I would like to begin by saying that when I joined the West Midlands Police eleven years ago I was under the impression the roll of a Police Community Support Officer was to prevent crime and anti social behaviour and to engage with the local community regarding intelligence gathering regarding criminality within the local community.The roll of the Police has not changed since Sir Robert Peel the farther of the modern day Police set up the first organised uniformed Police force.Since I joined West Midlands Police there has been a steady decline in Staff numbers and moral within the force and the fact that every two years there is a desire to re invent the wheel with projects such as this one that do not benefit the Police or the public who fund the operation.

In the past as P.C.S.O.’s have built strong links within our local communities and have conducted PACT meetings and community business meeting within Town Centres.

These meeting in the past have encouraged local people to take citizen control as  neighbourhood watch co-ordinators who have chaired these meetings with delegated power to organise these meeting and the Police roll has been to step back once the citizens have realised they can organise them selves and work with Police and other partnerships such as local Council thus placating any local animosity between Police and Public through consultation and dialogue and inferring to a amicable conclusion.

This has in the past given local citizens a sense of belonging and has created friendships within neighbourhoods and has broken down barriers with Police and forged new links with the community we serve.