Funding to keep additional Community Support Officers in Welsh communities for the foreseeable future has been announced by Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
£16.8 million has been allocated during 2018-19 to extend the project beyond the original commitment to fund 500 CSOs in addition to warranted police officers until March 2018.
The funding will be split amongst the four Welsh Police Forces and British Transport Police to cover the costs of the additional CSOs in their areas.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
“The Welsh Government has been providing funding for an additional 500 Community Support Officers for several years and the scheme has been a success.
“The officers are highly visible in their communities, engaging with people, providing reassurance and tackling anti-social behaviour. They are playing a pivotal role not only in making our communities safer, but in making them feel safer.
“Continuing this funding beyond the original commitment represents a significant investment in community safety at a time of unprecedented pressure on public sector budgets, and on police funding in particular.”