The money would be better employed in recruiting 8000 more Constables with full police powers.

8,000 chocolate tea pots or 4,000 warranted officers. The PCSO concept was a smoke and mirror trick foisted upon the police by Blunket. Some forces PCSO's uniform is almost identical to the police and it is only when you get up to them you see the difference. Great for fooling granny into thinking the police are still on the street. Maybe if the police were allowed to be the police again and not the fall back position for all the other agencies that fail to do their job 24/7 then the old fashioned beat bobby could return to the street and the happy shoppers could be dispensed with

This is policing on the cheap, I agree with the other contributors.

PCSO's should be given limited powers of arrest to deal with minor offences, drunkeness, minor disorder and summary offences acting as a municipal or rural police service. Warranted officers should form a higher level national police force, with the full powers of arrest, training and equipment to deal with major crime and disorder. With specialist branches to deal with specialist crime, requiring greater knowledge of the subject, for example cybercrime.

Another spin on Unisons trumpeting call for 8,000 more PCSO's is the potential for 8,000 more subs into the Union coffers. Just saying.

I think that PCSO’s do a fantastic job in supporting Neighbourhood Policing. They are the ‘old time Police Officer’ who have time to stop and talk to members of the public and obtain intelligence. I support the call for more Police Officers, but also for more PCSO’s.

Oh, what acid words, Paul! But of course, you're quite right. I'd like to see the whole of the PCSOs dispensed with and an increase in warranted officers, so that they could do the jobs the PCSOs can't.

If deployed correctly PCSO's a valuable resource. However too many are not properly utilised hence the disrespectful views of many officers. I was a victim of crime a year ago and the OIC was incredibly poor in the whole thing, I had to find out from another victim associated with the incident that the offender is in court this month so the money he costs would be better spent on someone or something else Forces are looking at savings to be made in 2023-24 so no extra resources i think when lighting and heating costs for stations have tripled.Still all the college cops leaving should save a bit for the short term if mnot replaced.

To clarify a police officer is OIC.

@Squadman I used the same phase Chocolate teapot pots in an internal question and answer website. Resulted in the unison rep going off on one and reporting me to the CC who got his bagman to summon me to the dream factory for a dressing down only for my inspector to inform him that I was retiring next week. So no dressing down. When a few months later I went to pick up my certificate of service from the CC he said he was going to present me with a chocolate tea pot but could not find one to give me. Nice to know that off record they also believe the PCSO's are next to useless.

One thing you can be absolutely sure of is that there will be no real terms investment in PCSO's or any other areas of policing under a Conservative government. A result would be no further cuts, but with 10%+ inflation, spiralling costs and the lack appetite for investment from central government the situation looks bleak.

PCSO's total waste of money, more warranted officers needed. Blunkett was useless at everything but PCSO's was his biggest mistake.