SURREY’S Police and Crime Commissioner has celebrated a job where “no two hours are the same” – and urged others to apply for the role.
Lisa Townsend visited Godalming during the summer to join Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Nick Boxall on patrol in the town.
PCSOs are among the most visible roles in Surrey Police, and the intelligence they gather allows the Force to build a picture of where the county’s crime hotspots lie.
Their work also helps to identify and protect Surrey’s most vulnerable residents.
The Force launched a recruitment drive for additional PCSOs earlier this year, and has now filled all roles for the September cohort.
It comes after Operation Uplift, the previous government’s drive to recruit an additional 20,000 officers across the UK, resulted in more than 50 Surrey PCSOs leaving their roles to become PCs.
The additional officers hired in Surrey have made the Force the biggest it has been in a generation.
Lisa said: “Being a PCSO is a diverse, lively and often challenging role where no two hours are the same.
“You might find our community support officers guarding a cordon after a major incident, finding a way to calm down an angry member of the public who is threatening harm, or supporting a vulnerable resident who is struggling with their mental health – sometimes all within a single shift.
“They provide a bridge between members of the public and the police who serve them, and the connections they build with residents help to safeguard the county from crime and protect the most vulnerable.
“PCSOs are so important to our residents”
“Over the course of my tenure as your Commissioner, I have spoken with thousands of Surrey residents, and I know how important PCSOs are to our communities.
“It is wonderful news that so many of our PCSOs became police officers during Operation Uplift – it’s a fantastic achievement, both for the Force and for the officers themselves.
“The changes did leave Surrey Police with vacancies to fill however, and I know that has been a real challenge for the Force who have been working hard to get our PCSO numbers back up to full strength.
“So I’m delighted that the latest PCSO course was full and those new recruits will be working in our communities across Surrey from September.
“But we still need more in our ranks so I’d encourage anyone with an interest to have a look on our recruitment pages – this is a job like no other for those who love Surrey.”
For more information, or to apply, visit surrey.police.uk/police-forces/surrey-police/areas/careers/careers/pcso/
Lisa joined PCSO Nick Boxall on a foot patrol in Godalming