Police commissioner clashes with councillors over PCSO hours change

A police commissioner has hit back after councillors criticised him over changes to the working hours of PCSOs.

John Campion, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, accused Labour-led Telford & Wrekin Council of spreading ‘misinformation’ over his budget moves.

Mr Campion and councillors came face-to-face at a meeting of the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel on Monday (July 21).

Mr Campion told the meeting that a motion passed by Telford & Wrekin Council last Thursday was “incredibly unhelpful” and “ill-advised”.

The PCC has been criticised for telling PCSOs to finish duty at 8pm.

“It is a change to their time on duty but is no reduction in hours,” he said. “It is just to when they are on duty.”

Mr Campion insisted that the councillors’ motion was “asserting cuts that did not exist and raising fear in the community”.

“Despite reassurances, this misinformation is still being spread.”

Mr Campion said he had made a decision to “maintain PCSO numbers but make a slight reduction in when they are available”.

Shropshire Liberal Democrat Councillor Benedict Jephcott (Bagley) was the first to tackle the PCC over the issue during the meeting at Wyre Forest District Council headquarters, in Kidderminster.

Councillor Jephcott said that PCSOs stopping at 8pm meant they could not attend parish council meetings in the evenings. He said he was aware of six parish councils in Shropshire which had expressed concerns.

“They no longer have that interface,” he added.

PCC Campion said PCSOs are not the only resource the police have. He pointed to Monday’s announcement of an an increase in the number of officers working in the community.

He added that the force is facing “significant financial challenges”. He said he would not have made the decision had the circumstances been different.

“It is the least of the worst options that we have,” he said.

Telford Labour cabinet member Coucillor Paul Davis (Haygate & Park) said the issue is “incredibly important” and added that it meant a “potential inability to liaise with parish councils”.

Councillor Davis asked the PCC “are the number of PCSOs being cut and are their hours being reduced?”

Mr Campion said he thought this question meant that “ignorance has driven some of the political machinations”.

He added that last week’s critical council motion was “political opportunism that some can’t seem to walk past”.

He accused the Labour-led council of “choosing to carry on misrepresenting” and added that this was affecting public confidence in the police.

Councillor Davis then asked “are the hours being cut?”

PCC Campion said: “The hours are not being cut, the hours are the same.

“When they are on duty is what is changing. I expect police visibility to continue increasing.”

The Telford & Wrekin Council motion passed at Thursday’s meeting of the full council recorded ‘deep concern’ at a reduction in “the hours during which Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are deployed, particularly after 8pm”.

The council said the proposed reduction “may be perceived as a step backward in community policing, potentially increasing feelings of insecurity among residents”.

The council motion added that since 2016, the budget for the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office “has increased by £7 million – from £5 million in 2016 to £12 million in the current year – while frontline services face reductions”.

The issue of Mr Campion’s office costs was not raised at Monday’s meeting.