Police Community Support Officer

[hongman]

Do they have powers to stop you on the road?

I came up to the back of one on the A10 today, saw no lights on the roof and thought it was a Highway Maintenance vehicle.

Wasnt til I had pulled up level to it (slightly over the limit...) that I saw Police Community Support Officer on the side.

PCSO in there gave me the stare of death, til I past him filtering up to some lights.

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Good question, sorry don't know.

If you weren't doing anything wrong why would he have pulled you?

I love filtering past police in queuing traffic.

[hongman]

I wasnt really doing anything wrong, just slightly speeding.

More curious than anything, never seen those cars on the road before. No sirens or anything.

[The Idle Biker]

The stare of death - what a muppet PCSO.

We have a good local PCSO here but I live in a small town and he doesn't try and be a tough guy which is why the kids and adults respect him. He talks to the youths and doesn't lecture them. We had two regular PC's for a while but I think the lack of "real action "drove them scatty and they started getting shirty with locals over trivial things. Don't know about PCSO powers though, am in danger of derailing sorry, I wait with anticipation to be told.

[hongman]

It seems they do:

The powers that all PCSOs have at present are:[16] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Community_Support_Officer#cite_note-Powers-15)


Issue fixed penalty notices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_penalty_notice) for traffic offences, littering, breach of dog control orders and cycling on a footpath



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Community_Support_Officer#Powers

[Quiff Wichard]

if you werent breaking the law no problems..

are you saying that if it was a "Real" copper you would slow down? pcso's do a good job but like all humans you get some n0bs..

[hongman]

Twisted my OP somewhat there Quiff!

I was only slightly speeding, and slowed down when I saw it was not a higheway maintenance vehicle as I first thought. It it were, I probably wouldnt have slowed down tbh.

Makes no difference if it were a real copper or not, as I wasnt sure of the powers of arrest at the time I acted appropriately to preserve my license and wallet!

[Dicky Ticker]

The ones round here are good for drinking tea in cafes but otherwise as much use as a chocolate fireguard

[Heresiarch]

As far as im aware, they can't really do much.. they can't legally stop you from walking/riding/driving away from them and they cant restrain you, search you or anything important really

[NTECUK]

I think even the real Essex ones don't get to worried if you pas them safely and return to the speed limit. That is in a car .;)

[collis]

I always wondered the same about British Transport Police, i mean if i passed one doing 60 along a dual carridge way that is 50 would they give chase or just let me be.

Unless of course i was carrying a sub automatic machine gun and several pounds of C4

[Lozzo]

The ones round here are good for drinking tea in cafes but otherwise as much use as a chocolate fireguard

Round here we call PCSOs 'CHIMPS'

Completely
Hopeless
In
Most
Police
Situations