PCSO funding cut will mean one less officer in Morecambe
But after an impassioned two hour debate they decided to cut the budget by half to £33,804.
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Hide AdHeysham North Ward Labour Councillor Carla Brayshaw said: “Our residents tell us ‘we value a police presence’ and PCSOs perform an important role in the community which could be reduced if we pull funding. “
Poulton Ward Labour Councillor Brendan Hughes said: “Nobody is saying police and PCSOs aren’t doing a great job but if we do cut two PCSO positions the money we save we can still take crime prevention as a priority. It’s not the job of a parish council to fund police.”
Westgate Ward Councillor Tracy Brown said: “I do understand we need PCSOs and the hard work they put into the town but we have a budget that has been reduced.
“With a 50% reduction we still have PCSOs, we still have cuts somewhere but we can still protect our people with some for the budget and some to put into the community.”
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Hide AdBare North Ward Morecambe Bay Independent Councillor June Ashworth said: “I believe PCSOs perform a significant role in the community.
Harbour Ward Councillor Janice Hanson said: “£68k is a heck of a lot for a small parish council. If we spend over a third of our budget on PCSOs this prevents us spending it on other things.” Superintendent Nicki Evans told town councillors: “We understand how difficult it is to balance the books. The value and reassurance offered by PCSOs can’t be underestimated.”