Police community support officer
Police community support officers (PCSOs) work in neighbourhood policing teams to prevent crime and tackle anti-social behaviour.
Also known as: PCSO, community support officer, CSO
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£34,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a police community support officer, you'll:
- carry out foot and cycle patrols in the community
- support crime prevention schemes and deal with anti-social behaviour
- make house-to-house enquiries to reassure people and gather intelligence
- deal with minor offences and issue fixed penalty notices
- build links with local schools, businesses and community groups
- provide support at large public events and demonstrations
Working environment
You could work in the community or on a patrol.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- knowledge of public safety and security
- customer service skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- leadership skills
- negotiation skills
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a police community support officer
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
Apprenticeship
You can apply to do a Police Community Support Officer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship normally takes between 1 and 2 years to complete. It is a mix of class-based learning with on-the-job training.
Get in touch with your local police force for information about apprenticeship vacancies.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Volunteering
The skills you learn through volunteering in the community can be useful when you apply for training or jobs. There are lots of different volunteering roles , such as police support volunteer or special constable.
Contact your local police force about opportunities.
Direct application
You can apply directly to become a police community support officer. Employers will be interested in you as a person. For example, good communications skills are very important.
You'll need a good level of spoken and written English, and some police forces may ask for English GCSE at grade 4 (C).
Each police force has its own selection process, which will usually include:
- written tests
- an interview
- fitness tests
- an interactive task to see how you work with other people
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- be over 18 years of age
- pass a fitness test
- pass a medical check
- pass enhanced background checks
You will need the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions.
A driving licence may also be required.
Career path and progression
The training and experience you get as a police community support officer (PCSO) can help if you want to move into other areas of police work.
For instance, to become a police officer , you'll apply in the normal way but your manager may be able to arrange some work shadowing beforehand.
You can also use your skills and experience to mentor and train new PCSOs.
Career tips
Great value is placed on personal qualities like:
- honesty
- fairness
- leadership
- professionalism
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0