The 'extended police family': myth or reality?

Police Community Support Officers are part of the Government's policy to tackle crime and the causes of crime by making use of the 'extended police family'. The Government defines the 'extended police family' as encompassing organisations already involved in crime reduction activities (such as traffic wardens, Neighbourhood and Street Wardens and private sector security operatives).

Currently being deployed by police forces across the country, Police Community Support Officers are tasked with the reassurance of local communities, the protection of critical infrastructures, responding to major incidents and security alerts and providing support for police officers at ceremonial and special events. Question is, will the introduction of these officers lead to an increased civilianisation of the police service?

Back in May 2001, the Private Security Industry Act passed into law in England and Wales, establishing the Security Industry Authority (SIA) which is now in the throes of regulating the private security industry by issuing licenses and setting standards across designated sectors.

Another significant legislative change is the Police Reform Act 2002, which provides for specified police support staff and civilians to be given particular powers in various defined circumstances in order to perform certain functions. One of the stated intentions of this Act is to free up police officers' time and allow them to carry out their core functions by making more effective use of support staff, including detention, escort and investigating officers (such as Scenes of Crime Officers).

A particular example of this type of initiative involves Sussex Police, which has outsourced operational control of its new custody suites to a private security company. It also uses private sector security officers to protect crime scenes while an investigation is taking place, thereby freeing police officers for core duties.

The Act is also intended to provide additional capacity to combat low level disorder and reduce the public fear of crime (principally through Police Community Support Officers under the formal control of the police).

Furthermore, the Act makes provision for Community Safety Accreditation Schemes. All accredited staff will be identified by a badge and uniform, and will have limited powers, such as being able to issue fixed penalty notices for dog fouling, littering and bicycle riding on footpaths (as well as confiscating alcohol and cigarettes from children). However, unlike Police Community Support Officers, who are employed directly by the police, they will not have the powers to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes pending the arrival of a police officer.

The popularity of these accreditation schemes has been demonstrated by the fact that there are now 86 Neighbourhood Warden projects employing 418 wardens, and (separately) 123 Street Warden initiatives involving some 654 wardens.

With power comes responsibility
Speaking at the British Security Industry Association's Annual Luncheon (News Update, SMT, August 2003, p9), Sir Keith Povey – Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary in England and Wales – told assembled guests that with accreditation and additional powers comes responsibility. "To be accredited," said Sir Keith, "an organisation will have to show that it can supervise staff effectively, that its staff are capable of doing the job and that members of staff are adequately trained."

Sir Keith added that he thought the SIA would play a key role in the new regime, based upon the issuing of licenses combined with stringent entry criteria and mandatory training.

The earlier Local Government Act 1999 could yet prove to be another driver for extending the current police family. The Act states that Local Authorities should seek the 'Best Value' to encourage partnerships with good quality service providers, and that those partnerships with the private and voluntary sectors should be selected wherever they will drive up service performance standards.

Local Authorities are required to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in all of their functions, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The 'Best Value' framework has enabled police forces to bring private companies into the operational equation.

Policing on the cheap?
The idea of extending the police family has been criticised by some commentators as policing on the cheap. A plan of action that will pose a threat to regular police officers through the increased civilianisation of police duties.

The primary objective of the police service is the prevention of crime, followed by the detection and punishment of offenders. As the scale and diversity of crime continues to escalate, even if some types of crime have fallen, the police are becoming more and more stretched and less able to effectively carry out their primary function. This in turn makes the role of civilian administration and specialist staff ever more important.

Despite record numbers of police officers on the beat, the public is still clamouring for a greater police presence. Some possible solutions are indeed Police Community Support Officers, Neighbourhood Wardens, Street Wardens or even outsourced private security firms – all of which, as we've seen, are covered under the Police Reform Act.

What opportunities are there for private security companies within the 'extended police family'? Although the Metropolitan Police is expected to expand its Police Community Support Officer scheme, there are currently no plans for the police to privatise this function by using private guarding firms. That said, the Police Reform Act allows for local police forces to define schemes that permit police accreditation for security service providers. This will provide a 'quality mark' to organisations that offer security services in the local community.

Unlike licensing as defined in the Private Security Industry Act, the accreditation will not be mandatory, but may become a competitive differentiator between companies operating in the same marketplace.

Initial steps have been taken to expand the police family and 'free up' police capacity in their core duties through the increased civilianisation of non-core administrative and specialist functions. On a large scale this is still some way off as, in their current forms at least, neither the Private Security Industry Act 2001 nor the Police Reform Act 2002 will be key drivers for outsourcing services within the police sector – though the latter will make it easier for forces to use civilians (either private or directly) in certain operational roles.

The overall picture
Overall, licensing will lead to a more professional private security industry and afford the very best companies an opportunity to undertake lower tiers of policing activity such as neighbourhood patrols, handling low level disorder, reassurance and visibility issues.

There are already examples of co-operation between the police and the security industry – witness last month's SMT Case Study 'Parallel lines' (pp18-24) involving the British Transport Police and Noble Security Services (UK).

Ultimately, projects like this will provide an opportunity for well-placed private security companies to build foundations of trust within the police and the public sector, leading to the increased and long term use of private security contractors in state policing activities.