Home Office Research Report 08 - Analysis of Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Activity Based Costing (ABC) data: results from an initial review
This report summarises analysis into activities undertaken by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) while on active duty, and explores whether these activities match the Home Office guidance on the role of PCSOs.
The report is based on findings from a snapshot analysis of PCSO Activity Based Costing (ABC) data from 2006/07. ABC data are collected from each force over a two-week period every year. The data used in this analysis are therefore representative at the national level. However, ABC data may yield different results between and within forces due to differences in local priorities and variations in how individual activities are recorded. Grouping similar or related activity codes into meaningful categories will help mitigate the effects of any local variations in recording.
Analysis of Activity Based Costing data found that despite local variation in the amount of time spent on individual activities, PCSO activity corresponds well to Home Office role guidance, with PCSOs spending the majority of their time being highly visible within the community, dealing with minor offences and supporting front-line policing.