Meet Ipswich's new PCSOs on their patrol around the town

Ipswich Borough Council has funded two new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to help tackle crime in the town centre.

The team of three includes Lauren Harris, Rachel Pennock and Nicola Hempstead who will regularly patrol the streets. 

While those in a PCSO role cannot arrest suspects, the team says building relationships means they often do not need further back-up and able to deescalate situations, and provide further intel for officers.

Patrolling the waterfront (Image: Jude Holden)

While out on patrol with one of the new PCSOs, Lauren Harris, she explained the major issue she faces each day.

She said: “Street drinking is the biggest problem because we can remove alcohol from them, but they’ll just go to the shop and get some more.

“People can be intimidated by them and it’s normally quite big groups of people, so we try to move them on elsewhere.”

She highlighted some of the hotspots they have seen when out on patrol.

PCSO Harris said: “We come to Blackfriars Court quite a lot, Buttermarket, The Great White Horse and St Stephen’s Church used to be a hotspot.”

Tavern Street and Tower Street can attract street drinkers (Image: Jude Holden)

The car park area around Rosemary Lane has also been a site for drug dealing and PCSO Harris said she had spoken to the council about getting the vegetation cut down to make it less of a dark spot.

“There’s a lot of needle paraphernalia which is obviously quite dangerous," she added.

Patrolling down Rosemary Lane (Image: Jude Holden)

The Sainsbury’s in Upper Brook Street is also an area where the team have upped patrols as there are often street drinkers sitting on the pavement beside it.

PCSO Harris said littering and illegal parking is also a regular problem and she has contacted the council about putting more bins around the town.

Drinkers can sometimes gather on this bench on Tavern Street (Image: Jude Holden)

During the patrol with PCSOs Harris and Pennock, we went to the Salthouse Harbour Hotel on the waterfront after complaints of rowdy drinkers on the bench outside the hotel.

PCSO Pennock spoke about the importance of having community officers who are familiar faces in the town and know the drinkers and addicts.

“Sometimes it’s easier for us to diffuse a situation than an officer because we know all their personalities.

“If any situation arises, we can call for back up but nine times out of ten we sort it out ourselves.

“We only have small search powers, and we can’t arrest anyone but it’s about how we talk to them.”

The council hired the PCSOs in the wake of the gang related murder of James Quigley.

PCSO Pennock commented on the prevalence of gangs: “There will always be gang tensions no matter how much work we do.

“It will always be there but when they see us, they usually look shifty and then scatter.”

Ipswich Borough Council’s portfolio holder for communities John Cook added: “We're working in partnership with Suffolk Constabulary to increase the visible police presence in our town centre.

“I hope the public will feel safer and more reassured seeing these two new Police Community Support Officers out and about there during day-time hours.

“Our PCSOs play a valuable role and work closely with other agencies such as the Street Rangers and Ipswich Borough Council's CCTV control centre to deter crime and anti-social behaviour.”