I was concerned to read the article about the PCSOs (Dec 31) and the need to fight to keep them for so many reasons.

I have been a resident of Milton Ward for 32 years and do a lot of work with the Shopkeepers Association, and also the residents’ group.

I have seen the police do an amazing job in trying to clean up the area around Westcliff ’s Hamlet Court Road of beggers, drunks, and antisocial behaviour.

PCSOs have been an extremely valuable team alongside the police and are a great contribution which are greatly needed.

To see someone in uniform is such a comfort, especially the elderly and women alone, and, having called them a few times, they have acted and dealt with a situation in such a short space of time.

I dread to think what will happen if they are no longer there, so we have to try and keep them to keep our streets free of crime.

I would hate to see a return of how things were.

Christine Hills
St Helen’s Road
Westcliff

...PCSO’s are absolutely crucial to the community.

They are a uniformed presence on the streets, especially in these days of general antisocial behaviour, leaving the police to concentrate on their own valuable work.

I am sure people will be outraged if the PCSOs are disbanded. Giving tickets is not necessarily what they are about.

They also give confidence and reassurance to the vulnerable in our society, as well as the public at large.

Together with the neighbourhood police, they make a definite contribution to local neighbourhoods.

Therefore I would urge all councillors of Southend and residents to make representations and fight to keep the PCSOs.

Mike Assenheim
Independent, Shoeburyness Ward
Elm Road
Shoebury