Hmmmmm PCSO"s (professional pedestrians) aside . Non Police observers are an idea (cant say Civvie cos police are civvies) If they are recruited having been police observers prior to retirement or for example ex loadies then it might not be a bad idea . The idea of putting someone without policing experience into a police role is never a good one . Whereas observing is not strictly policing , a lotof what they get involved in is. Legislation etc can be taught to anyone , however what cannot be taught is the police way of thinking (if we could please keep this on thread not degenerate into a police slagging thread) If I am an officer engaged in a pursuit and utilising something like TPAC .I want the guy overhead to have experience of doing just that on the ground , I cannot ask the aircraft to find me a suitable spot to deploy stinger or a feeder vehicle if the observer in question has never done this ,and does not understand the dynamics of a pursuit or what the officers on the ground are expecting . A lot of police work especially things like pursuits is based on every one concerned knowing their part. I cannot believe , but I stand to be corrected that someone who has never been involved in a long distance pursuit can effectively grasp the concepts of what is required . This can be shown by questions from our pilots . Whilst I think they are second to none and have experience I could only dream of . They will often ask things that are just impractical, illegal , unprocedural or even dangerous , not through ignorance or stupidity just through never having experienced this from the police officers pointof view .
Now please dont have a go at me , Police pilots are exceptional I am just making the point that it is hard for someone to make important and valid decisions based on no experience of having actually done it . Hampshire I do belive found this out and this is the reason they no longer have non police officers as observers . My own force has thought about it but dismissed it as impractical unless they could recruit ex observers direct.
Not a bad job to retire into though I would have thought