The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Lincolnshire Police has made changes to the hours worked by its PCSOs that will see these officers work an extra 30,000 hours at weekends each year.
A police spokesman said around 170,000 incidents are reported to the force each year and just under 30 per cent of these happen at weekends.
Police said the extra weekend hours will help the force to respond to reports of anti-social behaviour, missing people, criminal damage, and thefts from vehicles as well as engaging with residents and supporting the night-time economy.
There will also be more PCSOs on hand to support ongoing investigations by collecting evidence.
Chief Superintendent Paul Timmins said the change will take the pressure off police officers.
“PCSOs are at the very heart of the communities they serve and are vital in helping us protect the public.
“We have listened to our officers and the new shift patterns will give them a better work-life balance and help us provide the very best service to county residents.
“The work of PCSOs greatly assists police officers too, so this will also help to reduce pressure on them over busy weekends.”
The change will also benefit PCSOs, said Nigel Wass, Police Community Support Officer for Lincolnshire Police and Unison representative.
“Before this we could work seven days in a row before having a couple of days off.
“That’s incredibly tiring as it’s a really active job – I normally cover at least five miles every shift and more if I need to use a bike.
“We are delighted with the new system and extra the days off will help us feel refreshed and ready to meet the needs of our communities,” said Mr Wass.
