LOSING anymore PCSOs in the Launceston area would be ‘criminal’, a meeting has heard, writes Amy Dennis.

Policing was on the agenda of last week’s community network panel in the town’s Guildhall, and the meeting heard from Police Community Management Officer (PCMO) Vashti Pearce and Richard Martin from the office of Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner, Conservative Alison Hernandez.

Mr Martin said the crime threat ‘is changing’, and that police are getting drawn into safeguarding, wellbeing and mental health issues.

He added: “The PCC was pleased to make money available for officers.”

Although there will be an incremental increase of the number of police officers over the next four years, Mr Martin said the number of PCSOs ‘will reduce slightly in that period’.

The number of police officers will increase by 100, while the number of PCSOs will reduce by about 150.

Some of the police officers will be armed ‘specifically recruited to address some of the threats we face from terrorism’, Mr Martin said.

He added: “Those PCSOs, as roles go, we are hoping most of those people will stay in the police force in some way. The skills, knowledge and expertise hopefully won’t be lost. At this time we don’t know what areas will be affected. That’s something being worked through by the chief constable and his team as we speak.

“We will also be recruiting new police staff who will be able to take statements over the phone.”

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin, Adam Paynter, asked what the status of PCSOs in Launceston is, adding: “They have been a very positive influence for reducing crime.”

Ms Pearce said: “You did have three PCSOs, you have two at the moment. It would be criminal if you lost anymore PCSOs in the rural area.

“I really feel you have got highly motivated, self deploying PCSOs and without them rural could be quite difficult.”

Ms Pearce has been in post in Launceston as PCMO since June, after having spent 34 years working for Devon and Cornwall Police in Plymouth.

She is working on the ‘Neighbourhood Policing Pilot’, which is backed by the chief constable. The pilot ends in August. She ran through the strategy that she said has been delivered to all PCSOs across the Launceston Sector.

Ms Pearce has been busy in the area since taking up post in June. She said she has been working ‘quite extensively’ with Launceston’s Memory Café since November, she has worked in Delabole with the policing and traffic issues, adding there had been a ‘good result’ with enforcement over the winter and yellow lines put back.

She has recently carried out an environmental audit at Callington College, looking for any weak spots in the outer perimeters.

Ms Pearce added: “We are trying to modernise what the police are delivering. We are focusing on protecting the vulnerable, that is key.”

Ms Pearce also said the area will be piloting neighbourhood alert — a two way communication system between communities and the police.

Mr Martin said: “PCSOs may seem like quite a well established part of our community, and now Vashti is one of the PCMOs. I think it just goes to show how society changes, we need to adapt policing to meet that need.

“To some extent policing hasn’t kept pace with the demands placed on it. Police are getting drawn into very time consuming, expensive, complex areas of fraud.

“Police in West Devon had seven missing people in one night. The police have a duty of care, they have to do their best to find these people. It’s a lot of man hours, a lot of resource and draws them away from more visible areas of policing some people may rather we be doing.

“We fully accept for a lot of people they don’t see this crime. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. A lot of policing that keeps you safe you don’t see.”