Blueline Jobs


   

Industry Guides

Community Support Officers

What are Community Support Officers?

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs or CSOs) are civilian police staff employed to support the public and assist police officers. The main aim of a CSO is to provide a visible presence on the street, and improve the quality of life in the community by offering greater public reassurance.

CSOs are not a replacement for police officers but are there as an additional resource to deal with many of the tasks that do not require the experience or powers held by police officers but which often take officers away from more appropriate duties.

CSOs are not a replacement for police officers but are there as an additional resource to deal with many of the tasks that do not require the experience or powers held by police officers but which often take officers away from more appropriate duties.

Police forces often use CSOs in three key areas:

  • Security - providing a visible presence in key locations, assisting police in incidents.
  • Community - assisting the local community in order to offer greater reassurance.
  • Transport & Traffic - enforcing traffic regulations, assisting police in incidents, providing visible support on public transport

 
CSOs typically have the following powers:

  • issuing of fixed penalty notices;
  • power to confiscate alcohol and tobacco from young persons;
  • power of entry to save life or prevent serious damage to property;
  • power to require the name and address of a person behaving in an anti-social manner
  • carry out road checks and stop vehicles to do so;
  • power to require name and address from suspects;
  • authorise removal of abandoned vehicles;
  • stop vehicles for testing;
  • make traffic directions for abnormal loads.

What qualifications do I need to become a CSO?

There are no height restrictions for becoming a CSO. Any UK citizen, Commonwealth citizen with an unrestricted right of residence in the UK, or Republic of Ireland citizen, can join, and police recruitment policies stress that maturity and life experience is an advantage.

Find out more information about how to become a CSO.