PCSOs to be allocated to the most vulnerable beats including Gainsborough

Lincolnshire Police has confirmed how cuts to PCSOs across the county will look, with a focus on “vulnerable” locations.

A revised model of Neighbourhood Policing will add to the work of existing teams that are focussed on helping to tackle community issues.

PCSO numbers will be reduced from 91 to 50 due to budgetary pressures.

The changes will see some districts share Neighbourhood Policing teams including PCSOs, Community Beat Managers, Sergeants and Inspectors and two PCSOs will each be allocated to the most vulnerable beats, including Gainsborough Town South and Gainsborough Uphills.

An additional 12 PCSOs will be based between Gainsborough, Skegness, Boston and Grantham and 13 Community Beat managers have also recently been hired.

Chief Constable Chris Haward said: “The bedrock and foundation of policing is built from our communities upwards, and this new model means that we have our officers in the areas where they are most needed.”

He said teams were not removed, but rebalanced and reiterated that there were other officers from different departments backing them up.

He said: “While on paper their tasking might be different, their goals are universal – to keep people in this county safe.

“Of course, these decisions have been difficult, but we’ve made sure that we not only fully understand where our staff need to be, but also that we use our remaining resources wisely by setting their focus to make sure they deliver policing in Lincolnshire that looks after our communities.

“This stretches right through the organisation and our investments in areas such as the Force Control Room, which is the beating heart of Lincolnshire Police, and our safeguarding teams mean we are allocating resources to where they are most essential.

“The new local policing model will of course be different but we are confident that these plans will look after people who are living in areas of the most vulnerability, threat, and harm.”