A new cadre of Police Reserve Officers

The Special Constabulary celebrated its 175th Anniversary last year.  Forces across the country marked the occasion with charity events and fund-raisers.  A national advertising campaign to promote the work of Specials was unveiled and, in a number of forces, new recruitment drives were launched.

As a part-time volunteer force, Specials have long been valued by chief constables as a helpful addition to force ranks.  A debate over the role and functions of Special Constables has emerged in light of recent Government-funded attempts (and independently some local initiatives) to encourage recruitment, expand their participation in neighbourhood policing functions, and harness more regularly the skills that these volunteers bring to modern policing.  As part of a wider, more diverse police family, policy in recent years has made some attempt to boost retention rates and create a larger, more permanent Special Constabulary that is better able to improve levels of police visibility and give chief constables greater flexibility in deployment.  However, it is unlikely that, even despite existing initiatives, any significant renaissance in the Special Constabulary is under way.  [Read more]

The number of Specials has been in general decline historically, and there is some evidence of a negative effect on the intake to the Special Constabulary since the creation of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).  While the current position of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales represents an untapped resource of enormous potential, certain limitations on work conditions that have prevented Specials being used to maximum effect remain.  Unless addressed, these inherent limitations on regularity, responsibility and reward, make any attempt to cultivate a renaissance in police volunteering difficult to envisage.  [Read more] 

Only if a new approach to Specials is taken will there be a chance to stimulate a real growth in their numbers and the opportunity for the Special Constabulary to become a more vital and expanded component of modern policing.  Schemes where forces pay Specials a small amount have achieved improvements in both recruitment and retention and in the effective and regular deployment of Specials.  [Read more]

Having considered the current position and state of the Special Constabulary, we take the view that a whole new structure for Specials is needed in Britain.  We propose the creation of a new cadre of Police Reserve Officers (PROs) with the following characteristics:

1. PROs would be paid for their time and could also receive an annual income tax rebate to further incentivise uptake.
2. PROs would be required to work a set minimum number of hours each month above the current 16 hours but ultimately at the discretion of chief constables.
3. PROs would operate under a standardised grading structure that would be decided by national agreement.
4. Training across all forces would be enhanced with new opportunities being provided to train on the job.
5. There would be expanded opportunities for PROs to specialise in different areas of policing and crime reduction as individual forces see fit.
6. PROs would form an integral part of neighbourhood policing teams in the future.
7. PROs would continue to be more representative of the community they serve than regular police officers and would appeal especially to younger recruits.
[Read more]

The contribution which PROs could make to policing is illustrated by the vital role of retained fire-fighters in the Fire & Rescue Service.  They provide an efficient, cost-effective service that provides emergency cover to more than 60 per cent of the UK.  If PROs could make a similar contribution the police service would benefit tremendously.  [Read more]