South Kesteven looks set to lose 9 PCSOs in policing cuts

Lincolnshire Police has confirmed how cuts to PCSOs across the county will look, with a focus on "vulnerable" locations.

Police say it will put officers where they are most needed, but councillors have already expressed alarmed and one PCSO wrote she is "heartbroken".

PCSO numbers will be reduced from 91 to 50 due to budgetary pressures.

In an update on Thursday, chiefs said they would "maintain our commitment to neighbourhood policing".

The changes will see some districts share Neighbourhood Policing teams including PCSOs, Community Beat Managers, Sergeants and Inspectors.

They include:

• Lincoln and West Lindsey: 47 (17 PCSOs)
• North and South Kesteven: 27 (9 PCSOs)
• Boston and South Holland: 31 (15 PCSOs)
• East Lindsey and the Wolds: 23 (9 PCSOs)

Two PCSOs will each be allocated to the most vulnerable beats, which are:

• NC03 Gainsborough Town South
• NC10 Lincoln Minster & Castle
• NC12 Lincoln Abbey
• NC15 Lincoln Park
• NC30 Boston Town East
• NC32 Boston Town Centre
• NC50 Skegness
• NC14 Lincoln City Centre
• NC28 Boston Rural West
• NC42 Grantham Town West
• NC43 Grantham Town East
• NC19 Lincoln Moorland
• NC21 The Suttons
• NC26 Spalding Estates
• NC27 Spalding Town
• NC37 Sleaford Town
• NC53 Mablethorpe
• NC55 Louth Town
• NC04 Gainsborough Uphills.

An additional 12 PCSOs will be based between Gainsborough, Skegness, Boston and Grantham.

13 Community Beat managers have also recently been hired.

Chief Constable Chris Haward said: "The bedrock and foundation of policing is built from our communities upwards, and this new model means that we have our officers in the areas where they are most needed."

He said teams were not removed, but rebalanced and reiterated that there were other officers from different departments backing them up.

"While on paper their tasking might be different, their goals are universal – to keep people in this county safe," he said.

"Of course, these decisions have been difficult, but we've made sure that we not only fully understand where our staff need to be, but also that we use our remaining resources wisely by setting their focus to make sure they deliver policing in Lincolnshire that looks after our communities.

"This stretches right through the organisation and our investments in areas such as the Force Control Room, which is the beating heart of Lincolnshire Police, and our safeguarding teams mean we are allocating resources to where they are most essential.

"The new local policing model will of course be different but we are confident that these plans will look after people who are living in areas of the most vulnerability, threat, and harm."

Councillor Marianne Overton, from the Lincolnshire Independents, said her party was "alarmed" by the news.

Cllr Overton. Image credit: LDRS.

"PCSO's play a vital role in tackling anti-social behaviour, drugs and preventing crime, attending road traffic accidents to keep the traffic flowing safely, protecting vulnerable people and teaching children about how to stay safe," she said.

"A police officer cannot not replace a PCSO. They do not know the jitty children use, where they live or who the parents are.

"They are not tied to a neighbourhood, while the beauty of PCSO's is that they are local and know the area, the people and the problems faced.

"Police action is often only effective because of the local intelligence gathered by the PCSO's.

"Removing the PCSO's from our villages is incredibly short-sighted and seriously fails our communities."

Councillor Overton also shared an email from one PCSO who was affected.

The email said: "I simply repeat to you all what I said to Assistant Chief Constable Di Coulson yesterday, 'We are heartbroken.'"

The email confirmed that Sleaford would get only two PCSOs and that the Mini-Police project would also be cut back.