Lancashire Police celebrate new Special Constables
Monday, April 8, 2024
Lancashire Police’s Special Constables End of Course Ceremony took place on Sunday 24th March at Headquarters in Hutton. The event was a celebration of the successful completion of our latest Special Constabulary training course, and an important opportunity to recognise the significant contribution of these volunteers to help keep Lancashire’s communities safe.
Our Special Constables come from all walks of life and bring with them a vast range of skills and experience. They are a vital and valued part of the Constabulary, with the same uniform and powers of arrest as Police Officers. We provide significant opportunities for our citizens to become involved in policing, spanning all age groups and communities, one of those opportunities is to become a Special Constable.
We adopt the National Citizens in Policing brand and we are very lucky to benefit from the skills and talents of a significant number of our local, inspirational people who volunteer in various roles across the force. Citizens in policing are Special Constables, Police Support Volunteers and Volunteer Police Cadets that are all managed and supported by Lancashire Constabulary. At Lancashire Constabulary we recognise the value and importance that volunteers bring to the policing community.
We currently have 107 Special Constables, 468 Cadets and 304 volunteers, with recruitment opportunities opening in all three areas. Collaboratively, they have contributed almost 10,000 hours, and that’s only in the past two months. From award winning Cadets, to Specials being recognised for their service at Buckingham Palace, we have so many dedicated and passionate volunteers who contribute to making Lancashire a safer place to work, live and visit.
Below photo: Winner of the Best Special Award, Special Constable Robyn Watson.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable, Karen Edwards, presenting at the event said:
“I want you to be proud to wear the Lancashire Constabulary uniform because you have earned it. You are amazing people, and I know it takes dedication to sacrifice personal time for a challenging, unpaid role, however being a Special will be extremely rewarding.
It is a fantastic opportunity for you all to build on existing skills and develop new ones, and whilst it isn’t a direct route to becoming a paid police officer, Specials receive the same standard of training as a regular officer and can progress through the rank system. Of course, the best reward of all is making a difference to the community, helping to keep people safe.”
You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities through Citizens in Policing here.
