Two extra Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will be going on the beat in Burnham-On-Sea after it was announced that Sedgemoor District Council and Somerset County Council would be investing £535,595 to fund nineteen new PCSOs across the county.
The councils have signed a jointly written contract with Avon and Somerset Police Authority to fund the PCSOs to work with local communities across Somerset.
Somerset County Council has invested £474,595 and Sedgemoor District Council has invested £33,000.
The PCSOs will work to reduce crime and improve community safety, providing a visible presence on the streets of Somerset. They will tackle many issues, including anti-social behaviour, underage drinking and truancy.
Cllr Dawn Hill, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety for Sedgemoor said: “We are very happy to be contributing towards enhancing the already, very successful neighbourhood Policing Teams in Sedgemoor. It is often the lower level disorder, nuisance and intimidation that can have a major impact on every day life and this is where PCSOs can make a real difference.”
Two of the PCSOs have been funded by Somerset County Council in a separate agreement by the Sedgemoor Area Working Panel in which they have provided funding of £56,595 for two PCSOs for 22 months. The remaining 17 are part of the agreement between Somerset County Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Sedgemoor District Council with Avon and Somerset Police.
