Back-up bobbies designed to ease pressure on police officers could actually add to their workload

Eighty Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are due to hit the county's streets this autumn to tackle anti-social behaviour and make the public feel safer.

But the Police Federation in Essex is worried about their impact on regular officers.

Chairman Sue Kelly said of the recruitment, announced earlier this month: "It will have a significant impact on the sergeants on community policing teams.

"They will have to supervise them, allocate work, do their annual appraisals.

"All of that will come down to the community policing team sergeant.

"That's a huge amount of work and a significant increase in responsibility."

An Essex Police spokesman responded: "We are aware that the Police Federation has expressed concern that there will be an increased workload in terms of supervision from sergeants.

"There will be more supervisory work but in the long-term, we think it will balance out for the greater good of everyone."

He added: "We are confident, from monitoring the success elsewhere and from the clear public support for this type of visible policing, that it is a worthwhile project."

Ten PCSOs have been working in Harlow since April. A further 80 are due to start work around the county later this year.

Published Monday, June 16, 2003

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