Missed the second Beat webchat with PC Paul Philips and PCSO Jackie Fulham? Here are some of the highlights...
EventManager: Hello from Jackie and Paul. We hope you enjoyed the show. We are ready to take your questions
Sez: Will a degree in psychology and criminology increase my chances of being accepted to be a police officer?
PC Paul Philips: That's an interesting one. Any qualifications help - that's a starter and a lot of what we do is along those sort of lines. Not everybody who gets a degree in criminology becomes a police officer, but it does help.
Matt Lambert: What will you do about gangs of youths being noisy in the streets?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: It's a case of getting to know who they are and whether they live there - and then ask them what they want so that they are not noisy on the street. We see if we can help them and find some facility for them.
PC Paul Philips: I agree with Jackie. The first thing is to work with them, kids are so different these days. They've all got different requirements and there are different ways we can deal with them through the criminal justice system - although that's our last resort.
Lordy2008: What can I do if I believe my neighbour sells class A drugs?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: If anyone thinks your neighbours are class A drug users, it's best to inform the local police, or call crime stoppers anonomously and any evidence that's given can be acted upon accordingly. There is a link to crime stoppers on the beat homepage.
PC Paul Philips: I agree. It's important that people do recognise that we do deal with these things in confidence. If they do give us this information, we have various methods of dealing with it.
Numanoid: How long did it take for you to work your way up to where you are now?
PC Paul Philips: I'm still a Constable and the reason I've stayed at that rank is that I enjoy being out on the beat dealing with day-to-day problems. I've been in the city seven years and that's a crucial part of the job, being there long enough to get to know everyone.
Jamie: Hi. I just wanted to say that before I started watching Beat, I always thought PCSOs were a waste of time and taxpayers money. But after just watching that episode, I can see that you do a really good job and just wanted to say thanks.
PCSO Jackie Fulham: Thank you very much. I do believe PCSOs have a role. Once we are established, communities are very kind and we do have an effect on community reassurance.
PC Paul Philips: From my point of view we haven't got as much time as we’d like to spend on the street. I work with five PCSOs and I couldn't do the job satisfactorily without them.
Curt: Good afternoon. What is the worst situation you have had to deal with?
PC Paul Philips: Last year at the start of the year I had to identify three bodies that had been found. That's not a very nice part of the job, but it's a important in terms of putting closure on identifying people. It's not nice but it has to be done.
PCSO Jackie Fulham: I get involved with local people and the death of a local person really does throw you. There was once a road accident and it ended up being one of my treasured residents. I’ve attended quite a lot of the funerals, I've got quite a lot of people that I know.
Jj: If someone comes to your door and tells you they are somebody important, but they have no identification, what should you do?
PC Paul Philips: If there's no ID that's a critical thing and you certainly do not let them in. We often get people impersonating gas board operators. Just close the door and if you're concerned, ring the police.
7246lx: I work in Brixton as a PCSO and find it very busy. I’m looking to move to Lancashire as a PC. Do you think it will be as interesting, or should I stay here?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: I would definitely move! I've lived in Lancashire all my life. It's definitely just as challenging. If you make the move it will be the best move that you've ever made.
Alix: How long was your training at Hutton for?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: I was one of the first PCSOs to be recruited and our training was three weeks. I believe it's now five weeks.
PC Paul Philips: To become a PC in Thames Valley, the training is initially college based. You do various inductions followed by patrol time in your area with a tutor. It can be a two year NVQ if you like - where you're fully assessed, but it varies from force to force.
Stephanie: I’m 5’4” tall. Are there any height restrictions for police officers?
PC Paul Philips: I'm not aware of any height restrictions, but there are fitness criteria. When I joined you had to be 5’10” to be an officer but now we do have some female officers around 5'4”. As long as candidates interview well, that's the important thing.
Me: I’m a kid concerned about crime. How can I help stop it?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: You could join up with a local residents group. Many areas have a youth forum or residents group that would be a way of getting involved and preventing crime in the area. Maybe find out if you could join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
Benny: Hi, I’m currently in the process of Special Constable recruitment and awaiting a date for my fitness test. I was just wondering how hard the bleep test is and what preparation I can do.
PC Paul Philips: I walk on the job a lot, people have to maintain fitness, the bleep test is designed to take into account your body’s size and structure. People will go through the test at different stages - as long as you maintain a good level of fitness, you'll be fine.
Street: What was it like for you making the TV show?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: This is the second time they've filmed me. I was amazed they came back for a second showing! Every incident is twice as long as you've got to film it. It was fantastic and it was a focal point for people to come and have a chat.
PC Paul Philips: The film crew with me were brilliant. It's different every day, what was nice was nothing was stage. What you saw was what you got, I don't think the public always see that side of the things, the show portrayed some of the difficult situations we had.
Kj87: I am keen to pursue a career in the police force as a PCSO. What advice would you give to me or anyone else who’s interested?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: Get in touch with your local police and they will sort you out with an application form. If you like being with people and being presented with different problems every day, go for it, it's a great job. Good luck!
Stacey00: Hi. On an average day, how long do you actually get to be out on the beat?
PC Paul Philips: You can never plan it, you've just got to get out there! We've got paperwork and meetings and arrests, but we still try to fit in as many hours a day on the beat as we can. About 50% of the day - that's what I'd be aiming to achieve on the beat.
PCSO Jackie Fulham: Normally I spend about eight hours out on the ground. I come in the morning to see who I need to see, then off I go. In all, about 80% of my time is spent out on the beat.
PC Paul Philips: This is why PCSOs are so important. They have the time to be out on the beat working in the community.
Priscilla: First of all, thanks for providing the viewing audience with such an interesting, informative programme. I just wondered, what does a neighbourhood policing team cover?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: It's usually a council ward. A neighbourhood team would have an inspector, a sergeant, one PC and at least one PCSO. We cover any crime that happens within our area, from lost property to assaults.
Bill: There’s been a lot of car windows being smashed in my area - including my own. How could we tackle this?
PC Paul Philips: It's important that those matters are reported to the police purely because the neighbourhood teams can start targeting the problem and identifying who is responsible. This will allow them to build a profile of crime in the area.
Kirstytaylor: What come before the ABC contracts and what do ABC contracts involve?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: Usually before an ABC you get a youth referral. It's a document where the child and the family enter into an agreement with the constabulary that they will ensure good behaviour.
PC Paul Philips: An Acceptable Behaviour Contract for me is geared towards the street - things like begging and public drinking. It involves consultation beforehand and helping the people who need it to access the right services to support them. It has to be achievable.
Mart: Hi, do you think PCSOs should be given extra powers, or do you feel the current powers are adequate?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: I think the power is different from force to force. But I don't think we need more powers because our job is more community focused. It's about knowing people. If someone has committed a crime in my area, I usually know who they are and where they live.
Buxtonuni: Have you noticed any changes to your communities since the show has been aired?
PCSO Jackie Fulham: It's highlighted what we do and that we can only have a positive effect. People are now more aware of your role in the community and seem to be honestly grateful for it.
PC Paul Philips: For me, the show portrayed a positive approach to policing and also the partnership work involved. People don't often see this partnership work - which is the direction we're going now in terms of community policing.
PCSO Jackie Fulham: Thanks very much for your questions. It's been fantastic, I've loved doing the programme. Goodbye.
PC Paul Philips: I can't wait for series three. Thanks and goodbye!