Extra staff to slash police red tape

THERE will soon be more bobbies on the beat across North Somerset and less 'bureaucracy' for officers to deal with.Avon and Somerset Constabulary is recruiting extra staff to help with administrative support so police officers can get out on the street more.Chief Superintendent Julian Moss said: "The support workers are part of the force's new neighbourhood policing strategy."Eventually there will be seven, two for Worle and the villages and one each for the town centre, south ward, Nailsea, Portishead and Clevedon. We still have to recruit two more."They are there to communicate with the public and local action teams and generally help with requests from the community."They will be office based and will also give practical support and provide a point of contact."The initiative is all part of our drive to reduce bureaucracy and make sure our neighbourhood policing teams are being given the administrative support they need."Then we will get PCs and police community support officers (PCSOs) out where we want them and where the public wants them, which is on the streets."The PCSOs will also act as a point of contact for local action teams and speedwatch groups.The Weston & Somerset Mercury revealed earlier this month how former LAT co-ordinator for the district, Alison Tull, had to leave her post because of lack of funding.Police representatives met with LAT members last week to discuss what will happen with the groups in the future.Chief Supt Moss added: "The support for LATs in the future will be provided through the support officers. "At the meeting. LAT representatives said they wanted separate meetings for the Weston district and the northern district as the needs of both are different."There are also currently two LATs who are piloting new Speedwatch equipment and later it will be rolled out to other groups."The two Speedwatch groups testing out the equipment are Winscombe and Sandford and Hutton.