Police community support officer | Average UK Salary & Outlook

Police community support officers (PCSOs) work in a neighbourhood policing team dealing with minor offences and crime prevention.

Typical task
Working hours
Attractive values

Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
Render aid to

Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.
Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.
Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases.
Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers.
Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures.
Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses.
Evaluate complaint and emergency-request information to determine response requirements.
Patrol specific area on foot, horseback, or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance.
Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed.
Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies.
Issue citations or warnings to violators of motor vehicle ordinances.
Inform citizens of community services and recommend options to facilitate longer-term problem resolution.
Provide road information to assist motorists.
Act as official escorts, such as when leading funeral processions or firefighters.
Process prisoners, and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process.
Inspect public establishments to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

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Police community support officers typically work around 39 to 41 hours per week.

As a Police community support officer you will typically work evenings / weekends / bank holidays.

This occupation tends to be:

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely

Read more about Police community support officer

* from ONETonline

Average salary
25,821 GBP *
per year

* data taken from the Office of National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Average salary for Police community support officer

26,263 GBP
25,119 GBP

Average salary for part-time Police community support officer

Average salary for full-time Police community support officer

Showing:

19,068 GBP
19,068 GBP

25,821 GBP
25,119 GBP
26,263 GBP

Salary over time for Police community support officer

Salary for this role has increased over time

26,418 GBP
26,813 GBP
26,720 GBP
27,125 GBP
29,704 GBP
25,953 GBP
25,821 GBP
26,953 GBP

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Future outlook for Police community support officers

Balanced outlook

12 000+ jobs available

Balanced outlook

0% yearly wage growth (on average)

Balanced outlook

41% chance of automation in the future

Which qualifications do I need?

Find out what you need to know in order to become a Police community support officer and the highest average level of education for people in this role.

In terms of people already doing this job:

35% of people in this role have GCSEs or equivalent
27% of people in this role have a post-secondary qualification such as a Higher National Diploma
24% of people in this role have a Diploma of Higher Education or equivalent

You can apply to become a police community support officer and often don't need formal qualifications. Employers will be more interested in your personal qualities and character.

You'll need a good level of spoken and written English, so some police forces may ask for English GCSE at grade 4 (C).

Each police force has its own selection process. This will usually involve:

written tests
an interview
an interactive test to see how you work with other people

Get the right qualification to begin your journey to becoming a Police community support officer

Policing

What soft skills do I need?

Rise above the competition by brushing up on the 5 most important soft skills you need to become a Police community support officer.

Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times

Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems

Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively

Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action

Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do

What technical skills do I need?

Technical skills are programmes, softwares and things you need to know in order to be a successful Police community support officer. Check that you know:

Data base user interface and query software Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System IAFIS; Microsoft Access

Graphics or photo imaging software DesignWare 3D EyeWitness; Microsoft Visio

Map creation software Crime mapping software; ESRI ArcView

Office suite software Corel WordPerfect Office Suite; Microsoft Office

Spreadsheet software IBM Lotus 1-2-3; Microsoft Excel

Improve your skills today

Policing

Integrity Job requires being honest and ethical. Dependability Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. Self Control Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. Attention to Detail Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. Stress Tolerance Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

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Police community support officer | Average UK Salary & Outlook

Salary statistics

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Future outlook for Police community support officers

Police community support officer - Your future job?

Which qualifications do I need?

What soft skills do I need?

What technical skills do I need?

Things to highlight for your Police community support officer interview

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