Bury St Edmunds Town Council raises concerns over shorter PCSO contract and additional cost

Concerns have been voiced over changes to a PCSO contract which is funded by a town council.

At a meeting last Wednesday, members heard that the contracts for the two PCSOs funded by Bury St Edmunds Town Council could be shortened from two years to one year and the cost is set to increase which they felt had been communicated by Suffolk Police at short notice.

The councillors proposed that the authority ask Suffolk Police, which employs the PCSOs, for a two-year contract and would accept the cost increase.

District and town councillor Cliff Waterman said that he is very supportive of the town council having its own community officers but the cost increase was a 'stealth tax'.

"If the police and crime commissioner can't raise enough money he's obviously now looking around for savings. This is a tiny saving.

"Suffolk Police have changed the contract so instead of us just paying for the salaries of the PCSOs we're also going to be paying for the cost of their uniform and things like that. It adds about £5,000. It's not a massive amount of money but it's the principle of it.

"It's a stealth tax.

"The second thing is we do value our PCSOs very highly and we'd like to give them as much job security as possible. Making a one-year contract reduces that job security for them.

"We've had a long running contract which has worked well and suddenly they are adding an extra cost on it at no notice. And as someone raised in the meeting we've already set our budget and suddenly we're going to have to find a bit of extra money. It's not the end of the world."

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: "The cost of PCSOs has increased to ensure Suffolk is in line with costings set by the National Police Chiefs Council arrangements applied across England and Wales and also due to increased costs in terms of pay and contributions as well as equipment and other on-costs.

"A breakdown of these was communicated with all the sponsors of PCSOs across the county."

The spokesman added that in previous years sponsors had asked for a one-year contract to offer greater flexibility and to help with financial planning decisions and that Suffolk Police would agree to two-year contracts when sponsors requested them.

The spokesman also said if a sponsor no longer wanted to continue funding a PCSO then the PCSO would remain in employment with Suffolk Police, but may be required to work in a different area or role.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk's police and crime commissioner said: "I am really grateful to all the organisations who fund additional PCSOs across Suffolk. These additional PCSOs make a huge contribution to increasing police visibility and to public trust and confidence – this is something that is often raised with me by local residents.

“Sadly, as has been the case for several years now, our funding from Government is just not enough.

"Suffolk is one of the lowest-funded forces in the country and faces significant challenges.

"We only have limited resources and the Chief Constable decides where her officers and PCSOs are placed for maximum impact. If organisations, such as Bury St Edmunds Town Council decide to complement their local policing by funding a PCSO they are able to direct the individuals to best effect in their area.

"Partner-funded PCSOs have proven to be an important part of policing within Suffolk. They provide a great opportunity for us to work with councils, businesses and other organisations to enhance both visibility and problem solving within our communities, and we hope that these strong positive partnerships will continue."