Un-PC PC In Mascot Makeover

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 196 months ago
Un-PC PC In Mascot Makeover
2011_pcso.jpg

Amidst calls for their boss' resignation, it's reassuring to know that some London cops haven't lost sight of the big issues facing modern policing - namely, getting "ethnically diverse" mascots on our streets.

"PCSO Steve", whose beat covers primary schools in and around Sutton, has spent the past couple of years attending community events and glad-handing celebrities and politicians. Now before you get all high-horsey about the money wasted on PCSOs, we should point out that Steve is in fact a police mascot, the brainchild of Stephen King (no, not that one), a member of the Cheam Safer Neighbourhoods Team. Despite his sterling efforts to win over Sutton's youth to the side of law and order, poor Steve has come under fire from another officer for an being too male and too white. Hence, the Met is set to plough £15,000 to design three new characters representing London's multicultural folk, including a female PCSO named Sunita plus a male and female constable.

While Londonist applauds the efforts toward racial awareness within the police force, this does strike us as perhaps a mite ridiculous. It's hardly like London's minorities were mortally offended by the white male-ness of Steve, is it? Surely that 15 grand could be better spent elsewhere? Like, maybe training real PCSOs in how to deal with real-life situations?

Image of DIY police kit from hello.vickibrown's Flickrstream

Last Updated 20 November 2007