HC Deb 10 June 2002 vol 386 c792W
13. Mr. Swire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the proposed role of community support officers. [57059]

Mr. Blunkett

We are providing CSOs to support and work with the growing number of fully trained police officers with over 4,500 additional officers between March 2000 and January this year and 189 over the same period in Devon and Cornwall. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has been at the forefront of arguing the case for CSOs, other forces and ACPO have also expressed their support. CSOs are a realistic and hard headed approach to providing a visible police presence in support of the police, freeing them up for other front line duties and tackling antisocial behaviour and increasing public safety.