their mistakes!! As another poster said "give them a break" Or perhaps they were on their break?
    Dave

    Could have just finished? Im sure common sense says that you dont just walk away if you are dealing with something because your shift has finished. Not trained to say to some cars stop and others go? FFS. I wouldnt have a go at them if my car got hit, I would, as I always do, have a go at the driver of the car that hit me as I did the other night. On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?

    I cant finish this post its hometi.................

    Don't forget to clock in tomorrow before finishing your post, bleedin' jobsworths............ :D:D:D
  • dmclite wrote:
    skinson wrote:
    Could have just finished! Might not have started! Might not be trained for traffic control!! You'd be the first to cry foul if they were directing traffic without training and you got hit because of their mistakes!! As another poster said "give them a break" Or perhaps they were on their break?
    Dave

    Could have just finished? Im sure common sense says that you dont just walk away if you are dealing with something because your shift has finished. Not trained to say to some cars stop and others go? FFS. I wouldnt have a go at them if my car got hit, I would, as I always do, have a go at the driver of the car that hit me as I did the other night. On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?

    I cant finish this post its hometi.................

    Don't forget to clock in tomorrow before finishing your post, bleedin' jobsworths............ :D:D:D

    Funnily enough, although I could have just put my pen down at 5, Im still here. Its nothing to do with the fact that I got in at 10 this morning and am in about 4 hours debt on my flexi
  • Drove in this morning,I crossed the N Circular (A406) on the, Harrow Road (A404) in Wembley. A hundred meters further along I hit the back of a traffic jam, the traffic has never baced up that far. Not the end of the world for me as I can turn off and park as I was only 10 mins walk away from work. I walk back onto the main road to see traffic and Police everywhere, nothing moving. Phew I think, thank god Im not stuck in that. So off to my coffee shop for my morning dose to see 2 PCSOs sitting down in the warm in the back of the coffee shop with mocachocagheyboy lattes, I overhear their conversation, the carrot cake or the lemon drizzle cake, one of them couldnt make his mind up. Proper Police are directing traffic and therefore not stopping crime while 2 fake Policemen who could really be used to keep cars moving are getting fatter in the back of a coffee shop, ffs :evil: !


    Ummm hang on, aren't they the volunteer ones? If not they certainly don't get a full police wage. Do you know their shift times? Are they not aloud a break?


    But yes, useless feckers other than visual deterant/public image. I've not seen one yet that i don't think i could have run home and back before they even fished their notebooks out with their chubby fingers :wink:
  • Salary and other benefits

    These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.

    * Salaries for new entrants start from around £17,000. British Transport Police PCSOs earn £18,911 on starting service.
    * With experience, earnings may rise to around £22,000.
    * PCSOs reaching the top end of the scale, or working in supervisory roles, may earn around £25,000.

    Each police force sets its own pay rates for PCSOs. Allowances and overtime payments can boost basic salaries.

    From;
    http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u ... ledArticle

    Not volunteers exactly.

    They may help with issues such as:

    # providing a visible and reassuring presence within communities

    # attending incidents of disorder, nuisance and anti-social behaviour

    # dealing with community issues such as littering and dog fouling

    # checking out abandoned vehicles

    # gathering evidence through observation

    # helping with missing persons enquiries

    # speaking to young people who might be drunk and causing problems, confiscating alcohol and tobacco, if necessary

    # crowd control and directing traffic at public events

    # helping direct traffic at road blocks or scenes of accidents


    # assisting police with recording names and addresses or door-to-door enquiries.

    From;
    http://www.national-pcsos.co.uk/id3.html

    I dont see eating cake anywhere :lol:

    I dont get lemon drizzle or carrot cake :( we have machines with chocolate or crisps. Snot fair.
  • downfader
    downfader Posts: 3,686
    Salary and other benefits

    blah blah

    # helping direct traffic at road blocks or scenes of accidents

    Again, why? Its pointless unless they're on duty and definately trained for that task. Honestly mate, have you even thought about the insurance implications....?

    Why dont you write to the Police and complain, then? Make their jobs feel pointless and unfullfiling :roll:
  • so worked up about PCSO's having (a probably well earned ) break! Jeez. Why so annoyed that they like cake? I like cake - don't you? They probably weren't even on shift. They possibly weren't trained for traffic duties and, like has been mentioned, the insurance implications of them getting involved and causing damage or injury are grave. Think about it before damning them!!!
  • ever heard th term too many cooks spoil the broth.

    Did you go out and ask the cops on scene if they needed anymore bodies, that they'd need to oversee and advise, taking their 100% focus off the incident.

    Did you go and ask the PCSO's what they were doing in there or why they are so useless and lazy to their faces?

    easy to snipe on the internet.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    You know - it's actually possible that Stewie is right and they were just sitting on their arses. As much as everyone is jumping to their defence....
  • Pokerface wrote:
    You know - it's actually possible that Stewie is right and they were just sitting on their arses. As much as everyone is jumping to their defence....
    two phrases spring to mind: Innocent until proven guilty, Benefit of the Doubt.

    btw - i tend to sit on my arse when eating cake - I find it heightens the pleasure.
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    Police officers, like many other public service roles, are very easy to complain about and blast hence everyone does it so sometimes they do need defending.
    On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?
    If they were on their break then fair enough if they relaxed for a bit, its not simply a case of putting off their break until this issue is resolved as something else may come up after that and it might not be down to their choice when they have their break.
  • downfader wrote:
    Salary and other benefits

    blah blah

    # helping direct traffic at road blocks or scenes of accidents

    Again, why? Its pointless unless they're on duty and definately trained for that task. Honestly mate, have you even thought about the insurance implications....?

    Why dont you write to the Police and complain, then? Make their jobs feel pointless and unfullfiling :roll:

    Its not so much the training ass the quite limited powers they have that are handed down by the chief constable, every force is slightly different. It comes back to the way the whole thing was rolled quickly out. In some areas theyve been absoloutley pointless in other parts of the country the scheme has been succesful. As i understnad it the whole PCSO program might be ditched anyway.

    The reason they have limited powers is becasue they are not warranted police officers because of the by comparison extremely limited training. The idea was that they would provide community presence and free the more expensive police officer to do more specialist roles.
    We have two in our village, one of whom has a walk like liam galagherr and getts up everyones noise, hes a cocky little wot not he struts and preens and seems to have alienated large parts of the of the village. on the other hand he stops the teenagers drinking in the park which is good. Fortunately we have to share him with 4 other villages. caught him going through my bins the other week "looking for evidence" one of my neighbours had complained id been shooting the pidgeons in the garden, which i had. I sent him away, better that hes keen if misguided than not there at all.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Ollieda wrote:
    Police officers, like many other public service roles, are very easy to complain about and blast hence everyone does it so sometimes they do need defending.
    On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?
    If they were on their break then fair enough if they relaxed for a bit, its not simply a case of putting off their break until this issue is resolved as something else may come up after that and it might not be down to their choice when they have their break.

    They may have been stood at the scene for a while before being 'relieved' by the police officers, having missed their break initially.

    They may be bone idle.

    We're only speculating. Something the public and media are very good at.
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Ollieda wrote:
    Police officers, like many other public service roles, are very easy to complain about and blast hence everyone does it so sometimes they do need defending.
    On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?
    If they were on their break then fair enough if they relaxed for a bit, its not simply a case of putting off their break until this issue is resolved as something else may come up after that and it might not be down to their choice when they have their break.

    They may have been stood at the scene for a while before being 'relieved' by the police officers, having missed their break initially.

    They may be bone idle.

    We're only speculating. Something the public and media are very good at.

    They may have been investigating allegations that sub-standard cake and short-measures of mocca chocca-chino had earlier been served in the said cafe. Obviously this needs serious and intensive investigation. :wink:
    Cycling weakly
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    skyd0g wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Ollieda wrote:
    Police officers, like many other public service roles, are very easy to complain about and blast hence everyone does it so sometimes they do need defending.
    On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?
    If they were on their break then fair enough if they relaxed for a bit, its not simply a case of putting off their break until this issue is resolved as something else may come up after that and it might not be down to their choice when they have their break.

    They may have been stood at the scene for a while before being 'relieved' by the police officers, having missed their break initially.

    They may be bone idle.

    We're only speculating. Something the public and media are very good at.

    They may have been investigating allegations that sub-standard cake and short-measures of mocca chocca-chino had earlier been served in the said cafe. Obviously this needs serious and intensive investigation. :wink:

    PCSOs don't investigate crime. Particularly serious crime like that.
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    NapoleonD wrote:
    skyd0g wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Ollieda wrote:
    Police officers, like many other public service roles, are very easy to complain about and blast hence everyone does it so sometimes they do need defending.
    On a break? When as pointed out the high road was in chaos? Would you not perhaps delay your break until the situation had been resolved?
    If they were on their break then fair enough if they relaxed for a bit, its not simply a case of putting off their break until this issue is resolved as something else may come up after that and it might not be down to their choice when they have their break.

    They may have been stood at the scene for a while before being 'relieved' by the police officers, having missed their break initially.

    They may be bone idle.

    We're only speculating. Something the public and media are very good at.

    They may have been investigating allegations that sub-standard cake and short-measures of mocca chocca-chino had earlier been served in the said cafe. Obviously this needs serious and intensive investigation. :wink:

    PCSOs don't investigate crime. Particularly serious crime like that.

    I'm happy to hear we're in safe hands. :wink:
    wiggum.jpg
    Cycling weakly
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I'm assuming the OP performed his civic duty and actually stopped to assist the other officer to direct the traffic?
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."