MP slams Government's 'abandoned pledge'

ARUNDEL and South Downs MP Nick Herbert has condemned the Government's decision to abandon a manifesto pledge to recruit 24,000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by March 2008.

ARUNDEL and South Downs MP Nick Herbert has condemned the Government's decision to abandon a manifesto pledge to recruit 24,000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by March 2008.

The announcement means that, in Sussex, where the police had been planning for 525 PCSOs by March 2008, there will now only be 354.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said cuts in funding meant that the Government had broken its manifesto pledge at the last election to 'take CSO numbers up to 24,000'.

Sussex, which already has more than 250 PCSOs '“ the highest number of any shire force '“ has led the way in the deployment of community support officers to help tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour, and provide reassurance to communities.

For more see this week's West Sussex Gazette.