The community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS)
The community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS) gives employees who are involved in a community safety or traffic management roles a range of powers usually only available to police, such as the authority to issue fixed penalty notices for certain offences.
Members of the CSAS often include neighbourhood wardens, park wardens, security guards and parking attendants.
The main purposes of the scheme are:
- to contribute to community safety
- to combat crime and disorder, public nuisance and other forms of antisocial behaviour in co-operation with the police
Is your organisation looking to join the CSAS? Please visit the CSAS website for more information.
CSAS or PCSO: What’s the difference?
A PCSO is a serving member of the police while an accredited person is a member of the public. A PCSO wears a police uniform, while an accredited person wears the uniform of their employing organisation and an ID badge endorsed by their local police force.
The powers available to an accredited person are also more limited than those available to a PCSO.
Powers available to an accredited person
There are a range of powers a chief officer within a force area might grant, these include the power to:
- request an offender’s name and address
- issue a fixed penalty notice
- issue a penalty notice for disorder
- confiscate items such as tobacco or alcohol
- direct traffic
For more information on the legislation and the powers available to an accredited person please read Schedule 5 of the Police Reform Act 2002.
How to recognise an accredited person
An accredited person must carry an identification card.
The card lists the powers the person is trained and authorised to use, for example, ‘power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol’ or ‘power to request name and address of a person acting in an antisocial manner’.
It’s an offence if a person fails to comply with an authorised request from an accredited person.
Some forces print the powers on the back of the ID card, while others give the employees a separate powers card specifically for this.
Who can apply
Under Part 5 of this Police Reform Act 2002, any organisation or employer involved in community safety patrols, together with their employees, may seek accreditation. Typical examples are:
- local authorities
- housing associations
- licensed private security firms
- NHS trusts
- town councils or fire and rescue service personnel
- traffic management companies
Please visit the CSAS website for more information.