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Five police forces admit using teenage community bobbies
Last updated at 13:50pm on 14.08.07Five police forces admitted employing 17-year-olds as community support officers yesterday as the row deepened over "Babies on the beat".
They each confirmed recruiting teenage civilian officers, who are too young to join the regular force but have the power to detain and question suspects.
The revelations came after it emerged that Thames Valley Police employed two 16-year-old school leavers to carry out foot patrols from Reading police station.
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On duty: Two civilian support officers, dubbed Blunketts's Bobbies
The move, revealed exclusively in yesterday's Daily Mail, prompted controversy amid claims that force chiefs and the Government are trying to "police on the cheap".
Three forces are employing 17-yearolds as Police Community Support Officers: Humberside, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
Northamptonshire said it had previously employed two civilian officers aged 17 while Devon and Cornwall admitted it had once employed a 17-year-old PCSO.
A number of other forces, including Cleveland, Durham and Suffolk, said they would be happy to consider employing teenagers who have just completed their GCSEs.
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Full-time police must be at least 18 but there is no minimum age for the community support officers.
They also have powers to stop and search suspects under terror laws, issue penalty notices for disorder and stop vehicles.
Police Federation officials are convinced that PCSOs are being recruited as cheap replacements for mainstream officers.
They cost at least £10,000 a year less to employ than full-time regular officers. Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: "There used to be laws to stop children going into dangerous occupations such down mines.
"Now kids are going on the beat. It is reminiscent of sending boys into the trenches of World War One.
"It is totally inappropriate for 16 and 17-year-olds to be PCSOs.
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Two 16-year olds have been recruited as police community support officers with the authority to detain and question suspects
"They lack the necessary experience to deal with the complex situations they will face on the streets.
"We have had one PCSO stabbed. I fear it is only a matter of time before one is murdered on duty."
The number of PCSOs is set to soar over the next year with forces under huge pressure to reach targets on recruiting civilian officers - or risk losing funding.
Eight of the 43 forces in England and Wales expect to be recruiting more PCSOs than mainstream police by 2008.
A Humberside spokesman said: "Our policy is that 16-year-olds can apply to be a PCSO.
"However, it's at the discretion of the chief officer as to whether it would be pursued. The youngest PCSO we have is 17."
Thames Valley insisted the 16-year-olds - officially still children - had the necessary skills and that "if you are good enough, you are old enough".
The force added that Home Office guidelines allowed the recruitment of school leavers.
But other forces said they only employed PCSOs aged 18 and above and questioned how someone younger could have the experience to do the job.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said he "couldn't imagine" his force would recruit anyone so young.
Police in Gwent, Lancashire, Northumbria, Kent, Hampshire, London, Staffordshire and Warwickshire also said they did not employ anyone under 18.
A Home Office spokesman said: "PCSOs are an invaluable addition to the police forces."
The row is the latest controversy to hit the "Blunkett's Bobbies", named after the former Home Secretary who created them.
Reader views (38)
i think its a great idea for 16year olds to be able to become a pcso.
The police need the extra help, and i think getting the younger ones of the street makes their job easy.
i am 16 and currently studying public services at college, i am well known to the community and have done alot of community work with pcso's.
i have been encoureged by my local officers to apply next month, as they think i could be a great officer. So i am.
- Mjb, Wales
I think it is a very good idea to have younger PCSOs all over England, especially in London.
- Dobson, Essex
Also why would PCSO's under 18 lose any respect? The majority of people causing the problems lack respect for authority anyway, so why would it make a difference if the officer was slightly younger than average? I'm sorry to disappoint those who think otherwise, but the public aren't scared of the person under the HV jacket, they're more concerned about the consequences and the actions if they disobey.
- Cheryl, Kent
Im 17-years-old and I have been trying to gain as much experience as I can to help me join the police force for 2 years now. Personally I think it is narrow minded and extremley judgemental to assume that a 16 or 17-year-old is less capible to be a PCSO than an 18-year-old, 24-year-old or even a 40-year-old. Surely it is based on the maturity and up-bringing of that person, not the year or the day their birthday falls on?
- Cheryl, Kent
There is a serious flaw with employing under 18 PCSOs. They can't seize alcohol, because they are not old enough themelves to be in possession of it on the street.
- Andy, West Mids
This is sad. Is our Government not supposed to govern. Employing "un-employable" people like these public services is throwing money away. In the meantime crime is at a peak.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Being allowed to do the job and being able to do the job are very different things. We PCSO's have been trying to prove our worth in the policing world and slowly we have been earning the respect of the public and our fellow police officers. To put two "children" out on the street has put us back to square one!
- Lydia, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
Sorry, I'm one of those people who think all police officers should be over 30 and all drivers should be over 25. You just don't have the experience to deal with certain issues under those ages. Perhaps that's the problem with this country. We've all been so conditioned to be babies that we are now in fact turning everything over to the babies. What next? A young Prime Minister? Oh, wait...
- Jay, London, UK
This is silly. We need another government.
- Pedro, London
Gosh I hope these kids are going to be with adults while on beat, how can these kids take alcohol and tobacco when it's illegal for them to have them...can just see them trying to get some older kids to surrender these ..they would get battered.
- Sarah, London
If they can demonstrate they have got what it takes - then why not? If they lack the right qualities then they won't get through the selection process.
Maybe getting young people involved in policing their own community will help improve young people's behaviour.
- Aw, London
Nu Labor has done it again! Another crazy idea that does nothing to solve the real problem about the rising crime rate in the country. Instead, we get a cheap, watered down policy. This is just another waste of taxpayers' money!
- Charlotte, Bolton, England
I could not stop laughing when I read this, no wonder the country is overcome with crime. Next we will have junior judges hearing the cases too. Well, it is cheaper to hire kids, isn't it? Thanks New Labour.
- Sam, Manchester, UK
What next 16-year-old pseudo-teachers? Or 16-year-old pseudo-doctors? We don't need psudo-police we need real ones!
- Ek, London
The country needs a proper police force, not a few kids with whistles!
- Liz, London UK
And who are they going to stop?! The police has become a joke really.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Presumably as we used to have "lollipop ladies" this is plods interpretation except I expect they will actually be getting a sweet allowance as payment.
- Steve, Hereford
In total agreement with David Crocket, National Service should have been reinstated eons ago. We'd have a much happier, friendly society had this been the case!
- Jane Grant, London, UK
This is not right. We have too little real police as it is!
- Moses, London NW1
Since these community officers started I have lost all respect and confidence in the Police.
This just adds to that and makes me feel that it would be foolish to listen to and comply with requests made by an increasingly absurd and politically correct police force.
- Henry Adams, Manchester, UK
When the government target is for 50% of young people to obtain degrees, it seems perverse to take on 16-year-olds who do not even have A levels at a full adult wage. There must be 1000s of 'brighter' young people who will feel cheated that they have studied for another five years and are now £90K behind on the career ladder.
- Robert Turner, Corsham United Kingdom
It's heartening to read that two 16-year-olds feel they are mature enough to be a PCSO, however they are effectively children doing an adult job. Also, do they honestly think the public will take them seriously? I can imagine when they try and stop and search someone - they will be laughed at. There should be an age limit when joining this kind of establishment (that includes the army) and it should be 18.
- Karen, London UK
I would have real concerns about a 16-year-old taking on such a dangerous role plus they have no or life experience.
- Mike, Bedford
We need more Police Officers on the streets, not psuedo replacements!
- Philip, London, England
The police reject an ex-forces man from being a policeman simply because he adorns a tatoo on his arm and yet they can recruit 16-year-olds who have no life experiences to draw on. To be an effective leader you must have experience, to be in a position of authority at 16 is an absolute joke.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Cheap police. As long as they reach the New Labour government targets they think they have done a good job.
- Georgie, London
A 16-year-old cannot be mature, they are not sent to war, yes they may be able to join the Army but not on the front line.
What 18-year-old is going to hand over their bottle of drink to a 16-year-old?
Seize drugs - well I suppose the dealers would quake in their boots to see a 16-year-old bearing down on them ready to take their illegal drugs away from them!
Everyday I say it can't get any worse but funny enough it does!
- Pat, Sussex
Many years ago I attended a police recruitment/information session. Back then the official line was to encourage youngsters to get a few years' experience "in the real world" before joining the ranks of the police force. Much as I commend the 16-year-olds in question for wanting to maintain law and order, I appreciate even more that the lessons that maturity brings. Maybe 16-year-old children know a whole lot more than I did when I was 16.
- Marianne, SW France
Daniel, with all due respect you've only just come out of the education system and aren't ready to hold such a position. While I'm sure you feel you're ready, you've not lived outside of the 'System' you won't have even left your parents' home yet and so will not understand the lives that adults lead.
I agree with David though, if these kids where supervised it might be a good idea and early training / experience for potential officers. But realistically 16-years-old is just too young, and to be honest in my opinion 18 is also too young.
- Tony, Hull
I find this concept a total abhorrence. There is NO WAY a child of 16 can have the maturity to make adult decisions, even 18 is a bit young. Can you just imagine how puffed up and self important a child could become wielding this sort of power?
- Malcolm Smith, Watford, Hertfordshire
The problem is that people's attitudes to a 16-year-old are going to be way different to those of someone in their 20's. If you were stopped by a 16-year-old in a CSO uniform would you show them the same respect as a 20-year-old in a police uniform? I doubt it. I don't have a problem with it myself but I think it may end up being more hassle than it's worth.
- Pa Roddy, London
Good for them. We need young people to get into the mindset of gangs to conquer that problem. 16-year-olds these days are far more mature these days than we were 20 years ago at 16 (the ones I knew anyway)!
- Charlie, London
You couldn't make this up! We are the laughing stock of Europe, we pay enough tax in this country we should have REAL policemen patrolling the streets. PCSOs are a joke and meant to make the gullible feel safe. They patrol in pairs anyway, so where's the saving? When I was a Bobby I walked the beat on my own.
The Tories have lost my vote for supporting this farce as well. I wonder if Chief Constables are having a competition to see who can be the most politically-correct?
- S Wilson, London UK
How can you possibly handle a drunk, when you are not old enough to legally drink?
- Daveb, London
So we can let them join the army and get killed on the streets in Iraq, but not patrol streets in the UK?
People criticise young people for not having a sense of community, but when they become PCSOs they get criticism as well!
Good luck to them I reckon, I hope that they prove the nay sayers wrong.
- Tom, London
I think this is a great decision by Thames Valley Police. I'm also 16 and applying to be a PCSO and feel that if we have the maturity, confidence and skills required to fulfill the job role, then I see no reason as to why there should be questions asked about public safety e.t.c.
The two 16 year olds which Thames Valley Police have recruited have obviously shown the skills required to become a PCSO. Just because we are younger than standard police officers doesn't mean that we are incapable of being good at what we do - building a safer stronger neighborhood, and I expect much of the communities within the UK will have at some point, moaned or complained about anti social behavior, dumped cars and so on and so forth.
The role of a PCSO is designed to reduce the work load set upon a Police Officer, which means that more often than not officers are freed up and can easily and quickly respond to more advanced incidents, with PCSO's available for back up if required.
I believe that the move to hire teenagers as PCSO's is a great move as it will enable them to have a much better connection with youths within our communities, and most of the time it is the younger generation that are the offenders of anti social behavior and the like. People of Britain need to stop complaining and learn to accept that this is policing for todays modern society.
- Daniel Arthur, Wells, Somerset
If supervised, it could be a good idea, at all times they should be with someone experienced, why stop there, a bit of national service would not do any harm to kids that leave school early without a job.
But as normal, this lame brained Government will not have thought of everything through.
- David Crocket, Bradford , UK
This is diabolical, How can 16 yr olds be put in such a position! Under the Security industry act 2001, all security officers have to be over 18. I don't see why these should be any different. there are many places they cannot go, Adult shops pubs etc. a total waste of time and money. Title should have been Kindergarten Cops! wWhat a joke this country is turning into!
- H, London
