AUTUMN 2019 ISSUE 36 SEE CENTRE PAGES CELEBRATING THE NATIONAL LORD FERRERS AWARDS WELCOME Welcome to Issue 36 which reports on the wonderful Lord Ferrers Awards hosted by the The Institute of Public Safety Crime & Justice hosted a Home Office at the historic Lancaster House in Special Constabulary Specialist Roles event in July London – a truly stunning venue. Once again, we which was attended by many Forces who were able were staggered by the fantastic contributions to gather and share good practice. that the finalists had given to Policing – a truly inspiring event. One of the categories for the Awards is the Employer Supported Policing Category, an area of Citizens in Policing that is very much growing. Pages 16-21 report on the latest ESP stories and this quarter we welcome 16 new partners on the Scheme. The last couple of editions have featured some overseas articles, and I am pleased to be able to publish our 'International Spotlight' article for this edition, plus report on the recent Volunteer Law We look forward to coverage of the recent Enforcement Officer Alliance (VLEOA) Conference International Citizens in Policing Conference in the which took place in Florida last month, and had UK next issue. Special Constables in attendance again this year. It's great to get an overseas perspective on Volunteers in Policing. There are currently some 10,100 Special Constables Special Impact is supported by Citizens in Policing across England and Wales, and I know that I am not practitioners, officers and stakeholders. Thanks go to the only one who wants to thank you for your North Yorkshire Print & Design team for supporting continued commitment and dedication to keeping artwork & design. communities safe. To submit an article or to give feedback, please email: [email protected] Follow us on Twitter Tina Shelton @SCIMPACTMAG Editor Special Impact Cover page – North West Regional finalists at the Lord Ferrers Awards Hampshire Special Constables Winning Award L-R: DI Paul Masters, SC Ben Trethowan Special Constable Ben Trethowan has won a Oxidise came about because Ben realised, through his National Cyber Award for his work on two work with the Hampshire CyberCrime Unit (CCU), there software programmes which are helping detection was no method for analysing security monitoring of crime in Hampshire and beyond. artefacts (such as high-volume firewall or web server logs) supplied by victims, which could help with cybercrime investigations. The CCU also lacked a tool to Ben, who is a part of the Force's CSCV (Cyber Specials provide near real-time situational awareness of cyber and Cyber Volunteers) cohort, was the winner of the threats. Cyber Law Enforcement Individual Award at the Having designed and built security analytics systems for ceremony held in Cheltenham. commercial industry, Ben worked out how to build a He was congratulated for his work on two software platform, using freely-available software tools, to programmes – Operation Magnetise (automated provide intelligence on threats prevalent within a website surveillance) and Oxidise (cyber threat specific geographical area and monitor their spread. detection and log analytics platform.) Ben worked on Magnetise after becoming aware that internet intelligence research was being performed Detective Inspector Paul Masters, head of the manually by teams of analysts who had to visit Force's Digital Investigation and Intelligence (DII) individual web pages, looking for key terms, inspecting unit, says: “Both pieces of software have the images and links. This process was very resource potential to revolutionise the way in which law intensive and uncoordinated, resulting in risks of enforcement operates in what can be a resource- duplication and omission. intensive method of web capture and log analysis. He worked out how to automate these searches using a “This has already been recognised on a local and collection of freely-available software tools. By crawling regional level with the intention of supporting UK target websites using a small computer program police as a whole. ('spider'), the content for an entire website is “These products have the potential of saving systematically retrieved and stored within a local agencies significant resources, expenditure and database. This makes the website content easily ongoing training costs, while increasing the clarity searchable by indexing the content as it's saved. and number of positive lines of enquiry available Magnetise is being trialled by several units within to investigating officers.” Hampshire Constabulary and has been viewed by other Forces and the Regional Organised Crime Unit. Essex Volunteer Police Officers Give a Huge Contribution Volunteer Police Officers gave more than 2,000 hours across bank holiday weekend back in the summer. There were more than 200 Specials working 309 Additionally, one of the Forces' long-serving Specials, duties; amounting to a huge 2,420 extra hours policing Special Inspector Steve Pipe from Stansted Airport, in Essex. More than 900 of these hours were spent on had a busy weekend out of the County as he high-visibility patrol offering reassurance to residents. represented the Force at the NPCC National LGBT+ During these duties, Special Constables dealt with a Conference in Cardiff alongside 300 other Officers number of different incidents. They arrested five representing all UK Forces. The Conference helped people for knife-related crime while supporting raised awareness of hate crime, LGBT+ rights and Operation Sceptre, with a further 10 arrests for similar discussed how Officers can work to bring communities crimes across the weekend. Operation Sceptre is together. Steve also joined the hundreds of Officers at dedicated to reducing knife crime on the streets. Cardiff Pride, on the Saturday. Sadly, they also dealt with a serious road traffic collision in Loughton and continued to support the investigating officers' enquiries throughout the weekend. Sarah Wright from the Special Constabulary said: “Bank holidays are really busy weekends for the Force. Our Specials have made a huge contribution in responding to that demand with nearly more than 2,000 hours volunteered by more than 200 officers. They have truly made a difference to the Force and our communities.” As this is the largest Pride event in Wales, Steve was called to duty and supervised more than 20 Special Constables to make sure Cardiff residents and their guests had a fun but safe time. Suffolk Constabulary I'm old enough to be the grandfather of a couple of colleagues on this training course! "I am fairly fit and, whilst there is no doubt it was the younger members At age 63, Steve Mitchell of the group that were breathing may be more mature than normally at the end of the beep the average Police Officer test, I certainly held the ground on in training but he's not behalf of the older generation. letting that stop him from joining the ranks of the Special Constabulary. “Age is not a prohibitive factor, it is fitness and ability that matter.” Steve passed out of Training in June “My retirement has given me the 2019 and is now continuing his fortunate opportunity of being able "That said, people my age bring professional development training to put something back into the with them a wealth of life in and around Bury St Edmunds. community and the Constabulary in experience that the younger a very tangible and meaningful way, specials have yet to find and I feel Steve originally joined Suffolk that this is incredibly useful in, for Constabulary in May 2018 as a off the back of the mass of experience I have gained over the example, developing an empathy Police Support Volunteer with and understanding with the Transport Services. years; from school, through university, and in my work life and community and with other Police "It was this exposure to the personal life." Officers. Constabulary that made me think "It is also essential that there are about how I could, and why I Following on from his previous work with Transport Services and his keen applicants, like myself, who are wanted to, contribute further to the 'Career Specials', and opportunity to Constabulary," said Steve. interest in cars and driving – being a member of the Institute of progress through a rank structure, "I was always conscious when Advanced Motorists – Steve hopes and to experience the numerous commuting to London that the to qualify as a response driver and diverse areas of policing, are armed police on the streets of the to work with Roads Policing. certainly available. City were there to protect me. "I would love to develop my driving On the training itself, Steve said: "It "The fact they hadn't a clue who I skill to a higher level, and use that is terrific to see how quickly and was, but were still prepared to and the experience gained with well the group of us on the course protect me, and hundreds of others Roads to coach and encourage have bonded. like me, was a sobering thought. others to drive better and more "There is a huge amount to learn, "Furthermore, I wanted to develop safely." both theoretical and practical, but it myself, my skills and my knowledge While now ready to get stuck into is fascinating, highlighting how in an environment not really Special Constabulary life, Steve did necessary it is to think in a different previously encountered, moving have some apprehensions before way to reflect a world that we're well outside my comfort zone in starting. perhaps not used to encountering. both a physical and mental way." "One of my concerns was my age, "The trainers at PHQ are absolutely Steve worked in insurance and and I discussed this with various first class, providing a thorough and reinsurance for 37 years, travelling colleagues and friends, all of whom correct basis from which to go around the world, before retiring were very supportive and very forward, and it is quite humbling to four years ago.