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Police unveil their latest weapon against crime - bobbies on skateboards
Last updated at 19:37pm on 15.08.07As a PCSO trying to demonstrate street cred, he's off to a bit of a wobbly start.
The uniform trousers sit far too high to reveal boxer shorts, and he wears a helmet instead of an ultra-cool baseball cap.
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Hampshire Police's latest initiative in the fight against crime is to pack beat officers off to join youths at a skate ramp
But Police Community Support Officer Stephen Dean is hoping that his skateboarding skills will help him ride it out.
The officer is taking part in a police force's latest initiative in the fight against crime.
Uniformed officers attend skateboarding workshops aimed at 12 to 16-year-olds, where they mix with the youngsters and get tuition from expert skaters.
Hampshire Police tries to ensure at least one of a team of four constables, three community support officers and one sergeant are there for each session, held twice a week.
PCSO Dean, 22, in particular, is keen to get on board. "It's great for breaking down barriers," he said.
"It lets the youngsters see a more human side to the police. The kids see us down there skateboarding and see us as cool, rather than something they have to fear."
The sessions take place at the skate park in Lee-on-Solent near Gosport, and attract up to 30 youngsters.
Watched by an instructor, the more proficient skaters tear it up on the ramps. The police are still with the novices on the promenade.
Hampshire Police spokesman Nicola Collins said the scheme, a joint initiative with Gosport Borough Council, "lets police talk to young people in a positive situation".
She added that officers attend only if there is no more serious police business to deal with.
"If they get called up to go to another incident they will go off and deal with it rather than staying there and having fun skateboarding."
A similar scheme in which police organised other activities for children in the area apparently slashed crime by 28 per cent last year.
And unsurprisingly, according to skateboard instructor Geoff Else, it's a real laugh for everyone.
The 23-year-old from Winchester, who earns £40 an hour at the sessions, said: "The kids love seeing the police on skateboards. I think it's a mixture of the kids finding it really funny seeing a policeman on a skateboard but also having a lot of respect for them for having a go."
PCSO Dean, meanwhile, says he is improving all the time - though he always opts for a crash helmet.
"I can properly ride the board now, whereas before I just fell off the whole time.
"All the kids recognise me now in the street and say hello, so I think it's given me more kudos."
Reader views (7)
Why can't we have skateboarding legal in Stevenage town centre so we don't have community support officers on our back all the time we are trying to skate a stair set in town.
- Sean Breckenridge, Stevenage England, 19/08/2007 21:47
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No one respects the police, they are absolutely useless. They use skateboarders as an easy target. Skateboarders never do anything wrong, they actually have something to do with their time.
As Laura said above it's the ones who don't skateboard who cause all the trouble.
Everyone just thinks because they carry a skateboard round with them they are thugs.
- Jack, Sheffield, 17/08/2007 12:14
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After reading the article i can honestly say the police will recieve nothing but abuse for taking part in this. Does the government think kids are stupid? It reminds me of the time when Gordon Brown said that he liked the "Artic Monkeys" only later to be made a fool of when he was asked about a specific song?
The people who come up with these initatives should take a good hard look at the community and the youth that fills it and think to themselves, when I was a kid would I have thought this was cool? I think not.
- Lookal, PORTADOWN, 16/08/2007 17:16
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It's about all PCSO's are good for. This sort of pandering political correctness just makes our Police force even more laughable in the eyes of the young. Sack all PCSO’s, hire more PC’s, Kill the red tape and put our officers back on the beat with instructions to target anti-social and nuisance to the taxpaying law abiding public. Kids should fear the police, not be invited to laugh at them falling off of a skateboard.
- Rob Harris, Twickenham, 16/08/2007 15:04
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I think you'll find most kids who skateboard have found a constructive way to spend their time and aren't going to be criminals.
It's the ones who don't skateboard, 'chavs' as popular culture now calls them, who are more likely to be criminals.
- Laura, England, 16/08/2007 10:31
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What a great idea.
I have always believed that if the police are part of the community and especially the youth community they will have better respect.
The same with the 16 year old PCSO's, they will be part of the law process and will understand the importance of it.
Perhaps we should have working with a PCSO as part of community rehabilitation orders!
- Stuart, Dunstable UK, 15/08/2007 15:12
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The police are a complete soft touch these days, more like social workers, which is why so many kids think they can get away with murder. And in some terrible cases this really is murder.
I don't think anything will be done about the amount of crime amongst teenagers and young people unless they become more afraid of the police. Dread to think what the future holds unless things change.
- Londoner, London, 15/08/2007 15:10
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