January 10, 2023 9.50 am This story is over 17 months old

Celebrating 20 years of PCSOs in Lincolnshire

One of the longest serving PCSOs reflects on her time in the job

One of the longest serving PCSOs in the county is honoured to be part of the team at Lincolnshire Police and says the job has changed a lot during her career with the force.

Lincolnshire Police are celebrating the 20th anniversary of PCSOs in January 2023 and Sarah Lingard, who has been working with the force since March 2003, has spoken about her experience during her long service.

Sarah, who has lived in the North Hykeham area for most of her life, told BBC Look North: “What an absolute honour and how lucky to have even any job for that length of time.”

Sarah Lingard is one of the longest PCSOs in Lincolnshire. | Screenshot: BBC Look North

As the job has changed with the times so have the crimes, with Sarah adding: “Things like County Lines, so you’ve got our young people being groomed effectively by people not from our area and they’re becoming sucked into crime in a way that maybe didn’t happen at the beginning of my service.”

Lincolnshire Police are keen to celebrate the contributions that PCSOs have made in the county over the past 20 years and distingue them from Police Officers. The role of the PCSO is to provide the vital link between the police and local communities by building community relations and working to deter crime.

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