[user104658]

Originally Posted by ThomasC

I suppose you could question why anyone would do anything for free then or voluntary?

It's not a community support role as such, unless you're thinking of PCSOs... although you could say any service within the emergency service is community support.

If it's not community support then I find it even more questionable I suppose. What is the reward in being an unpaid police officer? Like I said I understand charity work; I understand why someone might want to support kids, or the elderly, or the disabled... I don't understand why anyone would want to march around in uniform asserting authority when it isn't what they're paid to do. Or rather, I do understand why, but none of the reasons I can come up with are comfortable ones.

From the opposite side as well - if police forces are understaffed to the point of needing unpaid staff to do exactly the same job as the paid workforce? It's not making a huge amount of sense to me. Have to admit, I'd heard of community support officers and I understand why people might WANT to do that role voluntarily because it's about support, not enforcement. I still think it should be funded and paid though.

The idea of people being full police officers just because it's something they like the sound of and not as a career choice? Sounds like an absolute minefield.