Plans drawn up for PCSOs to return to Hertfordshire schools

David Lloyd wants 20 new PCSOs to be based in and around schools after seeing officer numbers in educational settings dwindle over the years.

He says it is not because criminality is taking place in the county’s schools but because schools are a great place to start working with young people.

The commissioner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "[…] it’s not about trying to arrest people or anything like that. It’s about trying to engage and prevent people from coming to harm.

"I think there is a change that has been made over the last year or so, in that we recognise that the role of police is to prevent crime – rather than, just after a crime has happened, turning up.

"And I think that this just builds on that. And clearly if we want to prevent crime – now and in future generations – the place to start is with our young people."

PCSOs don’t have the same ‘warranted’ powers to arrest, to stop and search or to enter property as police officers but Mr Lloyd believes they play an important role within the community.

He added: "The schools were quite sad when the funding stopped for PCSOs 10 or 15 years ago because they felt that it was really useful having a representative of a constabulary coming into their schools just to support the work that we do."

The idea of putting more PCSOs in school is being backed by Hertfordshire Constabulary with a spokesperson saying: "The re-introduction of dedicated PCSOs working with schools is very welcome and fits in with Hertfordshire Constabulary’s prevention-first approach of early intervention and problem-solving."

Further details about the proposals for PCSOs in schools are expected to be included in the commissioner’s police and crime plan when it is published later this month.

The proposals will be considered at the next meeting of the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Panel on March 17.