Met spends more than £3million on PCSO recruitment

3:43pm Sunday 4th November 2007

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The Metropolitan Police spent more than £3million last year on marketing police community support officer (PCSO) jobs, it was revealed.

Data released from a Freedom of Information request exposed how the amount of money spent was more than £1,300 per PCSO post.

In the year 2006/07 a total of £3,311,164 was spent on marketing PCSOs, with 2,500 officers recruited in London during that period.

Community support officers are designed to fight crime and antisocial behaviour, improve public safety, and police transport and parks.

But they do not have the same powers of arrest as police officers and are trained for a shorter time, leading some to criticise them.

Last year's recruitment drive increased the number of PCSOs from 2,308 on March 31, 2006, to 3,682 a year later.

The recruitment of PCSOs is part of a strategy to give every one of the 624 wards in London its own dedicated policing team.

Are PCSOs a good idea? Is the Met spending too much money on recruitment? Have your say below.