ISSUE 3WINTER 2011

THE NORTHWEST VOICE OF THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY

Welcome to Issue 3 of Special Impact. I hope youlike our festive front cover; I enjoyed spendingtime with the specials that kindly volunteered tobe photographed at the Trafford Centre. It wasdifficult to choose a front cover shot, as you willsee from the additional photos that are publishedelsewhere in the magazine.

A few weeks ago, the government released the statistics from its last everCitizenship Survey with the report detailing a decline in voluntary activity overthe past years. Interestingly, the level of interest in joining the SpecialConstabulary has risen, as you will see from the recruitment article on page 8. We have had a 35% growth in the North West Special Constabulary since 2009with current regional strength at 2083 officers.

You may recall that in 2010 I was involved in a Special Constabulary nationalsurvey whereby a key outcome throughout the survey results was that the SpecialConstabulary wanted more training. I hope that you feel that we do try andlisten to your views when you read that we have just delivered our third first linesupervisors course to the region. In addition, dates have been released for aregional second line supervisor’s course to be delivered in January and 32 SCNorth West senior officers have attended the National Senior LeadershipProgramme this year.

Our SC trainers have formed a focus group to look at developing a consistentregional police action checklist and once this is in place the region will bedesigning and delivering a regional SC tutor constable course with the aim ofoffering more support to probationer specials to enable them to achieveindependent patrol.

As you know, Employer Supported Policing is a high priority with me and I ampleased to inform you that we will be having a new ESP function on Duty Sheetby the end of December. I will then be contacting you all to ask that you utilisethis function to help me develop ESP activity throughout the region. I would alsolike to take this opportunity to remind those of you that have ESP leave to ensurethat you update the ESP activity box when updating your duties. Thank you.Don’t forget to read our regular ESP article highlighting the latest company tosupport the Special Constabulary.

Finally, I would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2012.

Tina SheltonNorth West Regional Co-ordinator

The last twelve months have beenparticularly challenging for officers andstaff, but even through thesechallenging times, the interest in theSpecial Constabulary continues to behigh, to such an extent as we have awaiting list of people wishing to join inGMP. It may be of no surprise that thebiggest peak in interest came in theperiod closely following the civil unrest

during this summer – a clear sign that the publiccondemned the actions of the few, and wanted to make adifference to their communities.

The Special Constabulary continues to make a positivecontribution to the communities in which they live andwork, working in partnership with their regularcounterparts, PCSO’s and outside agencies, all of whichcreate a tangible difference within our neighbourhoods.

Looking ahead, we need consolidate our presence in thecommunities and ensure that our officers are properly andeffectively tasked and targeted where they will have themost impact on bringing offenders to justice, andreducing anti-social behaviour.

We continue to invest heavily on ensuring that oursupervisors have the necessary skills to effectively leadtheir teams. The North West Region has recently produceda First-Line Supervisors course, aimed at Sergeants andthose aspiring to take this first step into supervision, andin fact I was pleased to open the third first line supervisorscourse at Lancashire Constabulary recently, and hope youwill read the feedback from the article on page 9 whichhas been really positive. It is a compliment for the NorthWest that the course has attracted much attention fromoutside the region, with the Metropolitan Police,Gloucestershire and West Midlands all wanting to sendtheir special sergeants on future North West courses.

Feedback from the First-Line supervisor’s course has beenso great, that a Second-Line supervisors course has nowbeen produced, which is aimed at Inspectors – the first ofthese courses will be held next January. These courses, tiedin with the NPIA Senior Leadership DevelopmentProgramme, ensure that we have skilled and motivatedleaders at all levels within the Special Constabulary, allassisting to make the Specials a highly effective andreactive resource.

Recently, GMP Special Constabulary supported the force in Operation Protector, which is the conservative partyannual conference. This year, the GMP SC was givenadditional responsibilities throughout the Operation and I believe this is in recognition of the professionalism thatthe Special Constabulary has developed through excellenttraining and development opportunities.

The Special Constabulary National Conference planning iswell underway and as the host SC Chief Officer I havebeen really pleased that the SC2012 event has been ableto progress despite our current financial climate. This isvery much due to the support we have had from oursponsors NPIA, Taribo and GMPA, plus our exhibitors, allof which can be seen on the conference websitewww.sc2012.co.uk. It is also testament to the planningteam that they have utilised every contact they have andcontinue to work hard on the preparations to bring aninteractive and informative conference to the delegates.

Finally, on behalf of myself and the other NW SC ChiefOfficer’s, I wish you and your families a very happyChristmas and here’s to another productive New Year!

Paul WhittamChief Officer, Greater Manchester Police

Once again, Special Impact demonstrates thediverse policing activities that the SpecialConstabulary participates in, not only in the NorthWest, but also across the country. I am pleased tosee the many different initiatives that you havetaken ownership and responsibility for in additionto the everyday support you give to your regularcolleagues and communities.

The government’s localism bill is about encouraging people to take responsibilityfor activities and services within their communities and the Special Constabularyis a great example of demonstrating how members of the public can beempowered to resolve problems locally ultimately working towards making theirneighbourhoods a better place to live and work in.

As we approach Christmas I know many of you will be giving your time topolicing duties, very likely over and above your usual commitment and I wouldlike to thank you all for your continued support to the police service. I wouldalso ask you to pass on my thanks and appreciation to your families and friends,whom without their support to you would not allow the Special Constabulary tofunction to the level it does.

Finally, it just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Chief Constable Peter FahyGreater Manchester Police

Welcome...

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The Special Constabulary National Conference is beinghosted by Greater Manchester Police on 23- 25 March2012 and will take place at the Hilton Airport Hotel,Manchester. Planning the event continues with newsponsors joining us in terms of exhibiting andsponsoring our workshops and seminars. Theworkshop and seminars are all organised and can be seen at www.sc2012.co.uk

Tina Shelton, NW Regional Co-ordinator, states “Theplanning team have had a good booking responsefrom forces across the UK plus delegates from Scottishforces, and more recently an enquiry from the RoyalCayman Islands Police Special Constabulary.

Friday evening seminars have now been introducedand delegates will choose a session upon their arrivalat registration. These seminars include a presentationfrom Neil Henderson, a TVP Special Constable who isan ex news producer and will be talking about themedia industry, the Q&A panel, and GMP’s Xcalibretask force who are a dedicated unit dealing with gang-related gun crime, predominantly focusing on

the Moss Side and Old Trafford areas.”

The gala dinner will be supporting North WestBreakthrough in Breast Cancer and Cancer ResearchUK and there has been a great response from local and national companies donating raffle prizes for thisevent for which the planning team would like toextend their thanks to.

Any enquiries for the SC2012 national conference canbe made by emailing sc2012@gmp.pnn.police.uk

New Exhibitors for SC2012 are:

No. 1 Copperpot Credit Union IPA PNLD

2012 NATIONAL CONFERENCE UPDATE

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At the Special Chief Officers Conference in October at Ryton, LabourMP Vernon Coaker, addressing the delegates, said “One of thelessons learned from the disorder was that we need a surgecapability. Order was restored when 16,000 were officers on thestreets of London alone, and frankly that demonstrates to me thatnumbers do matter. Helping to provide this surge capability issomething that the Special Constabulary could look at along withregular colleagues in the Police Service."

He went on to say:"Although there has been a big increase in numbers of specialconstables following the disorder I think that we should look athow we can get a massive increase."

The MP also suggested that remuneration for specials should also be a point for discussion – whetherit took the form of a Council Tax rebate or small payment and he highlighted that several forces werenow using the Special Constabulary as a recruitment tool for their regulars and this could becomemore common in future.

SPECIAL NEWS REPORTLucy Meacock and Tony Morris presentedGranada Reports on 4 October featuringSpecial Sergeant David Hyde from Stockport. The storyline revolved around the increasedinterest in joining the Special Constabulary sincethe August riots. Greater Manchester Police had had the biggest increase with 788 expressions of interest in August 2011 compared to 110 in August 2010.Merseyside has seen a 50% increase and

Lancashire 280% increase. Special Sergeant Hydewho, when not performing policing duties, is abaggage handler at Manchester Airport, said thatthe ‘Special constabulary is a perfect opportunityto get involved with policing the community’Special Sergeant Hyde thinks that peoplewatching the riots on TV bought everyonetogether, and the increased interest in joining theSpecials is because people want to prevent suchincidents happening again.

Chief Superintendent Nick Adderley was interviewed saying:

“there is no doubt that the recent riots has increased the level of interest in becoming a special constable – this opportunity allows people from our communities, that have a vested interest in theircommunity to contribute directly in policing their community”

Around 100 officers doing 600 hours duties over 5 days is how the Special Constabularysupported Operation Protector, which is the Conservative Party Conference event held inManchester City Centre. On the Sunday, 35,000 protestors marched across ManchesterCity Centre, drawn to the city because of the start of the Conference.

The large-scale protest passed smoothly, and the early engagement with the marchers and the policing style adoptedensured that no arrests became necessary, which is an exceptional achievement. Manchester City Centre was brought swiftlyback to 'business as usual' once the demonstration was over, albeit while the Conservative Party Annual Conference and itssecurity demands continued.

ACC Ian Hopkins expressed his thanks and appreciation to all those officers and staff who were involved in this year'sOperation Protector. He said “Once again I have been struck by the professionalism and dedication of all staff involved as they

ensured that the event ran smoothly, despite the additional challenges of theprotests on Sunday 2 October…. and this year we had outstanding support from theSpecial Constabulary”

GMP Special Constables met HomeSecretary Theresa May on her tour ofthe force and pictured are SC LyndonRiley and together Special SergeantJagmail Singh and Special SergeantTracey Edwards.

Kieran O’Neill is a Cheshire Special Constable that workedwithin BT’s call centre. BT is one of the companies that grantEmployer Supported Policing leave of up to 10 days per annumto enable specials to conduct voluntary duties or training.

BT wanted to look at its first line complaints procedures andwhen the centre manager realised that Kieran was a specialconstable and handled conflict situations regularly in this rolehe was asked to put together a training package that wouldimprove complaint advisors responses in de-escalating conflictand settling complaints at first point of contact.

Kieran states, “Obviously the two work places are drasticallydifferent, however the work as a constable could betransferred in terms of complaint handling into an advisorsrole. I created a conflict management module that wasspecific to an interaction between a call centre advisor andcustomer. This was used as the main coaching documentalongside facts about effective communication and the two-way communication circuit.”

Over his time delivering this training, the centre as a wholereduced complaints sent offline, which produced a positive

impact in the centres atmosphere. Advisors taking ownershipand responsibility to settle complaints and de-escalate conflictenabled them to deal with matters at first point of contact;this helped with both business and customer need. Customerswere happy their issues where dealt with and BT where happythat they were dealt with immediately with no need forunnecessary back office work.”

Whilst this particular piece of work was not undertaken via theemployer supported leave policy, it nonetheless demonstrateshow the skills learnt as a special constable can be transferredback into the workplace to be of benefit to the specialsorganisation.

Special transferable skills

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Guest Forces...HERTFORDSHIRERural SpecialsAcross Hertfordshire, 26 appointed Rural Special Constables are makinga positive impact to help their local community in both reducing crimeand bringing those offenders responsible for crime to justice.

Rural SC’s help reduce rural parish crime suchas poaching, hare coursing, fly-tipping, theftof plant and high-value farm

Hertfordshire Constabulary was the first force in the country tolaunch the new specialist role of Mounted Rural SpecialConstable in October 2009 to help reduce crime and anti-socialbehaviour in the rural parts of the county.

Horse riders, gamekeepers, rural workers or anyone who has akeen interest in rural and wildlife matters is invited to join theSpecial Constabulary rural team

With 26 Rural Special Constables, including four mounted,already in post and five currently in training, the Constabularyis intending to recruit up to 32 Rural Special Constables onhorseback by March 2012. Each Rural Special on horsebackundertakes a specialised training course to develop their ridingskills and to ensure they possess the necessary skills and

abilities to perform this specialist role. Tobecome a mounted Rural Special, you mustown your own horse or have access to ahorse that you can use to perform thesespecialist-mounted patrols in the ruralparishes of the county.

I enjoy patrolling on horseback– I can exercise my horse andmake a difference in mycommunity”Rural Mounted Special Constable KateSolomon

Inspector George Holland, theinspiration behind the initiative said “ Ihad been aware of the need to improvethe policing to the Rural Districts inHertfordshire for many years. I decidedthe best way of achieving this objectivewas to recruit more people from ourrural locations/families and from ruraloccupations into the SpecialConstabulary” Inspector Holland goes

on to say “With the support of their regular colleagues, therural special constables have the ability to transform policingactivities in rural districts”

The Hertfordshire Rural Special Constables aim to improve thequality of life for residents in the Hertfordshire countryside.Some examples of this are when gamekeeper SpecialConstable Richard Downs (pictured) helped solve a long-termquad bike issue in Redbourn and Hemel Hempstead by issuingwarning and confiscation notices to riders drivinginappropriately and mounted rural special Kate Solomon was

on patrol along a bridleway when she observed a number ofyoung people smoking cannabis in a car. As a result of herintervention, the offenders were stopped and dealt with.Other initatives that the team get involved with are the HorseWatch scheme which includes property marking saddles andkeeping in touch with the equestrian community.

County Officer, Hertfordshire Association of Parish andTown Councils, Carina Helmn said: "We want toempower our local residents to become a visiblepresence within the community to help keep our townsand parishes an even safer place to live. We have seenthe introduction of Rural Special Constables in thecounty and can see the real benefits of supporting theConstabulary with this new initiative. We hope thispartnership will bring even more great results in 2011."

The Rural Specials have had such an impact on the localcommunity that farmers, landowners and other folk in ruralHertfordshire have chipped in to help equip their local specialconstable with a Land Rover – and it’s already payingdividends. Since SC Richard Downs took delivery of the 4x4Defender with police livery at the end of April he has beenable to maintain a high-visibility police presence in rural andremote areas of the county to deter poachers and othercriminals. Richard, who is a gamekeeper at Holtsmere EndFarm, said: “It’s been a real talking point. Locals have beenproviding me with information about suspicious activity, whichhas already led to arrests for various offences. Many localpeople felt there was never a police presence in rural areasand have been surprised to see me out early mornings and lateevenings. As I know the local people they have beenproviding me with information about suspicious activity, whichthey may not have otherwise supported.”

Keepers have been informally policing the countryside eversince they were first employed. Before World War I and up toWord War II gamekeepers were often encouraged to becomespecial constables by their employers. It wasn’t until policingbecame more urbanised that this practice changed and almostdied out. Inspector George Holland says “Individuals likeRichard are the reason this policing activity is growing anddeveloping, helping to reduce the crimes and criminalbehaviour that has such a disproportionate impact on thequality of lives of those who live and work in the rural areas ofthe county.”

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Miller said: “Our Rural Special Constables have already made apositive impact across our rural communities bybeing a visible presence, reducing crime andgathering vital information”

THAMES VALLEYOlympics Special Constabulary TeamDuring the 2012 Olympics, Thames Valley Police is one of the forces hosting a venue. Dorney Lake InBuckinghamshire will be hosting the rowing and canoeing events during both the Olympics and theParalympics events.

The need to significantly increase Olympic resources in boththe lead up to the events and during the events themselveswas identified and the TVP Special Constabulary wasapproached to help. A dedicated Special ConstabularyOlympics Team, with officers drawn on secondment from anumber of local police areas across the force, has beencreated.

The specialised team members are on a year’s secondment andcomprise of a Special Inspector, two Special Sergeants and nineSpecial Constables. The selection criteria was based onapplication including historical duty hours, Independent PatrolStatus, completion and compliance with mandatory trainingrequirements, driving qualifications and good conduct /activity records. This dedicated SC Olympics Team isaccommodated within a newly refurbished police station atTaplow, a couple of miles from the Lake.

Since the establishment of the dedicated SC Team in August,activity has been significant. The officers have been issued witha dedicated marked patrol car, new cycles and cycle gear andhave received intensive cycle training – not just the basics, butincluding aspects of crowd control using cycles and cycling inteams. They have also been briefed in the Counter Terrorismand Intelligence aspects of the events and are updated on thisregularly.

This core SC team will provide the lead to the total SpecialConstabulary resource which in total will be at least 24 officersper 24 hours, drawn from local police areas across the forcewith cover provided through the entire 18 days of thecombined events.

A key role for the SC team during the Olympic eventsthemselves will be to deploy on the river launches withEnvironment Agency Officers and to control passage throughthe locks at each end of the stretch of the river alongside theOlympics venue. Suitable safety gear has been secured for theofficers and the necessary training arrangements are currentlybeing made.

The team have been gathering intelligence over the monthsenabling them to become experts on the local geography, localtrade and residents, knowledgeable on all the waterways,routes and moorings along the relevant stretch of the RiverThames and capable of assessing, during event time, what is“normal” or “abnormal” activity

Since inception, the response to the SC Olympics Team hasbeen very positive from local businesses, residents and thelocal TVP regular neighbourhood teams being supported bythe team – numerous incidents have been attended to anddealt with by the SC team.

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Expressions ofinterest stillremains high

Laura with Special Constable Chris Cowen

Expressions of interest to join the SpecialConstabulary continue to flood in since theAugust disorder where the SC had asignificant impact on providing visiblereassurance to the communities they volunteerwithin.

Recruitment seminars have continued to beheld in both GMP and Cheshire forces. Thethinking behind these events is to informmembers of the public of the wide range ofpolicing activities that Specials get involved in.By managing potential applicantsexpectations, plus giving relevant informationon the recruitment and training process,assists forces with their attrition rates betweenapplication and appointment, thus savingcosts and resources for both the potentialapplicants and the police service. If attendeesfeel at the end of the seminar that the role ofa special constable is not for them, then theyare offered the opportunity to considerbecoming a Police Support Volunteer.

Laura Bell attended Cheshire’s recruitmentseminar in October. She is a student at WestCheshire College studying on the publicservices course, also working part time atMarks & Spencer. Laura says “The course I amon offers the opportunity of becoming apolice cadet with Cheshire, however, as I havejust turned 18 I am able to join the SpecialConstabulary which will give me an insightinto what it is like to be a police officer as thisis what I am considering for my career longterm. This evening has really helped tounderstand the types of activities I would getinvolved in as a Special, as well as giving greattips on the application process.”

GMP TOOK OVER THE CITY’S ALBERTSQUARE RECENTLY TO HOST A MAJORCOMMUNITY EVENT.

All residents of Greater Manchester were invited to theGMP♥MCR Community Event on Saturday 29 October in Albert Square, Manchester City Centre, which also coincided with the National Voluntary Make a Difference Day.

The event aimed to encourage people to become part of the KeyIndividual Networks (KINs), a valuable part of neighbourhoodpolicing. A KIN is made up of members of the community whohave an interest in their local area and keeping it safe. Themajority of members have access to their own network of localpeople, which they use in keeping communities informed of whatpolice are doing.

The square was filledby displays from theservice and the eventwas supported by theGMP Special Constablesas well as the ForceBand (volunteers) whoentertained the crowdswith a range of popularsings throughout theafternoon.

“

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Third Row (l to r) Acting S/Sgt Hilbourne (Cumbria), S/SgtKirkham (Cumbria), Acting S/Sgt Adams (Cumbria), S/SgtStockley (Merseyside), S/Sgt Ellis (Cheshire), S/Sgt Dixon(Lancashire), S/Sgt Longworth (GMP), SC Harding (Lancashire),SC Shepherd (Lancashire), PC Haycroft (Northants), SOSatchwell (West Midlands)

Second Row (l to r) PC Dewilde (Hutton Hall Staff), PCWhitehead (Hutton Hall Staff), S/Sgt Dutton (Merseyside), SCWillcocks (GMP), S/Sgt Cannon (GMP), Acting S/Sgt Holmes(Merseyside), S/Sgt O’Gorman (Merseyside), SC Rose (GMP),S/Sgt Mellor (Lancashire), SC Bassett (Lancashire), SC Johnson(GMP), Acting S/Sgt Tague (Merseyside), SC Limb (Lancashire),S/Sgt Clarke (Lancashire), SC Browne (GMP), SC Arkell (GMP),PC Robinson (Hutton Hall Staff), PC Sigger (Lancashire)

First Row (l to r) S/Sgt Bennett (GMP), SC 999 Chinnery (GMP),Acting S/Sgt Henderson (GMP), S/Sgt Markham (Merseyside),S/Sgt Powell (Merseyside), S/Sgt Sambrook (Metropolitan),Acting S/Sgt Carey-Shields (Merseyside), PC Smith (Hutton HallStaff), Insp Holleran (Hutton Hall Staff), PC Bailey (Hutton HallStaff) , S/Sgt Redmond (Cheshire), S/Sgt Duckworth (Cheshire),SC Wilkin (Lancashire), SC Berwick (Lancashire), S/Sgt Spencer(Hutton Hall Staff), S/Sgt Taylor (Lancashire), S/Sgt Bennison(Merseyside)

North West Regional - Special ConstabularyFIRST LINE SUPERVISOR WEEKEND WORKSHOP

The third SC First Line Supervisorscourse took place in November where35 North West Special Sergeants andConstables aspiring to be Sergeantswere in attendance. In addition, wewere pleased to welcome SpecialSergeants from the Metropolitan SpecialConstabulary, West Midlands Policeplus observers from Gloucestershire andNorthampton.

SC GMP Chief Officer Paul, Whittamopened the course on the Fridayevening and stated “Forces are placing agreat deal of emphasis on ensuring thattheir Special Constabulary leaders arefully trained and have the necessaryskills to manage their officers.’ He wenton to say ‘I and my counterparts acrossthe North West region certainly believethat it is only through effectiveleadership that the Special Constabularycan operate to the best of its abilities,and continue to grow as a professionaland reactive resource in that can only bedescribed as very challenging times foreach of our forces today.”

It was to this end that the first linesupervisors course was designed toensure that out North West SpecialSergeants receive suitable training tohelp provide the skills and knowledgerequired to undertake this role, whichChief Officer Whittam says “I believe therole of Special Sergeant is actually oneof the most demanding roles within theSpecial Constabulary”

Special Sergeant Ross Sambrook, fromMSC said, “I had a really good weekend!I meet some lovely people and reallyenjoyed the course. There was somehugely valuable content in the courseand certainly a lot to learn.”

T/Special Sergeant Cat Henderson fromGMP said, "The weekend allowed me tomake lots of new contacts and thecommand and control exercises weregreat fun. It is definitely a course thatgives you the tools to be a better

supervisor and I would recommendanyone currently a Sergeant or wantingto be a Sergeant to attend. Thewelcome and support of all thetrainers/staff at Hutton Hall was great. Overall a fantastic weekend."

Inspector Andy Johnson, observing from Gloucestershire Constabulary said,“The sessions I saw were outstanding.Inspector Martin Holleran, Dave S andDave B (Lancashire Trainers) wereexcellent hosts and their ability astrainers was a pleasure to observe. I am definitely interested in sendingGloucestershire special officers on the future North West leadershipcourses”

“There are many courses beingoffered to Specials. However theNW course was exceptionallyhelpful as it was so interactive fromstart to finish. It made a refreshingchange from the usual ‘slide’presentations we have become soused to. Really well organised,especially as there were so many of us. Fantastic!”

The host SC Chief Officer fromLancashire, Nigel Walters, talked aboutthe Special Constabulary being‘professional volunteers’ and when onduty how ‘there is a need forresponsibility and accountability in thesame way as regular officers’. He urgedthe attendees to work towards gainingan understanding of the supervisory roleover the weekend and reflect on theskills they would learn and how to putthem into practice.

The North West will be launching theirsecond line supervisor’s course forSpecial Inspectors and equivalent 13-15January 2012

The North West forces would like tothank their supporter BlackburnUniversity

North West Leadership Training Continues

TOOLKIT“visually powerful got the messageacross brilliantly”“Discussions were good and broughtout new ideas”

COMMAND & CONTROL EXERCISE“Learnt so much from this. Thischallenged us to think on our feet andwork as a team”“Helpful to think about responsibility,duty of care and health and safetypolicy and occupational health”“Great to learn how other forceswork”“Syndicate idea very good fornetworking”“Enjoyable session on performancemeetings and will be really useful ondivision”“Good to know how much we havelearnt when it has been recapped“Best structured course I everattended”

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LOCAL FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGERAWARDED DIVISIONAL COMMANDER’SCOMMENDATIONFood and Beverage Manager and Special ConstabularyInspector are not an obvious combination but Philip Marczakjuggles them both commendably and has recently beenawarded a Divisional Commander's Commendation for hiswork throughout the August riots.

He successfully combines his position with the GreaterManchester Police along with managing the busy restaurantand bar at Ramada Encore Warrington hotel.

The Commendation recognised Philip’s hard work in policingthe streets of Manchester every night for a week during theriots, working with a team of Police Officers to ensure publicsafety.

General Manager of Ramada Encore Warrington hotel,Heather Hamilton says: “We have always been very proud of Philip’s role as a SpecialConstabulary Inspector and fully support him in any way wecan. We are delighted that his hard work has beenrecognised with this Commendation”.

This is not the first time that 26-year-old Philip has beenrecognised for his hard work and dedication to the policeforce. He was named Special Constable of the Year in 2006

for his work helping the Hindley Neighbourhood Team andhis policing support in Wigan Town Centre.

Philip, who currently manages 45 special constables and 9special sergeants, says: “People are always surprised when Itell them about my two different roles but they are not asdifferent as you might think. The leadership skills I havegained as a Special Constabulary Inspector have helped me inmy role as Food and Beverage Manager to lead my team anddeal with difficult situations”

Thirteen of St. Helens Special Constabulary assisted in helping to police the annual Willowbrook

Hospice Moonlight Walk. The walk started and finished at Alexandra Business Park and progressed

through the Eccleston and Prescot areas.

Before the start of the event officers paid extra high visibility attention to the Eccleston area with a

total of fifteen licensed premises being visited.

On the walk officers were utilised to promote the

safe completion of the walk for the participants.

Officers supervised busy road junctions and walked

with those taking part helping to keep walkers

safely on the footpaths whilst speaking to people

over a range of different issues and interests.

At the conclusion of the walk officers reported how

much they had enjoyed taking part; stating that it

was a fun and rewarding community event to be

involved in. Many said they would do the Moonlight

Walk again next year.

Merseyside Special Constabulary

on the 2011 Moonlight Walk

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Operation Sante is an operation running inNantwich, Cheshire to help with the night timeeconomy. This is due to the recent violent crimefigures which have risen dramatically. Theneighbourhood Inspector at Nantwich requestedthat the Nantwich Specials assist in theOperation. The role of the special constabularyduring this operation is to keep a high visibilitypresence by deploying by foot in the town centreand by being proactive before any issues escalateby taking positive action. The operation has beenrunning from the end of September and there isa team of seven Specials from Nantwich NPT, plussupport from the Crewe NPT Specials involved inthe initiative. The officers have issued Section 27direction to leave notices, made several arrestsand undertaken stop checks as appropriate.

Special Sergeant Mark Kendall talking to a doorman from the Union Vaults in Nantwich whilst on high visibility patrol.

Specials Support Night Time Economy

Merseyside Special saves distressed femaleSpecial Sergeant Michael Dutton was on uniformed mobile patrol recently incompany with two regular colleagues in the Lower Lane area of Liverpool.

A member of the public advised him that they had seen a young femalewho appeared to be distressed. It soon became apparent that the femalewas attempting to commit suicide in a clearly well researched and pre-meditated train of events. Special Sergeant Dutton managedto chase, apprehend and transport the young female toFazakerley Hospital where she was seen by the crisis team.Merseyside Special Constabulary are extremely proud ofMike's actions as he potentially saved a life and preventeda lot of grief amongst the female’s family and friends.

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Each issue we feature a Special Constable who is

supported by their organisation with additional paid

leave to perform their policing duties.

This issue we meet Special Constable Chris Graham who is

Store Manager at Specsavers, Runcorn, Cheshire.

Specsavers, Runcorn have recently adopted Option 2 of

the Employer Supported Policing programme, which

means that in times of emergency, Chris will be released

with pay to perform special constable duties. In addition

to this, the company also allows Chris an additional two

days paid leave per year to undertake training.

Specsavers is one of the best-known names in optical

retailing in Britain and is now an international company

having 1,300 stores across the world including Australia

and New Zealand. The company’s head office is in

Guernsey. Specsavers’ culture is all about serving people.

Unlike many other types of retailing, selling spectacles

involves much interaction with customers. Specsavers

depends on its people to deliver the highest standards of

customer care and service. This aligns with the policing

service where neighbourhood policing and

community involvement is so

important and being part of

the Special Constabulary

involves serving people from

local communities too.

Chris joined Cheshire Special

Constabulary in April 2010

and says that Specsavers has

always been supportive of

this voluntary role.

“My directors and everyone in the store have been

supportive. I am allowed flexible working, and they

released me to help police riots in the summer.” It is

since the dis-order in August when the store released

Chris at short notice to undertake police duties that they

have come on board officially with the ESP programme.

As a Specsavers store manager, Chris plays an essential

part in making sure that his store meets business

objectives and targets for customer service. He is also

responsible for recruiting, motivating and developing the

store team. He ensures that he has the right people, in

the right place, at the right time to meet customer

requirements. A big part of the manager’s role is to also

make sure that staff are on track with personal

development plans. Chris says, “Specsavers is similar to

the police service in terms of training and development

being a key focus for the organisation. I think it is

because Specsavers place so much importance on training

their staff they fully understand that the additional

training I get from being a police officer is of absolute

benefit to them.”

Chris spends around 8 hours a week as a special consable

and says “I undertake every type of police duty a regular

colleague would do. That includes neighbourhood

policing, response to 999 calls, arrests and traffic

operations. My practical policing skills have been useful in

my store when I dealt with a first aid incident where a

customer lost consciousness due to heart problems. “

Chris says that his self-confidence has increased since

becoming a special constable and he finds it easier to deal

with difficult situations and complaints in his paid role

too.

EMPLOYER SUPPORTEDPOLICING

AND FINALLY…As always please keep sending articles and photos so that the Magazine continues into the future. All ranks are welcome to contribute. Email articles to: Tina.Shelton@gmp.pnn.police.uk

Thank You

Regional Round-up13

SC Laura Stewart and Regular

Colleagues at the scene of an

accident in Workington The NW has worked in partnership with the WarringtonVolunteer centre to design and deliver "Just Volunteering "workshop The photo depicts the pilot delivery of thetraining which will be launched in the New Year

This editions regional round-up is apictorial look at the North West!

Regional Round-upThis editions regional round-up is apictorial look at the North West!

DECEMBER 2011

ISSUE 1

Welcome to Volunteers Matters

Front cover: - Tameside PSV Janet Gould with Stockport PC & GMP Town Crier at the recent I love Manchester event

Welcome to our first publication ofVolunteering Matters, which hasbeen created to share news andgood practice about our widerpolice volunteering programmesand to be a communication toolnot only for volunteers but also forthe members of staff that manageand support our volunteerswithout whom, in my opinion, ourvolunteer programmes would notget the support and recognition

that they deserve. It is also important to raise the profileand acknowledge the fantastic work that our volunteers doacross the North West.I think the key for those of us involved in volunteermanagement is to ensure that our volunteer programmes arenot only flexible, but also have the buy-in from our ACPOteams and relevant stakeholders. The subject of buy-in wasdiscussed recently at the North West PSV practitionersmeeting and I hope that the article on page three will enablesome more thinking around this area for our volunteermanagers and stakeholders alike.There are now around three million neighbourhood watchmembers across the UK and numbers have reached 9000nationally in terms of Police Support Volunteers, and bothroles help police forces deliver a better service to ourcommunities. In the North West we will be working towardscreating more innovative roles for volunteers and buildingon what has already been achieved. It is important that thepolice service encourage communities to be empowered andto get citizens more involved with policing theircommunities.I would like to thank everyone who contributed articles,without their support Volunteering Matters would not behere! Please keep sending in the stories and photographs sothat the future of the magazine is guaranteed. I am relyingon you all to fill the future pages of VM – and I look forwardto hearing about your productive initiatives.Tina SheltonNorth West Regional Co-ordinator

Following the success of SpecialImpact, it is great to see apublication dedicated to ourwider police volunteers and Ihope you enjoy this first editionof Volunteering Matters. It ispleasing to see the greatinitiatives our volunteers getinvolved in across the NorthWest.

The police service is in a great position to encouragelocal volunteers because of our commitment toneighbourhood policing. This is absolutely not aboutpolicing on the cheap at a time of budget cuts. We aredriven to strengthen engagement with local people andpromote active citizenship. We can't all just be passivecustomers of public services; surely we all need to playour part in active citizenship and this can be achievedthrough volunteering.Chief Officers would like to see the role of policevolunteers broadened. We are giving more power andownership to the community in terms of policing, forexample in restorative justice, use of social media, ourregular neighbourhood meetings and the growth wehave seen in the number of volunteer special constables.I believe that the police service could market the role ofvolunteers better than it does, and Volunteering Mattersgoes some way to improving communication in this areatherefore I would ask that you continue to support itslongevity by contributing examples of your excellentwork going forward.

Peter FahyChief constable, GMPACPO Regional Lead for Special Constabulary & Police Support Volunteers

Lancashire Volunteer Highly Commendedat National Award CeremonyElizabeth (Liz) Holden was awarded Highly Commended (aposthumous award) at the Special Constable & Police SupportVolunteer Awards 2011 at a ceremony held at Church HouseConference Centre in Westminster where Home Office MinisterDamian Green made th presentations.

Liz provided wide-ranging support as a PSV within LancashireConstabulary and prior to her sad passing earlier this year; shehad completed over 2,200 hours in support of operationalpolicing. She was also a highly proactive Neighbourhood Watchco-ordinator, provided valuable support to NeighbourhoodPolicing Teams at PACT meetings and would regularly ringback vulnerable members of the community to gatherinformation and provide public reassurance. Additionally, Lizplayed a central role in planning, and securing funding for,events for the benefit of elderly and vulnerable members of thecommunity. Margaret Dunn and Helen Dixon accepted theaward on Liz’s behalf.

Case Studyof a Volunteer

Hilary Hancox writesabout her role and whyshe volunteers……

My name is Hilary Hancox, and I am 48 yearsof age. I started working for Merseyside Policein St Helens on 8 August 2006. I work 1 – 2days per week; depending on how much workmy supervisor, Lynne Carberry has got for meto do.

I live inAshton inMakerfield,in aresidentialhome forbrain-injuredpeople; so, asyou canguess I havehad a braininjury myself,

although it was a long time ago, over 25 yearsago!!!! Before this happened to me I was a R.G.N.I trained in Broad Green Hospital, Liverpool, andwhen I qualified I went to work down South inTunbridge Wells, after this I went off to Americaon a working holiday, where I was hit over thehead in New Orleans, and so therefore I ended upat Transitional Rehabilitation Unit

To stop me from getting bored, I decided to gointo voluntary work, firstly I worked for CancerResearch, but I got fed up with this as all that Iwas doing was hanging up clothes, and the realreason why I wanted to do voluntary work was sothat I could meet more people and widen myhorizons. So, I decided to try to do some work forMerseyside Police and started work with Lynne. Iwork with her in the offices at the main St HelensPolice Station. I tend to work mainly helping withHome Watch and other office duties. I do somework on the computer too.

I also keep offering to make cups of tea, but I keepgetting turned down… they obviously haven’ttasted my brilliant tea / coffee!!

I really enjoy the work that I do for MerseysidePolice (I still keep hoping to meet the man of mydreams, in a uniform). I have previously won StHelens Community Volunteer of the year andbeen invited to a posh evening dinner at a swankyLiverpool Hotel and I recently attended an awardsevening to receive a certificate and thanks forworking 5 years with Merseyside Police. So if youfeel as if you have got something to give toMerseyside Police then don’t be afraid and give ita go!!

Cheshire Constabularyis expanding itsinvolvement withschools by engagingwith young people tocommunicate messagesto schools aboutstaying safe.

Working in partnershipwith Cheshire West andChester Council,Cheshire Police iscollaborating Junior Watch with the Road Safety Officers scheme.

The Junior Road Safety Scheme has been running very successfully inCheshire West for approximately 30 years. Each school has two year 6pupils that are nominated as Junior Road Safety and Watch Officers.

The role of the Junior Officers is to communicate the monthly messages asadvised by the collaborative partnership, run competitions and displaythe information around the school regarding everything to do withcommunity safety, personal safety as well as road safety.

The Officers are assessed at the end of the year on the scrapbook theyhave kept with a record of all the messages they have delivered, an awardis given to whoever is deemed the best Junior Officer.

Sarah Collins from Cheshire West and Chester council said: “The schemeis important for trying to keep everyone safe while they’re out and about.Additionally research shows that if you instil ideas into people from ayoung age you can mould their attitudes so in the future they’ll becomebetter drivers and motorcyclists.”

Jenny Ford the community engagement manager for Cheshire Policeadded: “The junior watch scheme is a simple way of getting messagesacross to the community and to lot’s of people who can pass them on topeople of all ages and all groups. These messages are so simple anyonecan easily understand them so they can be spread far and wide.”

The young people who are the Junior Officers believe it’s a good schemebecause it helps to keep other pupils safe. The role is undertaken by olderpupils in the school in the hope that younger ones will look up to themand take more notice of the messages.

The photographsshows the recentlaunch of the newinitiative atCheshireConstabularyHeadquarters.

Cheshire introducesJunior Road Safety& Watch OfficersScheme

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I was searching for something in the archivesof my Hot Topics and found myself amazedthat I have written 172 of these since 1997!I’ve commented on many different events,initiatives, successes, failures, and puzzlementsin our volunteer field. But one theme keepsrecurring: lack of enthusiasm about and truesupport for volunteer contributions fromthose in charge of organizations.

I will never understand the inability ofexecutive-level decision makers to “get” howimportant volunteers are to the health andsuccess of their organizations – or howimportant volunteers could be if approachedin a strategic and creative way.

It is inexplicable to me that the subject ofvolunteering is simply omitted from the boardroom, long-range planning, fundingapplications, financial accounting, andanything else perceived as criticalorganization management. Even worse,volunteer involvement is often handled at alevel far below the top – as a sub-unit of thedepartment willing to house it (notnecessarily the most logical one).

In many ways, this is the vital windmill atwhich I have been tilting throughout mycareer. Yet the call for attention needs to berepeated again and again. Why does nothingseem to change?

POWERFUL SOUND BITES

Those readers familiar with my writing,especially “From the Top Down” will not findanything new here as I’ve said it all before.But I want to highlight the key points in aneffort to give each of you some “sound bites”or “elevator speeches” to use in your ownadvocacy for our work. Unless we are unitedin how we articulate our vision, we cannotexpect executives to come up with thesepoints themselves.So, in the hope that these bullet points will beuseful, here is the most succinct set ofarguments I can make for not ignoringvolunteer involvement. And then I want youto add some more of your own.

• Volunteers are an essential part of anorganization’s network of supporters. Every organization needs friends in thecommunity – people who feel a sustainedrelationship with the cause and the mission,which they express in different ways overmany years – even over a lifetime. Thesesupporters move in and out of differentroles at different points in their lives(sometimes doing several at once): theygive money, time, and talent; they provide

access to information, valuable contacts,and in-kind goods and services; they spreadyour message and educate the public.

• Volunteers are time donors with limitlesspotential for contributing energy and aworld of skills. But that potential will notmaterialize without a strategic plan toattract and engage the right volunteers foreach organization.When hiring new employees, organizationsspend time and energy combing thecommunity, expecting to find the mostqualified applicants. That same communityis also a treasure trove of prospective skilledvolunteers. Expect to find them by alsoputting some effort into that search.

• Volunteers expand the brain of anorganization (as well as its heart). Acolleague in Perth, Australia expressed thisthought last month after attending one ofmy workshops there. He realized that hehad understood the “hearts and hands”gifts volunteers offer, but had not beforerecognized the addition of greater skillsand perspectives volunteers bring to thethinking of an organization (if we welcomethem to do so).

• Even though the staff is highly educatedand well trained, it cannot be assumed thatthey have ever been taught anything aboutworking with volunteers.

What’s my vision of utopia? That somedaycurriculum explaining the role ofvolunteering in society, the scope of citizenparticipation, and the basic principles ofeffective volunteer management is taughtwidely – at all levels of education andespecially within the professional trainingof any occupation that will, upongraduation, definitely be expected tointerface with volunteers on the job(examples: nurses, teachers, social workers,clergy).

• Poor volunteer management costs moremoney (and effort) than doing it right inthe first place.Signing on anyone who steps forward to“help” in vague ways, without clearobjectives and coordination, simply wastestime – for the paid staff and for thevolunteers. Who can afford to waste time?Worse, it can hamper achieving what reallyneeds to be done for your clients or thepublic, making the engagement ofvolunteers a drain on resources rather thanvalue-added.

• It is not self-evident that “having”volunteer’s means an organization issupported by the community – and adding“more” volunteers is not necessarily ameaningful objective. Some volunteers are loyal to the clients orthe cause, not necessarily to the

organization. Executives ought to find outwhat volunteers are really thinking andsaying in public. And, in some cases,focusing on fewer volunteers who are trulycommitted (and qualified) might be betterfor everyone.

• When we value something, we plan for,fund, oversee, and evaluate it. So if we donot do these things for volunteerinvolvement, what’s the message?When we value something, we designatesomeone to be responsible for it (someonewith the skills and interest to do it well).Organizations should have someone incharge of volunteer involvement, not assignit as a sideline activity for someone whoreally isn’t interested or qualified.

• “Volunteer” does not mean low-level (nomatter what word you use). Board members are volunteers, as are mostadvisory councils, student interns, pro bonoconsultants, and loaned executives! Theymay describe themselves with differentterminology, but the common denominatoris that a wide range of people contributetheir expertise and time without going onthe organization’s payroll. Surgeonsvolunteer vacation time to performoperations in poor countries. Never assumea “volunteer” is unskilled.

• It takes a village to raise a child, and ittakes an entire organization to supportvolunteers.Even with a highly competent director ofvolunteer involvement, every single staffmember shares responsibility for dailyinteraction with volunteers, partnering toaccomplish goals. And the expectation forthis is set by top management. How senioradministrators demonstrate theircommitment to involving volunteersdetermines how most staff will perceive it.

• The key to unlocking the opportunitiespresented by volunteers is to payattention.As with any other management function,the success of volunteer involvement isdirectly proportional to the amount of timespent thinking about, reaching the rightdecisions on, monitoring, and improving it.Volunteers should be on the executiveagenda for the same reason that clientservices, money, and employees are.

Volunteering Matters would like to thank Suefor sharing her article with us. For furtherinformation please go to Sue’s website:http://www.energizeinc.com

Do you agree with Sue's views? Feedback to tina.shelton@gmp.pnn.police.ukwould be welcomed.

Each issue we will have a specialist in volunteeringguest to share their views with us. This edition wewelcome Susan J Ellis, President of Energize, Inc.,a training, consulting, and publishing firm thatspecialises in volunteerism.

I’ll Never Understand WhyExecutives Still Don’t UnderstandBy Susan J. Ellis

STREET WATCHLAUNCHES INBRINNINGTONBrinnington residents haveformed their own Street Watchscheme with the support oftheir local neighbourhoodpolicing team. Street Watch members will patrol Brinnington wearing highvisibility jackets to provide a presence in the community,reporting back to police about antisocial issues such asnuisance behaviour, graffiti and underage drinking. Thevolunteers will walk around the area a minimum of twohours a month. Inspector Jonathan Kelly, from the Stockport NorthNeighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This is not aboutvolunteers confronting people and putting themselves indanger as they will phone police officers if an immediatepolice presence is required. The scheme is about bringingpeople together, having a presence on the streets andidentifying issues that they want police to resolve. It is thecommunity working in partnership with the police and welook forward to celebrating some successes with thecommunity in the very near future.” Councillor Helen Foster-Grime, Stockport Council’sExecutive Member for Communities, said: “Street Watch is avery positive scheme which gives Brinnington residents theopportunity to work together in partnership with theCouncil and Police to identify issues which need resolving.This scheme will help bring the whole community togetherand make Brinnington an even safer place to live, visit andwork in.” Street Watch was initially set up by Chief Inspector PhilipKedge in East Hampshire three years ago. He went on patrolwith Brinnington Street Watch members to share hisexperiences. Street Watch member David Kirman said: “The police arelimited in how much time they can spend on the streets inour specific area so this is about us, the public, working inpartnership with the police to find the issues we want themto tackle.”

Community CrimeFighter honoredby High Sheriff

A crime-fightingcommunity stalwarthas been rewardedfor his tireless worktrying to improvethe quality of lifefor local people.Pete Thomas, co-ordinator of Fife StreetNeighbourhoodWatch for almost adecade, has wonthe High Sheriff’sAward. The 59-year-old was

recognised for the outstanding contribution he has made tothe communities of Barrow and beyond.Mr Thomas, of Fife Street, Barrow, was shocked to receivethe award and said the accolade was for the team and notjust him.The High Sheriff’s Award was presented by High Sheriff ofCumbria, Iona Frost-Pennington, at the annual generalmeeting of Cumbria Neighbourhood Watch on SaturdayOctober 8. Chief Constable Craig Mackey also gave a speech aboutpolicing and some of the challenges and successes over thelast 12 months. He recognised the significant partneighbourhood watches and community groups play incrime prevention and detection.The Fife Street Neighbourhood Watch group celebrates its10-year anniversary next year and Mr Thomas put its successdown to all the wonderful people who live there.He has also developed the Bringing Communities Togethergroup, which brings a number of neighbourhood watch andcommunity groups together across the Barrow andUlverston area. Speaking about the award, Mr Thomas said: “I thought itwas just a normal AGM so I was just really relaxed. “Then the award was announced and I was gobsmacked. Iwas just totally speechless.“It is an honour but I don’t do it for that. It might be myname on it but it is a team awards.“I get so much help off the police, fire service and so manyothers.“I can’t thank everyone enough for all they do.”Rebecca Rawlings, community safety officer for BarrowBorough Council, said: “I am really pleased that Pete hasbeen recognised in this way. He is a real advocate for thepeople of Barrow. “No-one cares more about our town and he works hardevery day to improve the quality of life for all of us who livehere. “Pete is not one for the limelight and is adamant that it is ateam effort. “While it is true to say that many people are involved, Peteis certainly an integral part of what goes on and wecouldn’t manage without him.”

The photograph shows Pete receiving the High SheriffsShield from the High Sheriff Mrs Iona Frost-Pennington DLand the Chief Constable Craig Mackey.

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WEB RESOURCES:http://www.npia.police.uk/en/9814.htm http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/big-societyhttp://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ http://www.ivr.org.uk/Volunteering+statshttp://volunteering.org.uk/ http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/citizenshipsurveyq4201011

LANCASHIRE CONSTABULARYCommunity Road Watch Scheme

The Community Road Watch initiative in Lancashire has trained 47 members of the public who are Community Volunteers,to work in partnership with the police at approved sites to provide a highly visible deterrent to unlawful and anti-socialdriving, with the aim to directly address road safety concerns, reduce road casualties, and enables intelligence on the leveland extent of driving offences to be assessed and recorded in respect of each location. The scheme is designated as aneducational activity and not as police enforcement

The offences the Community Road Watch team focus upon are:

• Drivers exceeding the speed limit• Drivers using mobile phones• Drivers and passengers failing to wear seat belts and/or child restraints

The Community Road Watch team monitors and records these offences at the designated locations, and when an offence isobserved the details are documented and then processed by the team. A letter is sent to the registered owner advising themthat their offending action has been observed and informing them that if, a second offence is recorded then a police visit, orpossibly prosecution, will follow.To ensure that the Community Road Watch volunteers who are involved with the scheme remain safe and can workeffectively, a full health and safety risk assessment for speed enforcement and speed compliance tactics will have beenconducted.