From gathering evidence to supporting the vulnerable – a day in the life of a PCSO

From gathering evidence for investigations to supporting vulnerable victims of crime – there are few roles with more variety than life as one of our Police Community Support Officers.

Today, as we continue #LiftingThePoliceTape on the work of our teams here at Humberside Police, East Riding of Yorkshire PCSO Austin Petch shares his diary of a day in the life of a PCSO.

5am – My alarm goes off, I use a smart speaker so it won’t let me snooze, otherwise I’d roll over and go right back to sleep.

5.30am –  I always like to start my day off with a bit of exercise if I can, so for today I head out for an early morning cycle ride and enjoy the peace whilst most are still snoozing.

6.30am – Back home but looking like something from the walking dead so it’s into the shower I go.

7am – Showered, dressed and ready to fight crime! 

7.15am – Time for a coffee and some fuel for the day, today I go for blueberries, mango, yogurt and oats.

7.45am – In at the station and brewing up for the troops, I make another one for me too – a strong black coffee.

8am – Team briefing, together we go through what has happened the previous day and overnight to help set our priorities for the day ahead.

9.30am – First job of the day done, CCTV recovered from Hessle civic CCTV which will help with investigations into a reported assault the night before. Return to the station and pass it on to the investigating officers who will work their magic with it, looking for any possible detail that could help with their investigations.

10am – Out on foot patrol in the Hessle area to offer some reassurance following a few recent reports of ASB. Speak to some members of the public raising their concerns of ASB in the area as well as speeding vehicles on Boothferry Road, Hessle – which I will be looking into later. 

12.30pm – Help carry out searches in the Cottingham area following reports of a man behaving suspiciously and looking down driveways. Reporting information about suspicious behaviour, no matter how small it may seem, is really important as it helps us to build the bigger picture of what is going on in an area and can sometimes lead us to suspects for crimes such as burglary.

1.45pm – Lunch time! My breakfast kept me going through the morning, but I’m more than ready for some lunch now. Head back to the station for a quick bite to eat.

Whilst munching on my tuna salad I make contact with colleagues at a neighbouring station to discuss options and plan a suitable speed reduction initiative on the back of the information I received earlier. Quick call to the member of the public to update them.  

2.15pm – I’m on Humber Talking duty in the afternoon which means I’m out and about knocking on doors – speaking to people about what they like, and don’t like, about where they live and listening to any concerns that they want to share with us.

These surveys really help us to understand what is going on in a particular community and often lead to action, such as warrants and arrests, which we may not have had the evidence to carry out without the info people have told us through the survey.

I speak to loads of different people throughout the afternoon including a resident who requested a security assessment to be conducted on their property and some technical advice on a CCTV system, appointment made for tomorrow so that I can come back and help.

4.30pm – Time to visit a recent vulnerable victim of burglary to offer them some advice and reassurance to prevent their house from being targeted in the future.

Sometimes a few small additions, such as security cameras and lighting, can really help to protect your home from opportunist thieves. There is more information about how to protect your home on our website.

5.15pm – Out to King George V Playing Field, Hessle to patrol following recent reports of antisocial behaviour, particularly in an early evening. Thankfully, there is no one seen behaving in this way this evening but we’ll have teams in the area for the foreseeable to challenge anyone who is. 

5.45pm – Back to the station to do a bit of paperwork from the various different bits I’ve dealt with throughout the day.

6pm – End of my shift and time to head home.

6.30pm –  Arrive home, quick shower then it’s straight on with cooking a healthy dinner, salmon and vegetables. Had a busy day so it’s feet up and a movie night tonight. 

10pm – In to bed and time for some well-earned sleep before another busy day tomorrow.