Getting the right acronyms for our police

Published: 30 September, 2010

• THANK you for giving me and my new book an in-depth interview slot in Review (September 23). As a Camden resident and avid CNJ reader it was great to get such prominent exposure. I spent some time researching police roles and procedures for my novel, so I need to correct two inaccuracies in the article.

There is a difference between Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Family Liaison Officers (FLOs).

PCSOs are the men and women in blue shirts often seen on the streets of Camden supporting the public and other officers, and are an important part of local policing. FLOs are fully trained detectives who also offer support to bereaved relatives but, like all detectives, are essentially part of the investigative process after a suspicious or unexplained death.  

Police acronyms can be confusing so it was an easy mistake for the writer of the article to make – I only feel obliged to correct it as it was put in quotation marks as if I had said it.

Otherwise, it was an accurate and thoughtful piece which I hope gave readers an insight into my novel.
Louise Doughty,
NW5