Councillor raised concern over plans that will include the loss of 190 PCSOs
Sidmouth’s police sergeant says it is too early to speculate how a force-wide shake up – to include the loss of 190 PCSOs – will affect the town.
The Herald last week reported on a planned £24million funding shuffle by the Police and Crime Commissioner to be implemented over the next four years. Plans will also see Devon and Cornwall gain 100 police officers, 50 criminal investigators and 30 online record takers.
Addressing members of Sidmouth Town Council at a meeting on Monday, Councillor Ian Mckenzie-Edwards asked how the loss of PCSOs was likely to affect the Sid Valley.
In response, Sergeant Andy Squires said it was ‘impossible’ to predict what was going to happen over the four years, but added that nothing would change in the next 12 months.
The town currently has three PCSOs. Sgt Squires said depending on how resources were spread out, it might be that they were needed more in rural places such as Sidmouth, where there tended to be less police presence – at this stage, any predications were mere speculation.
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