My views on 'lollipop people' are well known, but if you have no awareness, see my previous posting on the subject. This week, an unexpected development means that I now have to call into question the role of the Community Support Officers. I originally considered them to be "watered down police officers", costing less and achieving less. I was used to seeing them about the place, and budgets no doubt go further when you get this cheaper input; pound for pound, you get more CSO than Police Officer.
This week I observed two CSOs joining in with a couple of teachers, and helping to guard a line of school children who were on some sort of errand or local visit. Now, whether they were visiting a church to do brass rubbing, or visiting an old people's home to be rubbed, it strikes me as outrageous that their crossing of a road was 'marshalled' by two CSOs, each looking like something from 'Men In Black', ear pieces in place. We've replaced lollipop people and teachers and classroom assistants with CSOs now!!! What next? Are they going to cook meals and oust the local dinner ladies from Primary Schools?
CSOs are supposed to help the Police, and keep 'law & order'. I fear they have got tired of being insulted by 13-year-old drinkers, and have chosen instead to supervise the under-nines, in a glorified playground duty role. What a fuckin' joke!
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