2. Role and responsibilities

The role of the PCSO

As a police community support officer (PCSO), you’ll be supporting Londoners in the heart of their communities. You will help to tackle the things that matter most to them. You could be working in either our Safer Neighbourhood or Transport teams. Both roles involve interacting with the public, gathering intelligence, and playing a key role in keeping London safe.

Our Safer Neighbourhood teams offer a visible police presence and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour at local levels. Our Transport teams focus on keeping London’s roads bus network and transport hubs moving and operating safely. 

What you gain from being a PCSO

Working for the Met as a PCSO is a rewarding career in which you are able to see the impact your hard work has in making London safer for everybody. In addition to personal satisfaction, you will receive a competitive salary as well as a number of other benefits.

Whatever your background, you’ll bring valuable life skills and experience to the role. You will understand the importance of building trust of the communities we serve, and will care about others, wanting to see them safe and well.

The work is varied and interesting. Every shift is different as a PCSO. The size and diversity of London and the Met also means there is huge scope for new experiences. You’ll see a new side to London, learn new skills, and discover new strengths within yourself.

The different PCSO roles

PCSO roles are grouped into two different categories, all of them providing a reassuring and visible presence across London:

Neighbourhood policing PCSO roles

This role involves:

• focusing on building relationships within the community in order to keep neighbourhoods safe and help give the community a voice
• being accessible and known locally to build trust
• working actively with local schools and schools officers to build trust with young people and expend youth engagement opportunities
• being the police link to community groups, tenants associations, youth clubs and faith groups in particular
• supporting crimefighting and crime prevention initiatives by being innovative and sharing intelligence

Road Traffic Policing Command PCSO roles

These roles focus on road and traffic related subjects, making sure they run smoothly. The role and Road Traffic Policing Command is divided into four different divisions:

• Safer Transport teams: these focus on crime and antisocial behaviour on buses and transport hubs where buses terminate. This involves working with the public to ensure and reassure them that our transport networks are safe.
• Roads Policing teams: these work alongside traffic officers. They deal with:
  • collision scenes
  • incidents
  • broken down vehicles
  • parking violations
  • speeding observations
  • works safety reporting
• Red Route teams: these have visible presence on the roads. They enforce red route parking violations and utility works infringements, and manage network disruption. They provide a visible foot patrol presence on the roads with the option of progressing onto moped and motorbike patrols.
• Tunnel teams: these focus on keeping London’s tunnel network operating at full capacity and deal with associated issues.

Motorcycle licence (category A) licence is beneficial for roles working in the transport units. Please indicate whether you have the licence in your application.

What PCSOs get involved in each day

PCSOs generally perform routine duties, assisting and supporting police officers, gathering intelligence, carrying out security patrols and, through their presence alone, reassuring the public. Where possible, they also attend to matters not requiring police powers.

Depending on which role you take, you could be trained and called upon to do any number of activities, including:

• providing support at ceremonial and special events
• responding to major incidents and security alerts
• making house-to-house enquiries
• helping to keep London’s road network running
• issuing fixed penalty notices

Of course, your responsibilities could extend far beyond this (depending on where you’re needed).