Local MP Tom Gordon demands Government action after statistics reveal North Yorkshire PCSOs numbers slashed

North Yorkshire has suffered a significant blow to community safety, with 31 Policy Community Suppoort Officers (PCSOs) removed from the streets in just one year, according to alarming new statistics from the Home Office. 

Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon, has called on the Government to reverse these damaging cuts and back proper community policing to protect local neighbourhoods.

The new workforce statistics showed the number of full-time equivalent PCSOs in each police force as of September 2024, compared to September 2023. Nationally, 235 PCSOs have been cut during this period, with a staggering 150 lost in just six months since March 2024.

For North Yorkshire, the loss of 31 PCSOs represents an 18.7% reduction in their PCSO workforce – almost one-fifth fewer officers on the streets. This sharp decline has undoubtedly weakened the visible police presence and community support available to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. 

The new statistics come less than two months after the Government announced its new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which included a pledge to recruit additional PCSOs. It is crucial that the Labour Government deliver on this promise and right the wrongs of the previous Conservative government, which ruthlessly slashed over 4,500 PCSOs nationwide since 2015.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on their local neighbourhoods.

Commenting, Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:  

“The Conservatives decimated neighbourhood policing, and it’s our communities who are paying the price. Taking 31 PCSOs off the streets in North Yorkshire will have had a devastating impact, leaving people feeling less safe and more vulnerable to crime and anti-social behaviour. 

‘PCSOs are a lifeline for communities. They’re trusted, visible and committed to protecting the places they serve. But the previous Government’s reckless cuts have left neighbourhood policing in crisis. 

‘The new government must right the wrongs of the previous government and uphold their promise to fix this.

“Liberal Democrats will hold this government to account to ensure they implement the proper neighbourhood policing they have promised. That means more bobbies on the beat, doing what works to stop and solve crime in our communities.”

ENDS