As a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) with British Transport Police (BTP) you will play a vital role ensuring the smooth running of the railways and the safety of travelling public across the whole county and building trust with the diverse communities we serve.
One day one could be helping to reunite a lost family member in a small rural station, and the next policing over 100,000 people pouring through your station to see their team or favourite band nearby.
One day you might be the first person on scene performing lifesaving CPR, and then on another giving simple advice like accurate directions or supporting our rail staff colleagues by ensuring everyone plays by the same rules at a gate line.
A good PCSO isn’t just the eyes and ears of BTP on the railway, you will need to be willing to bring your problem-solving skills to the fore, show a willingness to engage with the public, to lend a helping hand and, just get out and about on the rail network.
Having been a Probation Officer and a UK Border Force Officer for around twenty years I’d always wondered about policing as a career, but never took the plunge.
Putting it bluntly, it wasn’t until I read another story of a bad cop that I thought policing needs good people to stand up and help. I’d heard of BTP and always had a certain romantic view of the railway, so the application went in. Before long I was training in Spring House, learning track safety, the reporting model and much more. My tutor helped me overcome my initial nervousness during my four-week tutor phase. I soon learned again the value of having a diverse and wide variety of experienced colleagues, as it was this diversity that often helped us meet the challenges we faced.
While I’ve never ruled out becoming a PC, I found I really loved the PCSO role. Being out and about on the railway each day, helping to deter and detect crime, but also serving the community by trying to make it a bit safer each day.
For me I was able to put my volunteer youth work experience to good use and become a School Liaison Officer going into schools and colleges ensuring students of all ages know how to stay safe on the railway and learn how they can get our help.
As part of a Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) at Wembley Park, we’re always looking for ‘simple solutions to solve local problems.’ One idea that proved a hit was creating a hi-visibility safe space with free phone charging on big event days. Not only could people easily find BTP (and sometimes their friends or family too) but they could also charge their phones and talk to us while they waited. This reduced anxiety for many and built trust with others. Later we offered simple wristbands to parents bringing their kids on a big day out. By putting their telephone number on them, these wristbands helped to quickly reunite lost loved ones and save valuable police resources.
As a future PCSO, you might be the one to come up with the next great idea and contribute to keeping the travelling public safe.
Click here to find out more about becoming a PCSO.
