Debates between Baroness Neville-Jones and Lord Bishop of Manchester during the 2010-2015 Parliament

Police: Deployment of Workforce

Debate between Baroness Neville-Jones and Lord Bishop of Manchester
Tuesday 5th April 2011

(13 years, 7 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Neville-Jones Portrait Baroness Neville-Jones
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I think we can rely on HMIC, which has given us a definition of front-line police officers—I am just looking for it. The inspector has said that it is indeed those officers on the street and also those officers who provide support, which he calculates as being the 60-something per cent that was mentioned. We now have a definition of front-line policing that the Government are happy to accept.

Lord Bishop of Manchester Portrait The Lord Bishop of Manchester
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My Lords, may I press the Minister on her definition to make quite clear that she is giving an assurance on front-line policing of those who are police community support officers? Will she affirm the huge value that those members of the police give in preventive action in terms of crime that otherwise might occur within the community?

Baroness Neville-Jones Portrait Baroness Neville-Jones
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My Lords, we entirely agree on the value of PCSOs as well as that of warranted officers. Crime prevention is a very important part of policing, which is one of the reasons why the Government attach so much importance to police officers being visible on the streets.