ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

At least they're a uniform & pair of boots on the ground. I used to live overlooking Leicester Square & when PCSOs were brought in the nature of the place changed overnight as a lot of the more unsavoury elements knew they would be witnessed getting up to skullduggery.

Certainly the areas around Greggs are very well patrolled by these upholders of the law!

Is there any truth in the rumour that they recruit very heavily from ex-RAF Regt.?

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

At least they're a uniform & pair of boots on the ground. I used to live overlooking Leicester Square & when PCSOs were brought in the nature of the place changed overnight as a lot of the more unsavoury elements knew they would be witnessed getting up to skullduggery.

Certainly the areas around Greggs are very well patrolled by these upholders of the law!

And witnessed is all that a PCSO can do!

A £26k walking A-Z (if they have the brains to carry one)!

Certainly the areas around Greggs are very well patrolled by these upholders of the law

Don't worry when the fitness test comes in that should stop. I know of one officer who passed out of training unable to meet the level 5:4 fitness "aspiration".

Shocking.

Still, at least they are stood around to witness it rather than being sat in the station/car/brew room waiting to be called out after the event has happened.

Originally Posted by bokkatankie

Is there any truth in the rumour that they recruit very heavily from ex-RAF Regt.?

As a comparatively the PCSO would be as smart as a Guardsman, as fit as a Para & as bright as the brightest member of the Int Corps probably not

Originally Posted by The_Duke

Still, at least they are stood around to witness it rather than being sat in the station/car/brew room waiting to be called out after the event has happened.

Without bashing the sworn Officers, in my limited experience PCSOs have a good deterrent effect & provide a feeling of security to the public. OK they can't nick anyone, but scrotes seem to think twice if there is a symbol of law & oder around, even if said symbol is munching on a sandwich from the large supply in the Tesco bags which seem to be part of a PCSO's issued kit.

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

OK they can't nick anyone.

Happy to be corrected but IIRC they have the same powers of arrest as any other member of the public. Also, depending on which plod you work for, some get more powers than others.

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

Without bashing the sworn Officers, in my limited experience PCSOs have a good deterrent effect & provide a feeling of security to the public. OK they can't nick anyone, but scrotes seem to think twice if there is a symbol of law & oder around, even if said symbol is munching on a sandwich from the large supply in the Tesco bags which seem to be part of a PCSO's issued kit.

No disagreement from me. My sister is Met, and her last job involved managing a team with lots of PCSOs. It was like herding cats, and most of them would only work when cornered like rats in a trap, but they did have an effect.

The biggest waste arises when police officers ignore them as not worthy and allow them to draw pay while doing very little, rather than make them do what they are being paid for.

Back to the subject of our photograph which started this thread- perhaps someone would like to give him and his mates a quick lesson on camoflage and concealment. Hiding in plain sight, or making yourself look like things around you would be a good start point. If he had chucked on a set of black coveralls and a baseball cap or helmet, no-one would have taken the slightest notice of him amongst how ever many others dressed the same. His picture would not have been all over the media for public ridicule, and at no loss of PERSEC.

Originally Posted by scalieback

Happy to be corrected but IIRC they have the same powers of arrest as any other member of the public. Also, depending on which plod you work for, some get more powers than others.

I stand to be corrected; but I've been in since before they were created, I have never heard of them exercising the "any person" power of arrest.

I have seen them scuttling around with handcuffs (BTP, I think).

Sadly, I'm with The Duke (except the effect);

It was like herding cats, and most of them would only work when cornered like rats in a trap, but they did have an effect.

CP:

It was like herding cats, and most of them would only work when cornered like rats in a trap, but they did have an effect.

Glad that is your experience, but it is not mine. Maybe that is because I have turned up when it's gone properly wrong, or maybe I just haunt shit-tips? I dunno.

Again, back to The Duke.

Hiding in plain sight, or making yourself look like things around you would be a good start point

I got told years ago the point was to move through your enviroment with minimal disturbance to it (as a copper, and not doing anything interesting either!)

This fellah scuttled around Dublin quietly for ages, and managed to have quite an effect....