The
first 50 community support officers (CSO) have started patrolling London this
morning as part of the Home Secretary’s drive to give the police a more visible
presence on the streets.
The
CSOs are not ‘sworn in’ police officers, but will have the power to issue
penalty tickets for a range of offences such as anti-social behaviour or
graffiti.
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The
45 male and five female officers will be based at Charing Cross and Belgravia
police stations, providing support for regular officers.