In conversation with Scarborough Police Community Support Officer Lorna Pearcey

Lorna, who has been a PCSO for just over five years, gave an interview to North Yorkshire Police’s communications team which was shared on the force’s social media channels.

The questions posed by the team shed light on what the role involves, and the vast array of interactions officers have on a daily basis.

Lorna, tell us about your role, what is involved in your day to day?

We respond to a wide array of taskings - from missing people and putting safeguarding in place, to road closures and creating victim safety plans for domestic abuse victims. Then we can be on hi-vis patrols, for operations such as ones relating to youth-related anti-social behaviour (ASB), shop theft, road safety and violence against women and girls (VAWG). I also take part in train patrols with British Transport Police (BTP) to help tackle county lines and ASB. A big part of our role is long-term problem solving and working with partners. For instance, I do monthly drop-ins with charities, one being a homeless charity I work closely with. Other drop-ins include at supermarkets such as Sainsbury's where the community can raise any concerns with us in person. It also means we build up a good rapport with security. We also do library drop-ins where we read stories to the children - this is a good way of getting children used to our uniform and make sure they grow up being comfortable talking to us, so they are comfortable coming up to us should they need us in the future. I enjoy being part of Crucial Crew, where myself and a fellow PCSO do the talk about ASB; it’s great that we’re able to put this intervention with year 6 children, before they venture into secondary school. Through these sessions, the children ultimately learn how actions have consequences and repercussions. Something else we deal with day to day is adult ASB and the issuing of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO). There's a red zone in Scarborough, where there is a prohibition of alcohol. We have powers designated to us by North Yorkshire Council to allow us to enforce the PSPO. If a subject is drinking alcohol within the red area, we can make the request for them to cease drinking. If they fail to do this, then they are in breach of the PSPO, which results in a fixed penalty ticket of £100 which is issued by the Council.

What would you like the community to do if they see anti-social behaviour taking place?

I can't stress how important reporting ASB to us is!

But I would also stress the importance of ringing 999 should there be an immediate danger to life.

When reporting ASB, we need you to be as specific as possible about all the details - ages of those involved, the specific location, type of behaviour, who is affected and how it is affecting you.

PCSOs have the power to initiate section 35 dispersals but we need all the details before we can initiate this process.

What is one of the best parts of your role?

Long-term problem solving - making a difference to our community's quality of life through intervention, such as safeguarding and putting support packages in place for both victims and perpetrators. I love meeting new people from all different backgrounds and finding sustainable solutions to help our communities.

What are some of hardest challenges in your role?

• Intervention isn't always visible - we work closely with partners, such as the council, and the community don't always see the work that goes on behind the scenes!

• Some people aren't ready or open for change, and we have to just offer them support until they are ready

• I also have to manage my own expectations, as I always want to do more but there are always limitations!

What's one thing you've done in this role that you're really proud of?

In 2024, I was very honoured to be awarded PCSO of the year for my work in diverting children away from crime and ASB.

This is a huge part of my day-to-day work - I do youth reviews which is all about early intervention, about interrupting the escalation from ASB to more serious crime.