SPECIAL EDITION - COVID-19 | JULY 2020 FOCUS ON THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY CONTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT COVID-19 has been a great opportunity to show how we can, as Special Constables, work to support specialist teams, on key but very specific targeted criminality.” The Operation, led on the ground by Special Constable (SC) Leon Boland, has seen 333 vehicles stopped, one arrest for possession with intent to supply, three arrests for drink/drug driving, three vehicles seized for no insurance and nine Traffic Offence Reports issued. Chief Inspector Gareth Wrigley of Cheshire Constabulary’s Road and Crime Unit said: “I am CHESHIRE extremely proud of the Roads and Crime Unit Specials for the management and planning of CONSTABULARY Operation Braille, this is a tasking that came to me and required servicing. Special Inspector Simon COVID-19 Dixon grabbed the mantle and working with SC Leon Boland planned our policing response. The CONTRIBUTION Operation was an excellent example collaborative The Cheshire Special Constabulary have dedicated working between Local Policing Unit’s and the over 15,000 hours and made 70 arrests to Roads and Crime Unit. We have seen more than protect communities across the county during the 580 hours worked on Operation Braille by our Coronavirus Pandemic. dedicated and professional Special Constables. THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY IS A There are two operations which the Special “The results of the Operation speak for themselves. A TOTAL OF 1,343,802 HOURS VERY UNIQUE AND EXTRA The most important thing for me is that the public CONTRIBUTED BY THE Constabulary have been leading on – Operation SPECIAL GROUP OF SPECIAL CONSTABULARY were very supportive of this PEOPLE, WHO LIKE THEIR Business and Operation Braille. NATIONALLY SINCE LOCKDOWN We had so REGULAR COUNTERPARTS, Operation and the feedback we have many articles STEP FORWARD TO BE Operation Business has seen received has been outstanding.” submitted for COUNTED AND MAKE A Special Constables conducting the summer REAL DIFFERENCE ON THE Cheshire’s Special Constabulary LIVES OF THE COMMUNITIES proactive patrols around schools edition, which I WHERE THEY LIVE. and business premises across each Chief Officer Celvyn Jones said: thank everyone SPECIAL CHIEF OFFICER Local Policing Unit area, where they “I am immensely proud of every for, that we MARC KASTNER member of the Cheshire team who have decided I WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE have been working to deter, disrupt RECOGNISE THE SPECIAL and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour. have committed hours during this to produce a CONSTABULARY WHO HAVE South Wales Special Constabulary South Wales Front Page: challenging period. Operation Business and Braille Special Covid-19 CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIME Edition to TO SUPPORT POLICING IN AN Since Friday 17 April, a total of 968 business have been a great success. It has seen fantastic compliment the Summer 2020 Edition. EXCEPTIONALLY CHALLENGING premises have been visited and more than 3,750 leadership and ownership from the Specials Team in PERIOD terms of planning, organising and providing a visible ACC ANDREW SLATTERY leaflets have been dropped. The Operation, led I know I speak on behalf of many CUMBRIA POLICE by Special Inspector Lewy Lewtas who, while presence to our business and education community. people in policing, and I am sure the NPCC REGIONAL CIP LEAD FOR continuing to work from home for Lloyds Bank, has The impact of the Operations speak for themselves THE NORTH WEST & NPCC LEAD public too, when I say that, as usual, been working with regular and Special Constabulary in terms of the numbers but more importantly the in times of national crisis, the Special FOR EMPLOYER SUPPORTED POLICING team have played a key role in providing that visible, Constabulary have stepped up to colleagues to co-ordinate resources that deter support policing and their communities criminals from targeting schools and businesses reassuring presence that the public expect. selflessly, showing astounding across the county. “Whilst this article is about Cheshire Special commitment and dedication. Operation Braille has seen the Special Constabulary, I do want to take this opportunity to The following articles show just a small I WANT TO EXPRESS MY Constabulary’s Roads and Crime Unit target recognise Special Constabulary colleagues from sample of how our Special Constables GRATITUDE FOR THE drivers under the influence of drink and/or drugs around the UK who have put themselves in harm’s are contributing to policing during the DEDICATION AND PUBLIC- way to keep our public safe. Thank you also to their SPIRITED ACTIONS OF EACH and criminals who are using Cheshire’s roads to THE SPECIAL Coronavirus Pandemic. AND EVERY ONE OF YOU - transport drugs. families for the support they provide. The Special CONSTABULARY SUPPORT THANK YOU - AND PLEASE TAKE AT THIS CRITICAL TIME HAS Constabulary as a whole have provided vital support CARE OF YOURSELVES, YOUR Tina Shelton BEEN OVERWHELMING AND I The key focus of the Operation saw Special FAMILIES AND EACH OTHER. to our regular colleagues and communities. WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY CHIEF CONSTABLE LISA Constable’s stop and engage with drivers during THANK EACH AND EVERY WINWARD “There is no doubt in my mind that the skills, ONE OF YOU. the lockdown. Leading the Operation, Special NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE DCC RICHARD DEBICKI, Inspector Simon Dixon said: “Working as a team of leadership and support the Specials provide are a NPCC NATIONAL LEAD FOR NORTH WALES POLICE & Editor CITIZENS IN POLICING officers dedicated to the Roads and Crime Unit this key ingredient to policing in the UK.” NPCC LEAD FOR THE SC NATIONAL STRATEGY 2 SPECIAL IMPACT COVID-19 SPECIAL EDITION COVID-19 SPECIAL EDITION SPECIAL IMPACT 3 forces to thank all volunteers via letter, video and signing up, not only as some are ex-police officers, knew I could leave that call knowing that the person SOUTH WALES remote dial up. but also because they know how much I want to in need had access to the right support services.” join the Force. Since then, it has been like a roller SPECIAL As a part of National Volunteers’ Week, Special coaster, it’s been so busy, but I have loved it, I feel Constable Lauren Ashcroft represented the Special it has helped confirm that I am on the right track, CONSTABULARY Constabulary, and was interviewed to tell her own and that it is something I should have been doing all story, about why she wanted to become a Special along.” CONTRIBUTION Constable, and why she enjoys it so much. Lauren Ashcroft started as a Special Constable on “IT’S A SCARY TIME FOR November 11 last year and attended her passing out ceremony on 12th March 2020, and it has been non- EVERYONE CONCERNED, stop since then. AND BEING ON THE The organisation Lauren works for manages safeguarding software and like so many FRONT LINE IS A SCARY organisations, has had to temporarily close during lockdown. With the organisations’ blessing, Lauren decided to offer more of her time to South DECISION TO MAKE, AND Wales Police Special Constabulary and has been working full time hours. During Covid-19 I DIDN’T DO IT ALONE, Lauren has supported officers on response, who attend emergency 999 calls and respond to Covid I SPOKE ABOUT IT FOR breaches, helping to ensure people stay safe and abide by government guidance. SOME TIME WITH MY When asked why she wanted to join the Force as FAMILY FIRST BEFORE a Special Constable in particular Lauren said: “It has always been my dream to be a regular Police OFFERING MY FULL TIME Officer. I am passionate about helping people and giving something back to my local community, and SUPPORT TO THE FORCE, Her work mainly focussed on lockdown breaches, know I want to help make a difference, and keep she says things have calmed down now but recalls people safe. I have three children and had the BUT THEY AGREED the initial stages of lockdown when she had to help oldest when I was very young so it hasn’t been the break up street and house parties, when social right time, but now they are all older, I feel it is the AS THEY KNOW HOW distancing was not being respected. Thinking of the right time, and what better way to get an insight safety of her family, and of the families of those she into policing than to join as a volunteer, as a Special MUCH I WANT TO DO IT. had to engage with, the invisible virus was her main South Wales Police decided it was even more Constable. My bosses were so supportive of my concern, she said: “We are all in the same boat, we important that National Volunteers’ Week was THEY SAID THEY CAN don’t want to be the people to break up anyone’s celebrated this year given the current Covid-19 fun, but we are doing it for a reason, and essentially, Pandemic. It was an opportunity to acknowledge the SEE HOW HAPPY I AM it is to save lives.” valued support of Volunteers throughout the year, and to say thank you for the ongoing volunteering COMING BACK HOME In her own time and in more typical times, Lauren which has increased since the Pandemic began. likes to spend time with her family, whether it’s in EVERY DAY. the house, in the garden or walking and swimming. Marking this important week was achieved mainly Lauren was due to celebrate her 30th birthday in online with South Wales Police Chief Constable Since 1st April and going full time, Lauren has in her May and had such plans, but they were naturally Matt Jukes, Police and Crime Commissioner and words “Hit the floor running”, and has contributed cancelled, and so she intends to celebrate in her The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 140 hours a month, she said: “Working on response words ‘big time’ for the next two years, when this is Lead for Volunteering Alun Michael and Chief Officer I found I was mainly responding to calls relating to all over.