Having had reason to contact the inspector at Aberdare police Station to receive a reply I believe saying a sergeant would call, a few weeks later 2 PCSOs called they were both from Merthyr not local to Aberdare or Cynon Valley I think we will have to get used to PCSOs and let the real police concentrate on the motorist.

I don’t think Alun Michael would be interested in the front desk of Aberdare or Ton Pentre he is a Labour man and they are both safe labour seats as I keep saying keep voting labour and you get what you vote for.

Below community policing taken Alun Michael’s website from

“Cuts imposed by Conservative Ministers mean that the police are under enormous pressure. The 2011 riots are a very real example of what happens when the relationship between the police and public breaks down and as Police and Crime Commissioner I will encourage police officers at every level to develop strong relationships with their communities and with groups in those communities who may previously have felt that their voice was not being heard.”

Email from South Wales resident
"I am curious as to your policy on PCSOs and how you see their role and position in your vision of the South Wales police force should you be elected. Would you increase the role that they'd play in the face of increasing budget cuts, thusly diluting the number of trained, skilled and experienced police officers with the authority to act immediately? By this, I do not wish to belittle the role of the PCSO, but rather a confirmation that they will end up replacing actual police officers, who are clearly more expensive to retain."

Reply from Alun
"In my view, the Community Support Officers fulfil a role that is important but different to that of the warranted Police Officer. For that reason, I want them to complement the work of warranted officers andnot to replace actual police officers. In my view, the commitment of PCSOs to their local community is their greatest strength. I have been impressed with PCSOs in my own patch as an MP and when I met Unison members in South Wales recently, what struck me with great force was the fact that PCSOs wanted to talk about their role and their community rather than about their personal interests.
I therefore want to see each neighbourhood served by a team which includes both Police Officers and Community Support Officers. I use that title because we will have an additional 200 Community Support Officers (in other words, without the ‘p’ but nevertheless supporting the police) paid for by the Welsh Government. That enables us to do more to provide a voice and a ‘listening ear’ for the local community while avoiding the danger which you highlight, if PCSOs replace “actual police officers”.

At a time when the cuts have forced the closure of front desks in police stations across South Wales, we have to find ways of making it easier for the public to communicate with the police service without adding to the pressure on police officers - as you say, they are expensive to train and we need to use their skills and experience effectively. Essentially, I think that the role of the Community Support Officer will develop but as a complement, not as a substitute."

It also means that all persons arrested and taken into custodial will now need to be transported to the detention suite in Merthyr. This is a good hour one way by road plus processing time from Rhondda (two hours if it's snowing and the Rhigos is closed). Think about it. A copper is now loathed to take themselves out of front line policing just to process one offender. It will mean that the crims in Rhondda will now be just given a slap of the wrist and set free to continue offending as there is no lock up or charging facility without taking police officers off the street for the remainder of the shift. The person who agreed to this was Russell Roberts, the former Labour leader of RCT council in his role as chairman of the Police Authority. It appears Alun Michael, his Labour chum, the new commissioner, is happy with this perverse state of affairs.

Note :- In 'domestics' a police officer can detain a violent offender without charge for a period of settlement even if charges are not pressed. This is for the protection of a partner, and referral. Battered women in Rhondda will now have their assailant de-cuffed and dumped on the other side of the street, only to return to the household. It's just not good enough. Police officers will have to wait for a GBH or murder to justify a trip over the mountain.