“IF I had the power to arrest then I would spend all my time back at the station. It would stop the aim of my job – being visible and a point of contact.”

Pcso Phil Owen is explaining why he believes Pcsos are vital in fighting crime and reassuring Oxford’s residents – despite their limited powers.

Pcsos first took to the streets of Oxfordshire on patrols seven years ago.

The main difference to a regular police constable is that Pcsos cannot arrest anyone.

Rather, the role is designed to allow uniformed officers to spend all their time on the street, being the eyes and ears of the force.

Within five minutes of us setting out on Pcso Owen’s beat, a man spots the uniform and wants to report leaving his bag on a bus.

Next on the patrol he has a quiet word with street drinkers outside the Night Shelter, in Luther Court, where one of the men calls him a “plastic policeman”.

Pcso Owen says: “I get called a plastic policeman all the time. But you must have broad shoulders in this job. You also get some of the kids saying, ‘You can’t arrest me’.

“It’s true, but I know someone who can, and they’re never too far away.”

He estimates that during each day on the beat, which includes antisocial behaviour hotspots around the city centre, he will cover between six and seven miles on foot.

Almost every second of each shift is spent away from St Aldate’s police station, out on the streets.

During the patrol, which includes Grandpont, St Ebbe’s and the busy shopping areas of the city centre, Pcso Owen is greeted on first name terms by Big Issue sellers and shopkeepers.

Many provide information and intelligence which is passed to police officers and the city’s CCTV camera control room to act upon.

He says: “People I deal with on a daily basis recognise and understand the job I do. We fix problems in the community and that provides a great sense of achievement.

“It’s been really good over the years, because I have got to know the community and the issues, plus I’ve made some really good friends.”

At least a dozen people stop to chat about local issues, problems, or to ask questions. People caught drinking in the street are either told to take their alcohol home or, if they are causing a nuisance, the liquid is poured down a drain.

Pcso Owen is on hand when a cyclist hits a pedestrian in Queen Street. The cyclist gets an-on-the-spot £30 fine.

When help is needed to track down a group of aggressive beggars in the city centre, the CCTV operators turn to Pcso Owen. Eventually the women are found trying to board a bus to Abingdon and back-up is called, bringing other officers to the scene.

Although many of the jobs Pcso Owen handles are minor and usually non-confrontational, he says he prefers it that way. He has used physical force only once in three years, to protect a female Pcso.

He adds: “My job isn’t confrontational. But if needs must and you have to protect your colleague, then you have to do it.”

Towards the end of the shift, a father-of-one, from Shirelake Close, off Thames Street, who is worried about antisocial behaviour, tells me he prefers telling his local Pcso about trouble, rather than a constable.

The 50-year-old said: “We have a problem with drinkers and antisocial behaviour.

“I generally like to see a presence and Phil is here regularly and the drinkers are moved on.”

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk