Guidance

Community safety accreditation scheme powers

Guidance on community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS) powers.

Documents

Details

CSAS is a voluntary scheme under which chief constables can choose to accredit employed people already working in roles that contribute to maintaining and improving community safety with limited but targeted powers. These roles include neighbourhood wardens, hospital security guards, park wardens, shopping mall guards and train guards.

The scheme creates a framework for public and private bodies to work in partnership with the police, providing additional uniformed presence in communities and capitalising on the skills and information captured by those already engaged with the community.

All schemes are managed, monitored and assessed at a local level by the responsible police force. Main benefits of the scheme include:

  • increasing uniformed presence on the streets (CSAS accredited persons wear the uniform of their employing organisation, with a identification badge endorsed by the local police force)
  • reductions in local issues such as street drinking, begging and dog fouling
  • saving valuable police time in community safety to deal with low-level crime and disorder
  • promoting greater business involvement with the police, and allowing the police to influence the training of businesses, eg security companies
  • promoting partnership working and the 2-way exchange of information and intelligence between agencies

The document above gives information on:

  • powers that chief officers may give to accredited persons
  • offences for which accredited persons may issue a fixed penalty notice for disorder

You can also read about the survey of employers involved in CSAS.

For more information about CSAS in your area, please contact your local force through www.police.uk.

See also:

Published 25 September 2012