The Government is proposing changes to powers held by police staff and volunteers.
A consultation, which lasts until October 31, proposes proposes enabling volunteers to be designated with powers in the same way as staff. The Home Office gives the example of Lincolnshire Police that’s appointed a number of Volunteer PCSOs, who work alongside their full-time colleagues; while they currently do not have coercive powers, this shows there is demand from some police forces for volunteers to perform these roles.
Since 1831, volunteer Special Constables have held all of the powers of a constable – whereas Police Support Volunteers have held none. Designated police staff, including Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), have those powers set out in the Police Reform Act 2002. PCSOs’ role is mainly one of engaging with the public, but they can also have powers to issue fixed penalty notices, confiscate alcohol or tobacco from minors and detain those suspected of a range of offences for 30 minutes to await a police officer. The proposals include:
Creating a list of ‘core’ police powers – including arrest and stop and search – that would remain exclusive to police officers
Enabling chief officers to designate a wider range of powers on police staff and volunteers
Enabling volunteers to be designated with powers in the same way as staff
Abolishing the role of traffic warden under the Road Traffic Acts
Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Police officers across the country carry out a wide range of duties, keeping the public safe and ensuring justice for the most vulnerable members of society. We value the essential role they play, but they cannot do this on their own. I believe volunteers can do more, helping forces to create a flexible workforce, bring in new skills, and free up officers’ time to focus on the jobs only they can carry out.
“This Government wants to encourage those with skills in particular demand, such as those with specialist IT or accountancy skills, to get involved and help the police to investigate cyber or financial crime, and help officers and staff fight crime more widely. This Government is committed to finishing the job of police reform and we intend to legislate in the upcoming Policing and Criminal Justice Bill.”
To comment on the consultation visit https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-powers-of-police-staff-and-volunteers
More details
The Government says that it wants police forces to have a more flexible workforce and will, subject to safeguards, enable chief officers to designate other police powers to staff. This will enable police officers to focus on the most important roles; roles that only they can carry out. The Government also wants to enhance the role of volunteers. It’s proposing to end the anomaly whereby volunteers can either have all of the powers of the constable, as a special; or have none of the powers, as a police support volunteer. The Government wants to instead allow volunteers to mirror the roles played by police staff, for example as community support officers.
Picture by Mark Rowe: A cardboard cut-out of a policeman at Reading railway station.
