Dispatches spoke to a number of PCSOs during research for the programme. Some agreed that we could record interviews with them as long as their voices and identities were disguised.
Here is a selection of quotes from them.
On the attitude of fellow police officers:
'I had constables coming up and saying "I don't agree with your role, you're a cheaper version of us" - all the time.'
'It's just blatant "You're a PCSO I've got no time for you, I don't think you should be in the job, you're a waste of space" '.
On public perception of their role:
'The public see you as a member of the police force - you've got the word police on you - they expect you to go off and deal with a situation. And they're right to think that.'
'If you see a fight on the street in your community ... you stand there, you give a verbal commentary to the operator what's going on and the whole community just sees you standing there ... people are going to turn their backs on you.'
On their limited powers:
"The brand of PCSO with the blue cap, tie and epaulettes has become synonymous with the plastic police nickname. A retail security guard is able to be more proactive than a PCSO".
'People have a lot more respect for the constables because very simply they can lock you up - they all know as a PCSO I'm not able to do that and because of that they're more than willing to grab hold of me - if I was wearing a constables uniform, they would just scatter'.
On the physical abuse they get from members of the public:
'He was being more and more abusive. And I went "Right - you're detained for public order" and I grabbed hold of him ... at which point I felt his friends grab me from either side and he was about to smack me in the face.'
'My colleagues ... they've been beaten up... I've been spat on. Someone came straight to my face and spat on me. There have been a lot of incidences, it's scary. It's only you and your vest and your radio going through a council flat and somebody can pop a shot at you.'
