Frinton & Walton: Our PCSOs get everywhere

Trains, buses, bikes and automobiles – whatever their choice of transport, our Frinton and Walton police community support officers are out in all weathers, helping to keep the area safe.

And that’s exactly what the towns’ mayor Cllr Terry Allen envisaged when he worked hard to get PCSOs introduced 20 years ago.

“We were having major anti-social behaviour problems at the time and I was enquiring about various kinds of wardens. But they just weren’t the police.
“I was working in London and I saw the police community support officers there, directing traffic or helping at incidents. They were very active.
“I’m a great believer in ‘if they have them, why can’t we?’ I approached our local policing commander and the MP, who said ‘they can be everywhere’. So I started putting plans together.”

After working out the cost to fund four dedicated PCSOs, Cllr Allen organised a referendum in the town council area – Frinton, Walton, Great Holland, Kirby Cross and Kirby-le-Soken.

Of more than 50 per cent of the 9,000-plus households voting, very few said No. Because of the positive response, the then Essex Police Authority agreed to match-fund a further four for a few years.

“It was brilliant and, when that match-funding ran out, the town council looked at its funding again and found the extra money for another two PCSOs.
“It works really well - if we’ve got six we pay for them, if we’ve got three, we pay for three.”

And, says Cllr Allen, the benefits of having PCSOs dedicated to the area are numerous.

“The PCSOs definitely do a great job. They are a permanent policing presence here and they are contactable.
“They know our community really well and they know the people in it. They talk to young people. They talk to everyone and they pick up what’s happening.
“People see them about. They meet our residents and our visitors on the trains and on the buses. They can be seen patrolling around the towns and often pop into see businesses in the town centres.
“Loads of people like them and the shopkeepers get on well with them. If there are any problems they talk to the PCSOs about them.
“And, as councillors, we can tell them about problems which residents report to us. Although, of course, we can’t order them operationally. They report issues to the community policing team which then decides what needs to be done.”

Because of this funding from Frinton and Walton Town Council, the current PCSOs – Michele Diss, Joanne Gibson and Taylor Preston – only get pulled away from the area when there is a serious incident elsewhere in the Tendring District. They work closely with Frinton and Walton Town Council and appreciate the support they get from the councillors.

And this warm relationship pays dividends as they work together with other partner organisations on various projects to target anti-social behaviour hotspots, prevent crime and improve facilities for various community groups.

A Frinton and Walton PCSO for 16 years, Michele often goes out on patrol on her bike and all the PCSOs regularly ride on the local buses, as well as the trains between Kirby Cross and Walton.

“Driving around in a car is not always the best option. We need to be seen and we find being on buses and trains means people can come up to talk to us and they find us more approachable.
“We also work closely with British Transport Police if there are any problems on the trains or at the three rail stations.”

Community engagement is key and the PCSOs hold frequent Street Meets, often involving other organisations so residents and business owners don’t just get to talk with the police – they can also get fire safety advice, details of Essex Watch schemes and even information about Adult Community Learning.

Much of a PCSO's work is preventative and this involves a lot of problem-solving, which is where Michele’s, Joanne’s and Taylor’s local knowledge and contacts prove invaluable.

“We work with shopkeepers, restaurants and pubs dealing with offences and anti-social behaviour and, together with their security companies, looking at ways of reducing problems.
“Of course, we provide plenty of crime prevention advice and we are often able to identify local suspects caught on CCTV.”
PCSO Michele Diss

Walton's East of England Co-op store manager Duncan Royce says the PCSOs are ‘fantastic’, providing ‘invaluable support’ and visiting his store on a regular basis.

“Their presence is important – it is reassuring to the public and also acts as a deterrent. We know we can call and talk to them about the incidents of anti-social behaviour and petty crime we experience.
“Here, we have a ‘broken window’ policy in that we stamp down on petty crime so it doesn’t develop into more serious crime. I will not accept abuse or foul language to my colleagues or customers and we ban people as and when necessary.
“When we’ve reported incidents, they have been followed up by the PCSOs and by police officers as well.”

Another part of a PCSO’s job is to provide reassurance to vulnerable groups of people, so they feel comfortable contacting the police should they ever need to. 

Together with Essex Youth Service, Michele recently helped to set up Walton Youth Club at the YMCA Red Triangle Club on Tuesday evenings.

“We wanted to give young people between seven and 11 more things to do and build a better rapport with them. We often go along to help out and chat to the young people there.
“And in Frinton we drop in at the Oasis Community Café which has a youth club and a dementia café to build valuable links.” 

PCSO Jo Gibson is a relatively new member of the team but says she already feels part of the community.

“Locals often come up to speak to me and thank me for things we’ve done.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve sorted out some anti-social behaviour issues involving young people. We spoke to their parents and are now working with the young people involved and our children and young people (CYP) officers and the places having issues, such as the local pier and local shop owners, to stop it happening again.
“We are also helping out at Walton Youth Club and visit local schools. Because they know who we are, the young people feel more able to approach us.
“What I love is walking down the road and seeing a young child’s eyes light up and they say ‘you came to our school’.”

Tell us what you know

If you see something which you feel needs police attention, or you have information about a crime, anti-social behaviour or criminal activity, ring 999 if it is an emergency or a crime in progress, otherwise you can report it online where you can also speak to an online Live Chat operator on weekdays between 10am and 9pm. Alternatively, you can ring 101.

You can also contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111.

 

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