SPECIALS SPOTLIGHT
or no job rotation, which can lead to disillusionment. “Fundamentally, I think the
expectations of volunteers has radically changed over time. The old specials cliché of supporting ‘church fetes and carnivals’ have all but gone, in exchange for a desire for a more immersive experience, with many specials wanting to have real impact in their volunteering, which takes them to more specialised operational areas. “With the continued pressure
on police resources, the Special Constabulary is becoming increasingly
“It is tough to retain specials, and there isn’t
always a clear long-term career path for career specials which affords the opportunity for continued growth and development”
needed to help provide that visible policing presence in the communities we serve. In my experience, there are two broad types of specials, those who want to join full time but want to get an
insight into what the job entails and/or build confidence before joining-up and those ‘career specials’ who are looking for a challenging, long- term volunteering experience. “I’ve certainly gained new skills and experience and have started to learn that unique policing skill of being ‘comfortable in
uncomfortable situations’. For myself, being part of a team and being able to police in the community in which I grew-up is a real honour and a tangible way to give something back.”
Dave Warren, a special constable from Cheshire, added: “In my limited experience, we lose a lot of specials to the regulars. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing as it’s often refreshing when you work with regular colleagues who understand specials. Although I find specials are integrated in Cheshire, you can often tell the difference when someone has been a volunteer officer themselves. “I also find some things in policing organisations can be frustrating; things can sometimes take a long time when you have to jump through various hoops. As volunteers, where pay isn’t a motivator, the value people get out of the role needs to outweigh the frustrations and negatives. I personally think feeling integrated and appreciated is massive, as are having development
opportunities and experiences to add value and take away personal development. Cheshire is brilliant for this, and I’m excited to see how this affects our retention going forward. “I think we often bring new skills and perspectives that you don’t always get with regular officers. We’re also keen and
“As volunteers, where pay isn’t a motivator, the value people get out of the role needs to outweigh the frustrations and negatives.”
able to support when we can. In Cheshire, we’ve been able to support regular officers at short notice when demand has been high, and resources have been low. We’ve supported operations that might have struggled to go ahead otherwise, and we have specials training in response driving, Taser, and PSU L2 so we’ve been able to increase operational
impact and that is appreciated by the force. Recruiting more officers will help continue to have impact but also retaining talent should be a
priority.
“I’ve loved it so far. The best things for me is when you’re working as a team, and you
can tell your colleagues appreciate you getting stuck in. That’s what I’m here to do. This might be responding to an incident way after you were due off or staying behind in the office to get through paperwork. I personally don’t want to become a regular officer; I enjoy my day job, but something was missing that I find being a special fills.”
Belinda Goodwin, PFEW Special Constabulary co-lead, added: “I think that it’s vital to recognise how important special constables are to policing overall.
To see the worrying drop in numbers of those leaving, and the added pressures on recruitment and not getting the interest from people wanting to join and volunteer as a police officer, it’s really
sad. The benefits to becoming a special constable can be immeasurable for those that join, you gain so much life experience in dealing with calls, problem solving, investigating crimes, and solving them, and supporting anyone who is unfortunate to become a victim of crime. “All of these experiences can assist with
any job we do in life, and anything that life throws at us. Having a strong cohort of special constables is a massive benefit
“Having a strong cohort of special constables is a massive benefit to any force”
to any force. It adds to the demand that we can cope with, it’s extra boots on the ground and takes the pressures off the regular constables as they are there when needed, certainly at public order events, policing the nighttime economy and assisting with the constant calls
that are coming in. “We must also encourage special
constables to work within community policing and investigating departments, there is lots of work to go around.”
29 | POLICE | APRIL | 2024
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