Force to scale back PCSO night patrols in 2026

Plans to scale back Police Community Support Officers' (PCSOs) late-night patrols will go ahead next summer, despite concerns from an MP it could leave "communities exposed".

PCSOs will end patrols at 21:00 instead of 22:00, with half of all officers finishing at 19:00, said Staffordshire Police.

The change follows a formal consultation with staff and the union Unison and, according to the force, it will help strengthen neighbourhood policing with more PCSOs visible in the peak-demand daytime hours.

Unison had warned officers could face pay cuts and Dr Allison Gardner, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, previously said the changes could impact neighbourhood safety and undermine public confidence.

It comes as Staffordshire Police announced it needs to save £9m this financial year and £11m in 2026.

PCSOs will still work the same number of hours in a week, and will also be trained in taking statements for crimes such as shoplifting.

The rota changes will help meet savings without "reducing visibility, compromising public confidence or limiting the support we provide to communities," said Staffordshire Police.

The aim of the new rota pattern is to reflect changes to local policing and the types of crime it deals with.

The force said over the past year, local policing teams had been "strengthened" with 53 additional officers, and neighbourhood policing remained at the heart of what it does to keep people safe.

In neighbouring Cheshire, the force is consulting on plans to remove 60 PCSOs.

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