The county’s chief constable is expected to hand additional powers to allow PCSOs to deal with issues such as dangerous parking outside school gates.
After weeks of discussion, Chief Constable Adrian Lee is planning to give powers of road enforcement to the community officers.
The Chronicle & Echo understands the powers will not see PCSOs become parking wardens, handing out parking tickets.
Instead, they will be tasked with dealing with motorists whose vehicle obstruct roads, including areas outside school gates.
Currently PCSOs do not have any powers to move on vehicles that obstruct junctions and park dangerously and instead they have to call out a police officer.
The proposal, which is expected to be rubber stamped in the next few days, will see a pilot run in one area of the county, possibly Kettering, before it could then be rolled out across the county.
It comes as PCSOs across the county celebrated 10 years of existence last week.
The proposal has been backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds, who spoke before his election about giving PCSOs more powers.
Peter Lake, from the union, Unison, which represents PCSOs and police staff, said his members were keen for additional powers.
He said: “They are the ones who have been clamouring for it. It is not about giving more parking tickets out for parking on double yellow lines.
“It makes sense because it really is to stop the ‘clever’ drivers of this world who say to PCSOs: ‘We know you can’t do anything about this, I’m not listening to you’. They then have to call a police officer.”
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