Metropolitan Police Careers

Overview

The PCSO recruitment campaign has now closed. Please check this page for regular updates.

PCSOs were introduced into London in 2002 to provide the city with an increased visible police presence and to enable regular police officers to make more effective use of their specialist skills and training - tackling crime, making communities safer.

Broadly speaking, there are four different kinds of role for London's PCSOs, all based on relating with the community and providing a reassuring visible presence:

• Safer Neighbourhoods role (focusing on crime and antisocial behaviour)
• Safer Transport role (dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour on buses)
• Traffic PCSO (dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour on buses and in addition free flow of traffic)
• Station PCSO (carrying out initial investigation and recording of crime)

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 tasks, including:

• Providing support at ceremonial and special events
• Responding to major incidents and security alerts
• Making house-to-house enquiries
• Directing traffic, removing vehicles
• Issuing fixed penalty notices

You can apply to work full-time, part-time, as part of a job share, or seasonally, depending on your circumstances. Priority is given to operational and business needs in respect of agreeing any individual flexible working requests. And while you will ultimately be posted to a particular borough, should you be successful in the selection process your location preferences will be taken into account when considering where to post you. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to post you in accordance with your preferences.