Leeds councillors express concern over cuts to police force leaving communities exposed to crime

Further cuts to police community support officers (PCSOs) will leave communities further exposed to crime, it’s been claimed.

Stewart Golton, the leader of Leeds’ Liberal Democrat group, said PCSOs were “essential”, in light of rising crime levels after the Covid pandemic. West Yorkshire Police has recruited more than 40 community support officers since the start of April last year, but retirements and unfilled vacancies will leave the force with an overall reduction this year.

Speaking at a meeting of senior Leeds councillors last week, Councillor Golton suggested this would leave the region with its lowest number of PCSOs since 2015. By contrast, full-time police officers are being recruited en masse in line with national targets, with West Yorkshire soon likely to have its highest number of frontline crime-fighters since 2010.

A senior member of the force denied PCSOs were being “singled out” for cuts and claimed he intended to keep Leeds’ current numbers at the same level.

But speaking at an executive board meeting, Councillor Golton said: “I’ve been told by my permanent police officers on my neighbourhood team that PCSOs are an essential prt of their team, in gathering information on a neighbourhood level.”

Addressing Leeds District Commander, Superintendent Steve Dodds, Coun Golton asked: “Are you chasing the full-time police target numbers at the expense of the support staff underneath them on the streets? And is this a strategic policy, or is it something you think is a necessary cut to make right now?”

Supt Dodds said recruiting more full-time officers above PCSO level was a “non-negotiable”, but admitted “constraints” remained on police budgets.

“I’d counter the point that PCSOs are being singled out and used as the method of finding those reductions,” he said. “That’s not the case at all. We are absolutely committed to neighbourhood policing. It’s my intention to maintain the level of PCSO deployment that I’ve got. I’ve got a budget to work to and those numbers will continue. I see PCSOs as an absolutely vital and important part of policing.”