CHESHIRE Constabulary has today (Tuesday) announced it is set to recruit more Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from September.
The move comes after a commitment earlier in the year to keep PCSO numbers at 57 as part of budget setting for 2026/27 and just days after Warrington Worldwide highlighted the pledged numbers had not been met.
Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, took the unusual step at the end of last year of asking the Government to remove the cap on the policing precept (the amount that people pay for policing in their annual bill) to save 30 PCSOs whose roles were at risk of redundancy. In addition, he ran a consultation with Cheshire residents, with 73% saying that they were willing to pay more to keep PCSOs in their neighbourhoods.
The Constabulary will be advertising for a number of PCSOs to ensure a total headcount of 57.
In line with other current police staff vacancies, the roles will initially be advertised on 12-month fixed-term contracts. The recruitment window opens on 7th September and will be advertised on Cheshire Constabulary’s website.
Mr Price said: “The Constabulary has addressed my concerns that PCSO numbers had dropped and it’s reassuring that the recruitment of PCSOs is now progressing.
“I know how important this is to Cheshire residents. As the people’s voice in policing, it’s my job to make sure our police are delivering what they said they would on neighbourhood policing.”
Mark Roberts, Chief Constable, Cheshire Constabulary said: “The number of PCSOs across Cheshire is something that has been under constant review and has been discussed at many meetings over the past few months. We have always stated that when it became financially viable for us to do so, we would recruit.
“PCSOs play an important role in our community alongside increased officer numbers, highlighting our commitment to neighbourhood policing across Cheshire.”
