Who's He?
Some information about me, for those who are interested. I am a full
time ("regular") police officer , serving in
a large urban town.
Before joining full-time in early 2004, I was a Special Constable
for over 11 years. I established this site in 1998 while I was
still a serving Special Constable.
I started as a Special in 1991, and served in a number of police
areas in both large and small towns as well as rural
beats. When I left, I was a Section
Officer - an administrative position which
is roughly equivalent to the regular rank
of sergeant. More about Specials' grades here.
As a Special, I typically performed from 40-60 hours duty a month,
made up mostly of operational duties, but time was also taken up with liaison with the
regulars' management team, admin, paperwork
(like statements), training and the occasional court appearance.
Each duty is different, of
course, but you can click here for a look at a "typical"
duty.
During my career as a Special I made dozens of arrests
(I stopped counting after 20) for all sorts
of offences ranging from the everyday (criminal
damage, affray) to the routine (drink-drive)
to the fairly unusual (perverting the course
of justice).
I often get asked if being a Special is dangerous
- to which the simple answer is, yes - occasionally.
Specials are on the front line as much as regular police officers
these days. I was been assaulted twice as a Special,
but fortunately I was not seriously hurt
on either occasion. I am always extremely
wary since people can be extremely unpredictable
which is typically how officers end up getting
injured.
I
would heartily recommend the Special Constabulary if you are looking
for an interesting, varied way to contribute
to your local community, and certainly as an excellent way to
find out if policing is for you as a full-time career.
All you need is a healthy sense of humour and a large dollop of
common sense!
If you're thinking of joining the Specials, the
recruitment information page addresses
many of the most common questions and concerns.
I can usually be found loitering on our
forum if you have
comments or questions - no abuse please, we get enough of that on
the streets!
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