PCSOs: Role, Powers, and Limitations

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002 to provide a visible uniformed presence in communities and to support the work of police constables. PCSOs are civilian members of police staff, not police officers. They do not hold the office of constable and do not have the full powers of a constable. Instead, they exercise a set of designated powers conferred by their chief constable under Schedule 4 to the Police Reform Act 2002.

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