RCMP opt for PCSOs

metman

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cse-pasc/cso-asc-eng.htm

I see Canada has opted to copy Britain's plastic plod and develope their own form of PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) called a...CSO.

One has to question the Canadians thinking when stats produced here have shown that PCSOs have had no impact on crime figures whatsoever........ah well who needs real police when you can employ plastic police instead for less money, with less training and no pension. Massive savings all round and hey, the public don't know the difference anyways......or so politicians would like you to believe :rolleyes: Rest assured the scumbags know the difference. Be interesting to see how RCMP and the various PDs receive their new plastic cousins.

Community Safety Officers

Five municipalities in British Columbia are participating in a Community Safety Officer pilot project.

What is a Community Safety Officer (CSO)?
Community Safety Officers are unarmed RCMP staff members managed by the RCMP. They complement and support general duty constables, providing a visible and accessible uniformed presence to improve the quality of life in the community and offer greater public reassurance.


Do they replace general duty Constables?
CSOs are not replacements. They address some of the tasks that do not require the experience or powers held by general duty Constables.


Why is the RCMP employing CSOs?
Communities are asking for a more visible police presence and greater focus on prevention programs. CSOs are a service option communities can choose to create the most efficient mix of RCMP employees to cover the community’s priorities. This new policing service model provides additional opportunities to better deliver the service communities expect and deserve.


What do CSOs do?
The CSO role is developed in consultation with each individual community. Their primary purpose is to improve the community by providing increased police visibility and operational support while assisting in the delivery of crime prevention and public reassurance programs. They will work alongside existing RCMP officers, other policing services, and community organizations to provide a visible and accessible uniformed presence.


Will every detachment have CSOs?
Currently, the CSO role is being trialed in five detachments in British Columbia. If the position becomes a permanent part of the RCMP service model, where CSOs work will be determined through discussion between the RCMP and the community.


What powers will they have?
CSOs have all the powers of a peace officer as appropriate to the CSO’s job duties and training.


How can they be effective without full police powers?
CSOs support police officers. The major part of their work does not require full police powers. All CSOs are full members of the RCMP force and are trained to take appropriate action in the event of difficult circumstances. They will be supervised by police officers and will have radio access to enable them to call for assistance should it be required.


Why can’t you just employ more Constables?
We are committed to employing as many police officers as we can. However, we need to provide a more visible and accessible uniformed patrol presence and need to tackle the quality of life issues. These tasks do not require the powers or experience of police officers but often take police officers away from more appropriate duties.


Will Constables no longer conduct foot patrols, provide crime prevention programs, or attend community events, if the community has CSOs?
Improving and maintaining the quality of life of our communities and to provide public reassurance remains the duty of all staff. CSO will not have sole responsibility for these tasks but are there to support police officers in these duties.


How can we tell who is a CSO and who is a police officer?
CSOs wear a uniform that makes them recognisable as being employees of the RCMP but that makes them look distinct from Constables. All CSOs carry RCMP identification. If you are in doubt about a person’s identity ask them to show you this.


How are CSOs being recruited?
We try to recruit CSOs from within our diverse communities. This boosts our efforts to establish a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and will ultimately provide better service through cultural awareness, local knowledge, personal interest/passion, etc.


What are the basic qualifications to be a CSO?
CSOs have to meet the same minimum requirements and reliability standards of a regular RCMP member. Please see the RCMP website .


Will CSOs eliminate existing Auxiliary Constables and volunteer programs? No. Auxiliary and volunteer programs will continue to exist as they are today. CSOs will only be employed where there is a full-time need, and at the option of the community.


What training are they being provided with?
CSOs are provided comprehensive job specific training including the RCMP Incident Management Intervention Model. They will be trained to carry out the specific priorities of their community (e.g. crime prevention programs). They will be provided with on-going support, training and development.


What if I want to talk to a police officer?
CSOs will do their best to listen to you and resolve the issues you have or problems you may be experiencing. But we understand that there are sometimes when you may want to speak to a police officer. You can always do this by contacting your local RCMP detachment or you can rely on the CSO to assist you in making contact.

Eru

Seems dangerous in my opinion, unarmed uniform in a country with armed police and very vague about their powers, do they just not want to answer with '**** all'?

JonAnderton

I guess Canada is short of people loitering around on street corners in three's...