Version Date: 25/01/2016
Devon & Cornwall Police
Record 1
Freedom of Information Act Request No: 6075/15
The Performance and Analysis Department have provided the following information:
1. The number of Police Officers attributed to Neighbourhood Policing Teams or
Safer Neighbourhood teams at January 2011
2. The number of Police Community Support Officers attributed to Neighbourhood
Policing teams or Safer Neighbourhood teams at January 2011
3. The number of Police Community Support Officers attributed to Neighbourhood
Policing teams or Safer Neighbourhood teams on the date of this request
4. The number of Police Officers attributed to Neighbourhood Policing Teams or
Safer Neighbourhood teams on the date of this request
Data Source:
Force HR recording system – Agresso
Force Review of Neighbourhood resources (December 2015)
Data Processing:
Qlikview reports - 2011-12.December v2 and People Management
Roles 'Officer' and 'PCSO'
Resource type 'Police officer'
PCSOs under Local Policing and Partnerships portfolio
Officers with position title –
Neighbourhood beat manager (PC)
Neighbourhood team leader (Sgt)
Note:
All figures given are for headcounts. 2015 figures are as at 27th November. Data is
refreshed daily and cannot be provided as at date of request.
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Version Date: 25/01/2016
Data:
Role
PCSO
Neighbourhood beat manager (PC)
Neighbourhood team leader (Sgt)
Total Officers
As at 31st January
2011
359
259
75
334
As at 27th November
2015
370
159
49
208
Please note that PCSOs are not deemed as officers and have not been included in the
total officer numbers above.
Please note that the above data purely relates to those roles where the job title includes
the word ‘neighbourhood’. Should there be any other roles within the neighbourhood
policing teams that do not contain this word; they will not have been included in the
above. Should you wish for any additional roles to be included please state these.
The Local Policing & Partnership Department have provided the following information:
5. Projected number of Police Officer attributed to Neighbourhood Policing teams
or Safer Neighbourhood Teams by 2020 6. Projected number of Police Community
Support Officers attributed to Neighbourhood Policing Teams or Safer
Neighbourhood teams by 2020
There are no current projected numbers for these dedicated roles for 2020. Therefore this
information is not held by the force. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 a public
authority is not required to create information in order to answer a request.
The Force is currently reviewing the financial position in the light of both the funding
formula debate and the Comprehensive Spending Review. However, alongside some
reductions in total numbers of traditional roles, the Force is exploring the development of
new roles that would provide the core neighbourhood policing functions in the future,
acknowledging that neighbourhoods are changing and the means of communication and
engagement are changing, as are the future crime threats.
The reductions in police officer numbers involved directly with neighbourhood policing
reflect the need to make savings in line with governmental expectations, and redploy
officers to other areas of high risk policng activity. It is well-known that overall police
officer numbers have reduced since 2010. It will be noted that PCSO numbers have been
maintained up to the present time.
Visibility has played a large part in the public perception of local policing and any
reduction in numbers of officers will affect how often neighbourhood police teams are able
to be seen “out and about”. However, the important issue is the identification of risk and
harm and the problem solving activity that accompanies attempts to mitigate vulnerability.
This is not the sole preserve of the police service and neighbourhood teams work very
closely with other emergency services, partner agencies and local authorities in order to
link up our efforts more successfully than in the past. Whilst seeing a PCSO or police
officer on patrol may provide reassurance, it is not the full indicator of the quality of activity
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Version Date: 25/01/2016
ongoing in the local area. Neighbourhood Policing Teams are now successfully involved in
early intervention work (such as the national “Troubled Families” Programme) which
utilizes resources across a variety of agencies to identify and intervene where families are
having difficulties.
Fewer numbers require smarter deployment – we may be less visible, but are far better
connected with partner agencies than before.
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