The initiative is part of this year's National Specials Weekend which aims to highlight the valuable contribution Special Constables make to policing local neighbourhoods and communities every day. Their high visibility police presence helps to deter criminal activity and reassure local communities. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Special Constables are a vital part of our modern police service. They are the citizens who feel so deeply about their communities that they are prepared to put on a uniform and work alongside regular police officers and community support officers to help reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour. "There are more Specials than ever putting on a uniform to work alongside full-time officers and they should be praised for the difficult and challenging work they do." Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) said: "The Special Constabulary is a vital part of the police family. They play an important role in reassuring the public and providing a sense of security. "Over 14,000 Special Constables in England and Wales - of which a third are female - now provide a powerful and effective supportive role to the regular officers, strengthen diversity in the police service and provide a bridge between the police and the public that is representative of the community. "A new national strategy for Specials was launched in March this year which is providing advice and support on areas such as recruitment, training and development, leadership and tasking. This will help consolidate the Special Constabulary's status as a reliable, trusted and respected member of the policing family." Ends Notes to Editors: About NPIA The organisation's creation in April 2007 streamlined and simplified the way that policing improvement is delivered locally and nationally. NPIA works for the police service and is governed by a tripartite board comprising ACPO, APA, Home Office and independent members. The ACPO President is a member of the NPIA Board. Since April 2007, the policy on the Special Constabulary has transferred from the Home Office to the NPIA. The NPIA promote best practice, officer advice and assistance to forces, potential and serving Specials.
"Increased investment from the Home Office and the NPIA, and more interest from the public, has seen the number of Specials grow over the last few years.
NPIA is a single national organisation created to support effective policing. It provides expertise in areas as diverse as information and communications technology, support to information and intelligence sharing, core police processes, managing change and recruiting, developing and deploying people.
About Specials
The Specials are a force of trained volunteers who provide a valuable link between full-time police and the local community. Specials have the same powers as full-time police officers but they work in their free time on a variety of police duties. There are forty three Special Constabularies in England and Wales, one for each force.
