Blackstone's Police Community Support Officers' Handbook - 9780199580224

This new edition of the successful Blackstone's PCSO Handbook provides up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the role and functions of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

PCSOs support regular police officers and work within a targeted patrol area to provide a visible and accessible uniformed presence. They work with partners and community organizations to address anti-social behaviour, the fear of crime, environmental issues and other factors which affect the quality of people's lives.

The role of the PCSO has been subject to a great deal of change in recent years. Blackstone's PCSO Handbook consolidates all the relevant information into one portable volume. This new edition outlines the standardised PCSO powers, the Policing Pledge and the new Police Conduct regulations. It offers new content on problem-solving techniques, community partnerships and the PACT process, as well as updates on the relevant law and PACE Code of Practice.

Topics such as human rights, diversity, health and safety, evidence & procedure and general duties are all covered. PCSOs can use the book as a reference to find information on tasks such as crime scene management, cautions, evidence gathering, attending court and pocket notebook protocol. Throughout the book, case scenarios, flow charts, checklists and good practice sections are used to illustrate and clarify the information.

The updated key National Occupational Standards relevant to PCSOs are discussed and explained and so PCSOs can ensure that they achieve these targets effectively. The book also looks at the historical background of PCSOs and how the PCSO role fits with the rapidly changing face of policing.

This is a highly practical and portable handbook, ideal for PCSOs to carry on the beat and for PCSO trainers and other police officers.