Profiles - Special constables

Why and when did you join the Special Constabulary?

I first became a Special Constable in 2004 at the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, and was there for a year before transferring to Warwickshire. I found out about the Specials when a friend asked me if I was interested in joining with her. I hadn’t even heard of volunteer police officers before, but I’m always up for a challenge and like learning new skills, pushing myself and discovering new strengths and seeing what I’m capable of. The SC seemed to offer me all of these things. For me, it was an opportunity to give back to the community that had welcomed me so warmly, in some small way, so, here I am 16 years later, still learning, still challenging myself and still giving back when I can.

What are your current responsibilities as a Special Constable?

As special constables we are warranted officers who hold the same powers as regular officers, my role at the moment is to support my local Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), working alongside Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), and our regular PCs and Sergeant. I help with foot patrol, local operations, such as speed checks, road policing priorities, any warrants that are served, engaging with the community with reassurance patrols, particularly during the pandemic, as well as bigger county wide operations like County Lines, high visibility patrols during the evenings and helping with local community issues, vulnerable people visits and dealing with local crime and prevention.

What is a typical shift as a Special?

Typically I go into my SNT hub, and work on a shift with either PCSOs or PCs, doing taskings, which are designated patrols on foot or in the marked car to deal with local community issues, as well as any call outs, we get to deal with incidents as they arise, or anything we see while out and about the town. These can last for several hours or be a full 8 hour shift depending on my availability or however long the tasks take. You get to know the locals and spend time reassuring and understanding the needs of the residents and making sure they feel safe and supported in the community.

What is your role outside the Special Constabulary?

When I’m not policing, I’m a Pilates instructor, Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Krav Maga self-defence Instructor, a sports therapist who specialises in injury management and a GP referral consultant for high risk populations, oh, and a Psychologist. I like to keep busy and I’m crazy about health and fitness!

What benefits does being a serving Special Constable offer you?

Being a special constable gives you the opportunity to see life from a different perspective, it makes you look at the life you have out of uniform and realise how thankful you are for your good health, good fortune and good family, when you’re an SC you have the power to do something for the people who aren’t as fortunate, without judgement or prejudice, you can make a difference to those who can’t help themselves, are vulnerable or helpless. Just by your presence on the streets you can prevent a crime, protect someone or reassure the worried. You might not get remuneration for what you do, but the benefit of a few hours on the street, in a car, visiting a victim of crime, can have untold benefits for the entire community, the community that you live in.

How does being a Special Constable benefit your role outside the Special Constabulary?

Going through the SC training and learning new skills helped build my confidence, For me, it is an extension of what I do in my business, by improving my confidence, I have learnt to deal with conflict and difficult situations, As well as decision making bringing a vital skill for policing, Fast, dynamic reasoning and assessing risk, problem solving, flexibility and compromise all benefit everyday life. Understanding others point of view, tolerance and listening without judgement are acquired skills while determination, resilience and persistence build a formidable strength of character.

What do your family and friends think of your Special role?

My family are very supportive of me being an SC, although worry about me doing a job that has risks, I have to reassure them, that I’m trained to look after myself and that I use my communication skills to deal with situations. I have no problems telling any of my friends that I’m an SC, in fact they are usually not that surprised, It has become part of who I am now, even second nature, it’s not a job, it’s a way of life. Some can’t understand why I do it for nothing, but it’s not for nothing, when your motivation for doing something transcends remuneration, you give of your time, your skills, your presence, at times risk your personal safety, but it’s because you want to make a difference.

Would you recommend that people volunteer for the Special Constabulary? And if so, why?

Being a Special is demanding, tiring, sometimes thankless and there are risks, there’s not always black and white, clear right or wrong. You are dealing with human beings, who are sometimes unpredictable and not all jobs are the same, every time you are called to something, it probably will be very different to what people perceive. You will become well versed in the law and trained to deal with a range of situations, but some skills aren’t taught in training, you need to bring your strength of character, a willingness to uphold what’s lawful, regardless of what’s happening around you, back up your crew mate, work as part of a team but work just as well autonomously, and have a mental fortitude to deal with situations that you may never otherwise face. It’s a big ask, but anyone who wants a challenge, wants to see and do things you never thought you’d do, then go for it.

Neil is a Special Inspector for the Southern Local Policing Area. He has been with the Special Constabulary for more than 14 years and is based mainly at Leamington Spa. 

Why did you join the Special Constabulary? 

Having joined the Special Constabulary in 2010, I wanted a way to serve in my community to help to protect those most vulnerable in society, but ultimately to help to fight crime by taking offenders off the streets. Becoming an SC meant that I would learn a whole new raft of skills and abilities, to further develop myself, which would aim to help me in my civilian career.  

At the time, I had a job which did not give me this level of reward, and although I considered joining the regular force, as my paid career progressed, personal circumstances took me way from joining as a full time regular, but I still wanted to continue to contribute as a volunteer. 

What are your current responsibilities as a Special Inspector? 

I line manage a group of Special Sergeants, who in turn manage a team of Special Constables.  

My responsibilities include the day-to-day management of Specials, including performance management, welfare, training and development. Due to the various nuances of volunteering in policing, I also provide a critical link between the Special Constabulary and senior regular management, ensuring that volunteers are kept motivated, and a positive moral is maintained.  

I am also responsible for a number of different activities, such as responding to reactive policing resilience requests to organise the deployment of SCs at times of high demand. I arrange, and in some cases, run various local and cross border policing operations/events, ensuring policing priorities are met. This could include providing support for local events such as the Warwick Mop, or local burglary crime operations for example.  

Alongside my management role, I also actively take part in standard operational duties, where I regularly tutor and mentor new and existing Special Sergeants and Constables – teaching them all I know! 

What is your role outside the Special Constabulary? 

Having worked in IT and technology since I left school, as of 2022, I now work as a Technical IT Project Manager as a civilian staff member within Warwickshire Police. I manage digital transformation projects, particularly centred around implementing new systems to improving technology on the front line, creating a more efficient and effective police service.  

Of course, my skills, experience and knowledge within policing becomes a very useful for my staff role! 

What benefits does being a serving Special Constable offer you? 

I have met lots of new people and made lots of new friends over the years, but also in my spare time I am doing something very rewarding - either in helping fellow Special Constables get the best out of themselves, or helping an ever-increasing policing demand deliver their strategic goals and aims. 

I am fortunate to be trained in various areas, enabling me to effectively and efficiently carry out the role of a police officer, in the same way a regular officer can. This includes being able to drive on blue lights to immediate incidents – which of course, is selfishly fun in itself! 

How does being a Special Constable benefit your role outside the Special Constabulary? 

Over the course of my Specials career, I have undertaken many different training courses. Some of these courses have been management and leadership for example, and various other in-house courses such as being a qualified College of Policing recruitment assessor. 

All these skills have significantly helped me in any my personal development and progression for my paid career. 

Would you recommend that people volunteer for the Special Constabulary? And if so, why? 

Without hesitation. I still love it as much as the day I joined, and I still commit between 40-60 hours a month every year. It offers a dynamic and exciting volunteering option where you can get out just as much as you put in. 

There are few volunteering opportunities can you safely say you have no idea what will come your way while doing it, and there is no job like it.  

 You can start off thinking that you'll be doing community engagement and actually end up dealing with vulnerable people at the worst moment of their life. Knowing you helped them is immeasurable.  

What is the highlight of your career so far in the Special Constabulary or what has been the oddest experience or most bizarre highlight you have had while you were on duty?  

I wouldn’t call this a positive highlight, but more of comical highlight!  

One evening, I was about to book off duty with my crew mate. Just as we were on our way back to the station, we were called to a possible burglary in progress in Kenilworth. It’s definitely one of those jobs where every cop wants to catch a robber!  

We arrived at scene to a residential property, where we heard voice through an open garage door. As we looked in, we saw two males running off down to the bottom of the garden. I decided to run to the rear of the property accessed by different street, in an attempt to detain them.  

As I approached the side of a neighbouring fence, I could hear the males in the garden behind the fence. I made a split-second decision to pole-vault over the fence, not realising that what I can only describe to be a large human sized plant pot positioned in the exact area of where I was to jump. 

I landed fully inside the plant pot, which then toppled over with me trapped in it. My colleague had to come to my rescue, and the neighbour burst into tears of laughter! 

Fortunately, the property wasn’t being burgled – it was some teenagers having a house party whilst their parents were away! 

Bizarre – well! ... One evening, in the early hours of the morning, there was reports of a truck driver who had claimed to have driven past a little girl, dressed in black, with long black hair, sitting at the side of a rural remote country road.  

He had claimed to have stopped, looked in his mirror and spotted her again. As he went to call the police, he got out his vehicle to approach the girl, but she had vanished. Despite an extensive area search by multiple officers and resources, no girl was ever found or reported missing. Ghost? Who knows. 

Neil is a Special Sergeant and the Safer Neighbourhood Team liaison for Warwick District. He has been with the Special Constabulary for more than four years and is based mainly at Leamington Spa.

Why did you join the Special Constabulary?

I had an incredibly intensive and time-consuming job and I realised that the job was taking over my life. So at the same time as changing jobs I wanted to do something productive with my spare time, rather than simply having it. I signed up for to be a school governor, which I did for three years, and also as an Special Constable, primarily really as it was something where I could learn a raft of new skills while taking me well out of my comfort zone. My line manager at the time still has not got over the shock...

What are your current responsibilities as a Special Constable?

I line manage a small group of Special Constables and have a couple going through probation at the moment. A lot of my time is spent on delivering training inputs and tutoring but I am also the community policing lead so I put on the events in this area for the Special Constabulary.

What is your role outside the Special Constabulary?

I am a guard with Cross Country Trains.

What benefits does being a serving Special Constable offer you?

I have met new people and made friends, but also in my spare time I am now doing something very rewarding - either in helping fellow Special Constables get the best out of themselves or also helping a very stretched force deliver their commitments. Selfishly the benefits are that I can drive a police car and also use kit like automatic number plate recognition and the roadside speed gun.

How does being a Special Constable benefit your role outside the Special Constabulary?

It is a useful one for me in my day job as it has taught me tolerance but also more how to deal better with the various types of customer we get on board trains, be they drunk, abusive or just plain intolerant.

Would you recommend that people volunteer for the Special Constabulary? And if so, why?

Without hesitation - it offers a dynamic and exciting volunteering option which you can get out just as much as you put in. Very few volunteering opportunities can you safely say you have no idea what will come your way while doing it. You can start off thinking that you'll be doing community engagement and actually end up dealing with vulnerable people at the worst moment of their life. Knowing you helped them is immeasurable. What is the highlight of your career so far in the Special Constabulary or what has been the oddest experience or most bizarre highlight you have had while you were on duty? Bizarre? That has to be the time I had to rescue a live male swan from the centre of Warwick and carry it over a mile through the town to a canal and then sit with it until it was recovered.

Why did you join the Special Constabulary?

I always wanted to join the police. I left school with no A-Levels or degrees etc and thought I had no chance.  I attended an open day which gave me an insight into the Special Constabulary and thought I would attempt to join, as at the age of 44, I felt I had enough life experience to deal with situations. The idea of the Specials, and the balance with home life, was perfect for me.

What are your current responsibilities as a Special Constable?

I get to police local community events, such as war memorials, firework displays as well as working as part of our safer neighbourhood teams, attending call outs the local community has reported to the police. I wear a uniform, have had full training and have to complete a minimum of 16 hours a month. This does not have to be four hours a week.  Sometimes I have been on an eight-hour shift in one day.  The beauty of the role is you choose your hours around your family life.

What is a typical shift as a Special?

A shift can range from attending domestic incidents, thefts, road traffic incidents, missing persons to health and welfare checks for vulnerable persons.

What benefits does being a serving Special Constable offer you?

I am developing my knowledge, gaining more life and work experience, whilst meeting members of our local communities and learning something new every day. It’s exciting and challenging but I get to protect people from harm.

How does being a Special Constable benefit your role outside the Special Constabulary?

Since joining the Specials, I have developed a wider knowledge of the law system and allowed me to use this in my everyday working life. With the training and ongoing support from the organisation, I feel I am empowered to go get involved in situations that no other job would allow.

What do your family and friends think of your Special role?

Everyone I speak to, whether family of friends say it’s amazing that I give up my own time and put my life on the front line to protect our communities and vulnerable people. People I have never met in my life, yet I am protecting them.  However I love it. My family has seen a change in me since joining Warwickshire police in that I am more confident in myself and I am able to confront any situation now (to the point they call me ‘Mr Policeman’).

Would you recommend that people volunteer for the Special Constabulary? And if so, why?

Without a doubt. Being a police officer is not for everyone, this is the perfect way to see if it’s the career you wish to pursue. It will give you the same powers and responsibilities as a regular officer. For me, personally, being a Special Constable makes me feel part of a very big family. I get so much support from the organisation.  Being a Special Constable gives me the powers and tools to always protect people and do the right thing. I find I get the same level of respect as any other officer or member of the force. There is no difference.  Regardless of rank, we all work together to protect and serve our local communities.

Working out of Leamington Spa, James has served with Warwickshire Police Special Constabulary for 14 months.

Why did you join the Special Constabulary?

I had always wanted to do something for the blue light services and initially looked into firefighting. I then figured that this was notoriously hard to get into and therefore considered policing. After speaking with a friend of mine who himself became a Special Constable, he advised me to look into the role of being a Special Constable myself. After telling me what he got involved in, I figured I would give it a go.

What are your current responsibilities as a Special Constable?

I'm trained on the Intoximeter at Custody where persons who are over the alcohol limit while driving go to when we need to take an evidential reading that will be used in court. This is a highly useful tool, as not many Special Constable or paid Police Constables are trained in the use on this machine.

What is your role outside the Special Constabulary?

I'm a full-time administrator for a company. I now have something incredibly exciting to look forward to at the end of every week which really makes the time fly by.

What benefits does being a serving Special Constable offer you?

Being a Special Constable really enables you to see how the police work in conjunction with one another. I had many thoughts as to how police might deal with crimes and it is so different to what I thought. I have also found that I am actually a really patient person and I've been able to hone this skill even more. My communication skills have also increased with me being able to diffuse situations both in my police role and outside of it.

How does being a Special Constable benefit your role outside the Special Constabulary?

Confidence. I think it's a great way to make you realise how confident a person you are. I'm not shy to admit that I wasn't terribly confident on my first ever shift. But now I've been doing this for a little while, I now know that I had the ability to do a role like this for a very long time.

Would you recommend that people volunteer for the Special Constabulary? And if so, why?

I would absolutely encourage anyone who is currently thinking about joining the police to seriously consider becoming a Special Constable. It gives you a great insight to how the police work and also acts as a guide to see if policing truly is a career you wish to pursue!