Profiles
Special Constable Cheung
Office Manager for a law firm & a Special since 2004
- Why did you become a Special?
- I'd done voluntary work before usually on a one-to-one basis, which was very satisfying, but I wanted to provide a service to the public on a wider level. I'm not as young as I was, but I've always led an active life. When I looked into it, being a Special ticked all the right boxes: challenge, variety, the chance to learn new skills and develop existing ones, and the real sense of achievement. It was exactly the experience I craved.
- How does being a Special fit in with your day job?
- Far better than I expected. I usually carry out my duties as a Special on a Friday night - the 7.30pm to 3am shift - which leaves the weekend free for me and my young family. Occasionally, I carry out a shift over the weekend, but it is usually a specific event or operation. From time to time, I've also taken a day's leave from work to take part in a special operation. There's no compulsion to do this, every time it's been entirely my choice. My partner is also a Special. He works shifts in his day job and it's never a problem to fit in his responsibilities as a Special.
- What does a typical shift involve?
- My Friday night shift begins with a briefing at 7.30pm. I'm then paired with another Special or a regular officer to patrol a town centre in my borough. On a typical evening there are normally five pairs in the town centre supported by a supervisor in an incident response vehicle. We can deal with a whole variety of incidents, many of which are alcohol-related, including public order offences, criminal damage or theft. There are often complaints from clubbers who have been refused entry to a club or pub, and we also liaise with door supervisors over drug use.
- What's been your most exciting experience as a Special so far?
- Every shift presents a new challenge, so every shift is exciting in its own way. You get used to dealing with different situations and having to think on your feet. The secret is to expect the unexpected and adapt your communication skills to the personalities of offenders and victims. But one shift really stands out - when I took part in a raid on licensed premises for drug-related offences. It was great working as part of a wider team with the Territorial Support Group, dog squad and trading standards.
- What skills have you gained as a Special which have helped in your 'outside' life?
- I've gained numerous skills being a Special that I've been able to transfer to my outside life - and just as importantly, I've developed skills I already had. Without a doubt, I've become a better communicator. You can't perform effectively as a Special without showing humility, persistence, tolerance, compassion, patience and integrity, being firm but fair and remaining calm in stressful situations. As I work in a law firm, learning about legal matters and rules of evidence, how to gather information and write concise reports has also proved to be very beneficial.
Special Constable Brown
British Airways Cabin Crew Member & a Special since 2007
- How does being a Special fit in with your day job?
- For me, it's a great arrangement. I always have between four and six days off after a flight and BA also gives me 24 days' special leave every year on top of my annual leave entitlement. I normally reserve these additional days for training and attending court to give evidence outside my published roster. So I work around 90 hours a month as a Special, which is way above the norm or what people are expected to work - I suppose the job can be quite addictive! I split my time between the Safer Transport team, in which I'm also a team tutor constable responsible for mentoring new officers, and the core response team.
- How do the public react to you?
- I have lots of interaction with the public, and there's a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that I'm making a difference to so many people in my own area. I've found the public very supportive - very easy to talk to and build up a rapport with. On the odd occasion, prisoners have shaken my hand after an interview and thanked me for the way I have treated them. Unexpected perhaps, but that kind of thing is always nice to hear.
- What's it like working alongside full-time police officers?
- It's really enjoyable. I spend a lot of time with them and know most of the guys and girls from all the teams on Barnet Borough. No two days are the same, so there's never a dull moment and the regular officers are always happy for me to join them - which is a great chance to see how the other half live! I'm a police driver and on occasions I've had the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with probationers on the team. In all honesty, there's a great camaraderie and I've met a lot of fun but professional people who'll remain friends for life.
- What aspect of the training did you benefit most from and why?
- I'd have to say learning the law. It was a real eye-opener and this aspect of the training was a whole new experience, but I enjoyed doing something different. Let's face it, I hadn't studied for almost 20 years, so it really got my brain in gear. Writing reports was also a challenge I had to overcome.
- How has being a Special affected your day job
- Although it has its own challenges, I wouldn't say that it has affected my day job as such, however, it has injected new life and brought back the excitement to it. I've been in my current job for 13 years and the skills I've learnt and use on a regular basis in the air I use almost without thinking about them. I enjoy my job very much and travel all over the world, but the real excitement had gone. Working as a special constable and dealing with all the challenging situations the police face daily, I can now fully appreciate my main role. It's nice to have the balance, between the two roles.
Special Constable Heathcote
Senior Policy Advisor, Confederation of British Industry & a Special since 2008
- Why this and not another volunteer role?
- Without a shadow of a doubt, being a special constable is the ultimate volunteering experience. I'd worked in charity shops, been in the Air Cadets and even the Territorial Army, but in all, I felt I was just 'playing at' the role. As a special constable, you get the chance to do everything a regular police officer does. In the relatively short space of time I've been a Special, I've frequently been amazed by the level of trust the police and the public have placed in me.
- Why should other people become Specials?
- You'll do so many things as a special constable that you could not possibly do anywhere else. I've done around 700 hours in the last year, far more than I had to, but this has helped me to collect so many unique memories. Police work is so varied. I normally go out one or two nights during the week with my Safer Neighbourhoods team and then work with response teams attending to 999 calls over the weekend. You deal with hundreds of bizarre, interesting, exciting and challenging situations, so you're never short of stories to tell.
- What's the most rewarding thing about being a Special?
- It's difficult to know where to start. Working with my Safer Neighbourhoods team, I've really got to know the area and countless times people have said seeing me makes them feel safer. Likewise, many victims of crime have thanked me for getting to the scene so quickly and being so thorough in getting to the bottom of their problem. And you certainly can't beat the feeling of catching someone red-handed and making an arrest!
- What kind of incidents do you get called out to?
- Anything and everything. If I'm with my Safer Neighbourhoods team, I might be visiting repeat victims of crime, stopping and searching people acting suspiciously or dealing with anti-social behaviour such as graffiti. But 999 calls could relate to robberies, fights, road traffic accidents, criminal damage or missing persons - the list is endless. I once assisted an ambulance crew going to the home of a man living with a mental illness who had self-harmed with razor blades. I was first to go into the flat and managed to persuade him to come to us for help. Once I'd searched him, the ambulance crew could treat him. Other people couldn't believe what I'd done, but I thought nothing of it at the time as I was so confident in my training.
- Which aspect of the training do you enjoy?
- The Officer Safety Training (OST) that we have to renew every six months is very hands-on. It takes place in a gym and you perfect how to use your handcuffs, baton and CS spray to restrain people. Everyone gets into it and the role plays are very realistic. People have images of Robocop but, in all seriousness, when you're next on the streets you remember how to do things safely and properly.
Special Constable Cox
NHS Care Trust & a Special since 2007
- What do you bring from your normal life to your work as a Special and vice versa?
- Before I joined the NHS Care Trust, I worked in service and sales for a big car firm. I think my customer service background makes a considerable difference to the way I deal with a situation. Simple things like being able to have a conversation with young people about cars and bikes is great for building rapport, although I also try to gauge how a regular officer would handle the situation. Also, my work as a Special has certainly made me more aware of what goes on out there!
- What's the most rewarding thing about being a Special?
- There are so many things. It's great when people thank me even though I'm just doing my job - it's good to know that I'm helping to give the police a better image. And there's a similarly positive feeling when I stop someone from doing something they shouldn't and end up getting an apology from them. Above all, though, I'm not just reducing crime figures - by patrolling local high streets on Friday nights, I'm helping to eliminate them altogether. Specials really do make a difference.
- How do your friends and family react?
- I don't tell all the people I meet that I'm a Special, but my close friends and family all know. I think they're proud of me - at least, I hope they're proud of me! But I suspect that they also think I'm a bit mad to work a normal week and then do this for free. It's nice when we police family events at the local park as friends and family can come and see what we get up to.
- What does a typical shift involve?
- At 7pm, we attend a briefing at the station, where we're told of any specific tasks or intelligence and whether there is any anticipated disorder. We then either jump into a carrier or go out on foot patrol. In the carrier, we'll respond to calls of any sort of disorder. On foot, we'll walk up and down the high street, making ourselves known to door staff at pubs and clubs, or dealing with anyone who's a bit worse for wear. We usually take a break about 10.30pm before going back out for closing time in the pubs. A 1am-2am finish is normal.
- What kind of incidents do you get called out to?
- Because I work mainly in the disorder team, it's usually fighting, reports of someone carrying a weapon or groups of youths making a nuisance of themselves. We sometimes deal with domestic incidents, too. If there is a major incident and we have a crime scene, we'll look after the cordon while the investigation is carried out. When you're on your way to a call, there's a real buzz not knowing what you're going to find when you turn up. Often it's quite routine, but the anticipation keeps you going through a late shift.