At Bedfordshire Police we deal with a wide range of crimes and people on a regular basis.

Our community teams are our eyes and ears and feedback intelligence into the force.

They create plans to resolve issues which may include executing warrants or closure orders, providing reassurance after an incident or during events, being a familiar and friendly face for anyone in need and bringing the community together.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) work within the community policing teams and are the relationship builders between the public and the police. They work with community police officers and other PCSOs within the team as well as members of their community and local partners, like the council.  PCSOs provide reassurance, listen to issues affecting the community and help build plans to tackle those issues. They make a huge impact on the community.

As a PCSO you will not only be an integral part of the force but you will also be an asset to your community. You’ll be a face people can recognise, someone to talk to, someone there to help.

Watch our video of Rachel Carne, PCSO in the Leighton Buzzard Community Team, speak about why she loves the role.

PCSOs undertake an initial seven week training course which is classroom based but involves practical exercises too. During this course they receive a law and legislation input that is relevant to their role. There are knowledge checks before they go on patrol. Generally, PCSOs work 37 hours a week via a shift system including evenings, weekends and public holidays. If you have any questions about the role, head over to our FAQ page.

Visit our meet our officers page to read case studies from our officers, PCSOs and detectives about how they find their roles and what working for Bedfordshire Police is like. Follow your local community team on Facebook to find out what they get up to on a daily basis and the people you could be working with.

Applications close on 31 May. Find out more about the role online.