I have just finished reading your article on the role of police community support officers (PCSOs) in Brighton and Hove (The Argus, August 11).

Interestingly, your article does highlight some of the inherent contradictions that go with the issues of the employment of PCSOs and their role in the police force.

The undeniable heroics of support officers Bobbi King and Claire Doughty have little to do with them as officers and much to with them being given the time to walk the beat and see the problems in Brighton and Hove.

PCSOs have no more power than any other member of the public and I am sure any responsible person would have tried to save a life if they saw someone in distress - whether they were getting paid for it or not.

As for public reassurance, I can only assume most of the public do not recognise them as anything other than police officers.

Unlike the Metropolitan Police, who decorate their support officers with large blue stickers and obviously different uniforms, Sussex Police seem a little more stealthy with only very subtle changes from that of a police officer.

Is this an innocent oversight due to a tight budget or a ploy to fool the majority of the public into thinking they are constables?

The article states: "The role is non-confrontational and hands-on work is left to the trained police officers".

So why, in the photo of the officers, are both wearing bullet and stab-proof vests worth hundreds of pounds?

Surely not just for show, or are the PCSOs now taking on the duties of police officers? Again, it all seems to point towards policing on the cheap and does little to reassure me.

-Adam Renouf, Brighton