Police Must Reclaim Streets?

Today I saw this headline on the BBC News Website!

“Police 'need to reclaim streets', police chief warns” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11394354

Now that got me to thinking.  When was it we last saw our local PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) – for my International readers not familiar with this term, these are NOT police officers.  They look remarkably like police officers, but they ain’t!

Well, it has been several weeks since the PCSO for our area was here.  I spoke to him, he nodded, I spoke to him again and he carried on nodding, he had a look around and then he went.  I have not seen him since!  Early this week a police patrol car came down our road, he drove slowly, got the the end of the cul-de -sac and realised it was a dead end! He turned round and vanished, he was clearly lost.

Now, after this BBC report on the words of wisdom from the Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Denis O'Connor was timely.  Why you may be wondering by now?   Well, here’s another thing.  Not only are PCSO’s absent from here where we live, they are also often in short supply in the town centre.  When you do see them they seem to be simply delivering mail to shops in the town.  They may sometimes be giving directions to a lost tourist or they may be seemingly striding off somewhere across the town, I know not where to!

Ah but today, only hours after the BBC report the town was awash with PCSO’s AND regular Police Officers!!  Not just one or two either, a fair multitude of blue uniforms were spread abundantly about the mean streets of Chichester.

Now, I will admit that there were five [Yes, FIVE] PCSO’s “post coding” bicycles at the Town Cross with a long queue of people waiting for the magic anti theft seals to be added.  More surprising was the emergence of no less that SIX uniformed, REGULAR Police Officers patrolling in pairs!!!!!!!  I may be wrong there in that there may have only been four and I may have seen one pair twice, but I’m not sure.  So lets say it was three pairs anyway.

It seemed awfully coincidental to me.

PS: Congratulations to the PC who I have often seen patrolling in the distant past who spotted last week getting out of his patrol car to do a little bit of “beat work” and, my God! He had lost an enormous amount of weight.  He had shrunk from his previous 19 stone (that 266 pounds to any Americans out there) to somewhere around 224 pounds which was a fantastic achievement.  He’s a big bloke anyway so he carries his new “slimmer” self very nicely now and looks almost svelte in his uniform and stab vest now.

Form your own conclusions folks and now misbehaving on those street corners this weekend or its a good cuff round the ears for you this time.  No namby pamby ASBO I’m afraid.  [that an Anti Social Behaviour Order for all you non-Brits out there]