ISSUE 8 WINTER 2012 SPECIAL CONSTABULARY FEATURE IN NATIONAL AND LOCAL AWARDS See pages 9 -11 The National Strategy WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? WELCOME... for the Special Constabulary is now GOT A VIEW? embedded within the HAVE A QUESTION? Police Service and has provided the vision and Email the Editor: planning that has [email protected] allowed the Special Constabulary to Dear Editor grow from strength Will the Special Constabulary adopt the same to strength and has insignia as the Regular force, with the “SC” and helped make becoming crown above, throughout all the forces to give some a special an attractive consistency? opportunity to volunteer and give back SC Inspector, GMP to your community. Becoming a special is Response: also seen as one of the The rank structures and insignia used by the best routes into the SC across the country is inconsistent, I agree, regular service as well. however, in June 2005 ACPO Cabinet members were asked to endorse a proposal for As we move into the Special Constabulary to adopt and mirror December I would also the regular rank structure, therefore there is like to take this national guidance in place. 2012 has been a busy year for opportunity to thank policing and the police family has everyone who will be working this Currently only a minority of forces mirror the successfully helped to provide Christmas. The Christmas period regulars, and whilst the majority mirror the additional security at the London is traditionally a time for people to terminology they display different insignia to Olympics and Paralympics as well spend time with friends and family differentiate between a regular and a Special, as provide policing for the Queen’s but police officers accept they will usually by the use of a Bar or multiples thereof Jubilee. be required to work and they have to indicate the seniority of the individual. There the support and understanding of are also some other differences in that some The successful policing of these their families. This year, as in forces also display an ‘SC’ along with any bars, types of event are only possible previous years, the Special chevrons or pips used to indicate rank. with the help and support of the Constabulary, will be supporting Special Constabulary and police their regular colleagues in I understand that the ACPO SC Regional Leads volunteers. The London Olympics helping to provide a safe and happy have commissioned some work to be showed a true British quality of Christmas and New Year to their undertaken around the issues of rank and volunteering with the Game communities so I would also like to insignia and Special Impact will try and keep Makers helping to make the give a big thank you to the families you updated in this area. London Olympics the most and loved ones of all police officers, successful Olympics ever. Forces both regular and specials. Without across the country are reaping your understanding and support Hampshire Police put Special Impact on their the benefits of a highly-skilled and many people would be unable or Yammer site for anyone in the Constabulary professional police service and the unwilling to give their time so you to read. Yammer is an online social networking massive contribution played by the deserve tool which combines aspects of Facebook and Special Constabulary and Police recognition for helping to achieve Twitter and is used in the business Volunteers helps achieve this. the continued success of the environment. It allows the force to create a Special Constabulary and Police discussion network that only staff within our With now over 20,000 special Volunteers. organisation or selected partner agencies can constables across the country the join – it’s about networking with colleagues Special Constabulary accounts for Thank you and I hope you all have about work related issues. more than 10% of the national a safe Christmas and New Year! establishment showing a true commitment from both the people Jerry Graham who volunteer their time and the Assistant Chief Constable Subscription Enquiries service who have fully embraced Cumbria Constabulary the Special Constabulary as a If you would like to get on Special Impacts fully-fledged member of the police emailing list please email the editor: family. [email protected] My own force, Cumbria, was rewarded with over 78,000 hours Special Impact is produced by Tina from its 155 special constables – Shelton with support from Special Follow us on that’s 500 hours each or roughly10 Constable Graham Holmes, Twitter hours per week, every week. To College of Policing and the Special my Cumbrian colleagues I say thank Constabulary. @SCImpactMag you for your commitment. 2 Issue 8 SPECIAL IMPACT WEST MIDLANDS CHIEF OFFICER RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS SERVICE Gary Croshaw joined Warwickshire In 2011 Gary was nominated and & Coventry Special Constabulary awarded Coventry City Council, ‘The (SC) 4th September 1972 and was Coventry Award of Merit ‘. This was for posted to the Coventry Division. Outstanding Personal Performance and Gary worked on all 3 Coventry Sub Service to the West Midlands Police Divisions, carrying out a wide range Special Constabulary and this year he of duties and was promoted through was presented with an ACPO the ranks - Section Officer, Sub Certificate ‘In recognition of Divisional Officer, and Divisional Outstanding Service and Support to the Commandant (later re-titled to Special Constabulary’. In his 40 years Divisional Officer). Gary was the service Gary never missed a first DO in the Force to be given Remembrance Sunday duty at Bronze status whilst carrying out Coventry and since 1999 had the football duties at Coventry City privilege of representing Headquarters Football Club Gary was quick to and laying the SC wreath at the point out that in 25 seasons he only Memorial Cenotaph. Gary says “I missed 2 football duties! In 1999 consider it to have been an honour Gary successfully applied for the to lead the SC and I am particularly vacant Force Commandant post and pleased with the progress made with on promotion moved to Force regards to the integration of the SC Headquarters. Gary has also within the police family, improved represented the West Midlands deployment opportunities and the Region as a member of the SCNCG professional manner SC colleagues and as ASCCO Council member. In carry out their duties. On the 4th 2008 he was a finalist for the Pride of December, I will retire with some Coventry and Warwickshire wonderful memories of my SC service Community Awards for both his and of the lasting friendships made with Special Constabulary and Walsgrave SC, Regular Force and Police Staff Hospital volunteer roles. colleagues” CHIEF DELIVERS LEADERSHIP TIPS TO EAST MIDLANDS SPECIALS on the community and how vice. He explained how an ‘Hourglass’ model to work as a team, and how throughout the region would drive economy and they put all those different service forward, before finishing the event by present- elements together,” ing the delegates with their course certificates. explained Learning and Development Officer Mick Hardwick. The idea is to set the students a series of deployments which are impossible to cover as a whole. “We examine the process Chief Constable Chris Eyre took they go through and the decision to teaching a class of Special Con- making model they use to give stables about the leadership skills them the best fit for the resources expected of them. Mr Eyre visited they have got, when those the class at Ryton Police Training resources are fraught with certain Centre as the officers got to grips problems,” said Mick. “You may with a serious of ‘unwinnable’ have a Special Constables who situations. UPDATE... has not been on duty for three The challenges were set by In Issue 6 we featured Temporary Chief months. Can you send them Learning and Development tutors Officer Mike Cleasby from Cleveland straight out on duty? What are and the class was made up of Special Constabulary. Mike was planning they like with their PPE, or First specials from all five East Aid training, for example?” to do a Skydive for Cancer Research in Midlands forces. Mr Eyre’s session looked at the memory of his dad. You will be pleased to “We really want to get a look at challenges facing their thinking, how they develop know Mike did the jump, raised £857 and leadership, as resources relationships with people in survived! become scarcer and the public difficult situations, how to focus www.justgiving.com/Mike-Cleasby expects a ‘world class’ police ser- SPECIAL IMPACT Issue 8 3 ON DUTY WITH CUMBRIA ROADS POLICING surface examinations, damage to vehicles, some driving offences he is suspected of photographs and videos of the scene plus committing. However, after trying several skid testing to check the road conditions. addresses we cannot locate him. After our This was interesting to watch. Once refreshments we head out to Maryport CIU completed their work and recovery which is the host of the blues festival. arrived to remove the vehicles, the road The town is very busy, but there are was reopened. We returned to the station plenty of Neighbourhood Policing Team to do our paperwork relating to the staff so we go to the neighbouring town incident and checked up on the injured of Cockermouth. Here we see a vehicle driver. By the time we completed our which is parked on a zebra crossing and paper work it was the end of our shift. has an illegal number plate. The male driver returns and we speak to him. He Saturday 21st July 20:00-04:00 has only passed his test a little over a year Tonight I am working with Sgt Bawden.