‘PCSOs should not plug gaps in officer numbers’

3 May 2022

The Police Federation’s Welsh lead has welcomed news that most of the 100 extra Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) announced by the Welsh Government are in place.

Nicky Ryan said PCSOs are an important and visible part of policing in Wales. But she said they’re not to be seen as a substitute for police officers or to be used to plug gaps in police officer numbers.

Nicky explained: “It’s pleasing to hear that most of the extra 100 PCSOs are now in post. PCSOs are integral to the policing family. They provide a visible service and reassurance to our communities.

“And while we acknowledge and embrace what PCSOs bring to policing, they must be used correctly and shouldn’t be used to fill officer gaps.

“A proportion of officers recruited through the Westminster Government’s ongoing Operation Uplift come from a PCSO or Special Constable background.

“We’re really building on their knowledge and understanding of policing and welcome them into the policing family.”

Nicky’s comments follow an update from Jane Hutt, the minister for social justice, in a plenary session in the Senedd last week.

She said: “I am pleased to be able to tell you today that by the end of the 2021-22 financial year, the majority of the 100 PCSOs were in post, making an even bigger difference than before to our streets and communities. 

“I would like to extend my thanks to policing partners for supporting this rapid and welcome bolstering of PCSO numbers. I would also like to thank every PCSO working in Wales for the work that they're doing and the impact that they're having on their communities.”

Ms Hutt told the session that police officer numbers in Wales would remain below pre-austerity levels after the Government’s Operation Uplift ends in 2023.

She said: “In 2010, there were 7,369 police officers in Wales; by 2019, it had fallen to 6,898. We lost 471 police officers, and yet still we’ve only got 302 recruited. What has happened to these extra 20,000 police officers in England and Wales?”

Nicky commented: “I’m pleased that the Welsh Government acknowledged that Wales hasn’t achieved its recruitment target and that we’re not back at pre-austerity numbers.

“Recruitment and retention of officers is a huge issue for policing in Wales and our members.

“We need long-term recruitment and sustainable funding in policing. We need to attract the best people and do what we need to do to retain them, which means a fair pay processes, investment in wellbeing and better benefits.

“And we need proper investment in training so that our colleagues are equipped to face the demands of modern policing.”

Watch the plenary session of the Senedd.