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Comunity Support Officers? - Freddie Dawkins (12th Feb 2004 - 16:30:25) A subject I raised some time back, seems to have come back on the Hampshire CC agenda. From the htttp://www.hampshire.gov.uk website.... COUNTY COUNCIL MOVES TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR A new means of tackling anti-social behaviour in certain areas of the county could be on the way if Hampshire County Council's Cabinet backs a scheme for Accredited Community Safety Officers (ACSOs). ACSOs would be deployed in those areas of Hampshire where anti-social behaviour give residents the greatest cause for concern, and would be directly employed by the County Council and accredited by Hampshire Constabulary. The proposed ACSOs are a direct response to the County Council's MORI research with the public that showed a fear and perception of crime in certain areas, particularly after dark. If given the green light by Cabinet, the scheme will come into effect on 1 April with the first fully trained ACSOs likely to be on the streets in the autumn. Up to 40 ACSOs could eventually be deployed in Hampshire, funded by £1 million from the County Council's 2004/05 budget. Their powers would include obtaining names and addresses for fixed penalty offences and offences that cause injury, alarm or distress to other people or property; obtaining names and addresses of people acting in an anti-social manner; confiscating alcohol and cigarettes from under-age people; and issuing fixed penalty notices for dropping litter and cycling on footpaths. ACSOs would also be able to radio for police assistance when necessary. Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: "Tackling crime is one of the Cabinet's key priorities, and we want to have at our disposal for the benefit of the wider community a number of properly accredited individuals who are trained and authorised to help reduce anti-social behaviour in those areas of greatest public concern. "County Council ACSOs would be moved around the county according to need, enabling us to target their powers at specific areas as circumstances demand. All will undergo relevant police checks and training, covering a variety of topics including legal knowledge, health and safety, and community and race relations. "I strongly believe that ACSOs would provide a valuable boost in our bid to combat anti-social behaviour, and could in turn enable police officers to focus more easily on core policing functions. Their presence in Hampshire would provide reassurance to those residents concerned about crime in their neighbourhoods, and that can only be good news." Chief Superintendent Roland Dumont said: "I would be very pleased to accredit Hampshire County Council Community Safety Officers, and for the police to work in partnership with them. I'm sure that they have a real potential to make our neighbourhoods safer and more pleasant." If given the go-ahead by Cabinet, Hampshire would be one of the first counties in England to operate the scheme. ACSOs would be uniformed, patrol in clearly marked vehicles and wear a Home Office badge to clearly identify them to members of the public.

Re: Comunity Support Officers? - Mike Grimes (12th Feb 2004 - 23:15:53) It is the County thing that bothers me. We (Liphook) have a small amount of anti social behaviour normally associated with young people drinking (especially on a Friday evening) sometimes requiring a police presence. I suspect that larger conurbations, such as Portsmouth or Basingstoke have a much larger problem. I can't help thinking that the resources will be concentrated in these areas yet the cost neatly distributed across the whole county.

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