The figures also show that PCSOs hand out fines for public disorder, motoring offences and anti-social behaviour at a rate of one every four months, the paper said.
In several areas of the country, it is claimed, officers failed to detect a single crime in the last year.
The Police Federation’s Alan Gordon told the paper, “PCSOs have been seen by some as a cheap alternative to police officers, who can make the public feel safe. But these figures show we were right to be concerned about what benefits they bring to the table.”
Earning up to GB pound 24,500 a year, PCSOs can detain suspects until police arrive and hand out fixed-penalty notices for a range of offences.
However, a Home Office spokesman claimed that this was not the prime function of PCSOs.
He told the Daily Mail, “To attempt to measure their success solely by looking at the number of penalty notices and crimes they detect is to miss the point.
“Their primary role is to provide high-visibility reassurance, build confidence in communities and support police officers.”
In the past year the number of PCSOs nationwide has risen from 7,000 to 13,748.
