A night with the Specials

Yet the Special Constabulary do it for free.
 

This remarkable set of people give up their time to keep the public safe, many doing so in their spare time on top of their day jobs.
 

It is not easy and is certainly not for everyone but it is an opportunity, excuse the cliche, to make a real and quantifiable difference.
 

I spent an evening with the Chief Officer for Essex to have a chat and see what it takes.
 

Leon Dias is the Chief Officer and has been a Special for 16 years.
 

He lives and works in Colchester running family care homes but on Friday night he was given the dubious pleasure of showing me the ropes.
 

As a teenager he wanted to be a police officer but didn’t get in and then couldn’t afford to join when he got older because of the pay cut he would have had to take.
 

So he decided to become a Special and has never regretted it.
 

He said: “There are generally two types of people who apply. There are those who want to give something back and those considering joining the police full-time.”
 

It isn’t all high speed pursuits and sometimes they are assigned to guard a scene for hours but neither are they treated as the general dogsbody doing the tasks the cops don’t want to.
 

This became clear in just a few hours with Mr Dias with our activities ranging from a foot patrol around the town centre, an operation tracking cars through the Hythe looking for burglary suspects and cutting off an escape route following a suspected robbery at knifepoint on the Greenstead Estate.
 

There are currently 524 Specials in Essex with 76 spaces available.
Mr Dias explained: “There is a recruitment drive and particularly in Colchester but we don’t just let anyone join.
 

“You have the same powers as a police officer so it is important to get the right people.”
 

And when you join you never know what will happen.
 

Mr Dias has been the first on the scene at a murder and helped provide security for a visit by the Queen and he firmly believes the main characteristics required are enthusiasm and integrity.
 

He said: “When the plane was brought into Stansted my phone rang off the hook with Specials volunteering to help.
 

“What the police force don’t want is people they have to carry. They want people who can help.”
 

At the moment the range of duties available include neighbourhood policing, working with the response team, with the operational support group or even the marine unit.
 

The only exemption is firearms.
 

And while some find out it is not for them - Essex has a turnover of 17 per cent a year - others stay for decades fulfilling the commitment of 16 hours a month.
 

The job is not paid but out of pocket expenses can be claimed - although Mr Dias says you never end up “in pocket”.
 

And it is not just about dealing with drunks and disturbances on Friday and Saturday nights in busy town centres.
 

Volunteers are needed 24 hours a day, 365 days a week.
 

During my Friday night there were 15 on duty in Colchester.
 

They ranged from teachers to plumbers, office workers to warehouse staff.
Mr Dias said: “There are moments of adrenalin and excitement but there is also a lot of hard work and training.
 

“We are normal people doing our bit.”
 

One of those doing their bit is Mark Barham.
 

Mark is a desktop engineer but in his spare time he becomes Acting Special Chief Inspector for Colchester.
 

He explained: “I have been doing it for 23 years thanks to a lot of support from my family.
 

“My brother joined the regulars and said it was something I might like.
 

“Every day is my best day because it is very rewarding and you get to meet a great bunch of people and make friends you would never have spoken to otherwise.
 

“The worst days are those two hour duties that turn into 12 hours and then you have to go back and explain to the family why you are late.
 

“But you are a part of something important and it is incredibly satisfying to make a real different to your community.”
 

To find out more visit www.essex.police.uk/specials