LOOKBACK
profile cases such as Couzens and Carrick, forces need to be aware of the vetting risk if someone has disengaged. Looking forward we have a number of areas we are looking to introduce and develop, including:
• 42 of the 43 branches now fund PFEW membership (correct as of
and support branches to do so.
• Work towards 100 per cent Reg compliance with branches/forces.
• Work towards introducing special constable Fed reps.
procedure processes, with parity in representation, funding and support to that given to regular officers. We often hear from specials who choose not to be members, and that in the event of an issue they will rely on the Home Office-funded Arc policy – however we feel it is important to make them aware this does not cover legal advice during a PIP process.
The first year has been about building relationships with our new members and trying to understand their needs, and the needs of a volunteer – there are 43 ways of doing things within the Special Constabulary world as there are in regular policing. Federation reps who attended Op Unity, assisting members providing mutual aid at the Commonwealth Games last year, made it their mission to engage with specials who were
part of the deployment and support where able. We have also made it our mission
to build links with CiP departments in forces, NPCC (trying to negotiate with chief officers for special constable PFEW subscriptions to be paid by forces/police and crime commissioners), and chief Special Constabulary officers. We look forward to continuing working with new NPCC leads for the Special Constabulary and CiP, Assistant Chief Constable Bill Dutton in Cheshire and
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thorne in Devon and Cornwall Police. Much of the work undertaken by
local Federation branches is in relation to getting forces compliant with Police Regulations – this includes forces attesting ‘upon appointment’. We are ensuring forces understand specials are subject to UPP and UAP as per the Police Performance Regulations 2012 and cannot either remove a warrant card or tell someone not to report for duty again. There is a process set out in regs that should be followed.
Another priority for us at the moment
Last – but certainly not least - we have endeavoured to highlight the value of the volunteer, so we successfully pressed for changes to the service threshold for bars to the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal (SCLSM), seeing it drop from 10 to five years, and the amendment of the QPM Royal Warrant so it now expressly states special constables are eligible for the KPM. We have also achieved national media
“PFEW reps have done a fantastic job of supporting specials through misconduct proceedings, and through post incident procedure processes.”
is asking the NPCC that forces undertake an audit on their special constables. Are all specials attending for duty, or are they undertaking an agreed leave of absence and still engaged with the force? The fear with them not being engaged is we may be missing welfare issues that have come about (particularly on duty) and, as a result, the special needs some support. If not, can the SC be reengaged or is it their wish to be retired? Whilst this action may be seen as detrimental to some, against the backdrop of high-
coverage, publicising the good work of the Special Constabulary, including a television interview between PFEW National Board Member Dave Bamber and SC Penny Lancaster, which was broadcasted on BBC’s One Show, and TV coverage with Ian Collins on TalkTV’s Policing Week.
If you are a special and would like to learn more about membership of the
Police Federation of England and Wales visit:
www.polfed.org/about-us/join-the- fed/special-constables-sc.
We also ran a national series of five wellbeing webinars covering topics such as PFEW (what we do), Operation Hampshire, Oscar Kilo and the National Police Wellbeing Service, Police Treatment Centres and police finance. These received excellent sign up with the sessions being recorded and are still available on PFEW’s YouTube channel.
43 | POLICE | OCTOBER | 2023
1 September). We will continue to work with the Gloucestershire Police Federation to reach an agreement with their Chief Officer Team – especially as Gloucestershire Constabulary are so advanced in training specials in Taser.
• Continue to represent and build those links with the SC membership –
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