Sussex PCSO filmed refusing to attend assault at shop

A Sussex Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was shown refusing to respond to an alleged battle successful a supermarket, successful a video posted connected TikTok.

The video shows a antheral telling the serviceman astir a combat successful the Co-op store successful Lancing which had been reported to the police.

The PCSO said: "I'm not a effect unit."

Sussex Police said it had launched an investigation.

The antheral who was filmed successful speech with the PCSO said members of the nationalist were trying to halt a shoplifter.

He said to the PCSO: "You request to get circular to the Co-op. There's conscionable been a combat circular there, due to the fact that radical are trying to halt the shoplifter that you're doing thing about."

He said: "People person called the constabulary and you're sitting here."

The serviceman responded: "I'm not a effect portion unfortunately."

The antheral said the show of the constabulary car would "make them scatter".

The serviceman replied: "Yeah, but past I person to woody with it.

"That's wherefore I'm present and not circular there."

In a statement, Sussex Police said: "We are alert of video footage of a single-crewed Police Community Support Officer being approached by a subordinate of the nationalist to study an incidental successful Lancing.

"The substance was reported to america and a constabulary serviceman attended the incidental arsenic an emergency. The PCSO besides past attended the scene."

Supt Nick Dias said: "We are atrocious for the clumsy connection utilized by the PCSO successful this speech and admit the public's concern. A constabulary portion was dispatched to the country arsenic a substance of priority. Our effect to this incidental is being reviewed."

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, said she shared "the public's disappointment and understandable concern" with the video.

"A subordinate of the nationalist sent maine the video and I instantly shared it with the Chief Constable who referred the incidental to the Sussex nonrecreational standards department."

She added: "This is not the benignant of effect that I would expect and the nationalist deserve."

The relation of PCSO was introduced successful 2002 to enactment constabulary neighbourhood policing teams. They bash not person powers of arrest, cannot interrogation prisoners oregon transportation retired the precocious hazard tasks of constabulary officers.

They whitethorn usage tenable unit to forestall a idiosyncratic "making off", portion waiting for a constable oregon accompanying them to a constabulary station.