This is part of the National Specials Weekend, an annual event to highlight the valuable contribution Special Constables make to policing in communities across England and Wales every day. This year's theme is 'Road Policing Initiatives that Enhance Operational Delivery and Raise Public Confidence'. The theme was agreed with ACPO and chosen due to its potential for cross-border collaboration, high-visibility and operational support in an identified area of public need. A series of coordinated events will see Specials focusing on roads policing initiatives, dealing with problems such as speeding, illegal mobile phone usage whilst driving and drink/drug driving. The events include: Policing and Crime Minister Rt Hon David Hanson MP is one of several MPs who will be supporting their local force as part of the weekend, whilst ACPO Special Constabulary Lead, Chief Constable Peter Fahy, will visit the Manchester event. Special Constables can come from all walks of life, reflecting the diverse communities which they serve. Time spent as a Special affords the opportunity for personal development as well as making a real contribution to the safety of their local community. The Rt. Hon David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Counter-Terrorism is also visiting Flint Police Headquarters, within the North Wales Police force, this Friday to meet with some of that force's Special Constables. Mr Hanson said: "Specials are a crucial part of the policing family. They give up their own time to put on a uniform and deliver a service that not only assists regular officers but makes a real difference to communities. Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency said: "Specials provide a unique link with the communities they work within. They have a key role to play in neighbourhood policing with the diverse skills and experiences drawn from a life outside the force, as well as within. "Specials are often frontline responders, and a key part of this is the contribution that they make is in Roads Policing, emphasising the importance of this event." Notes to editors: About Specials Since April 2007, the NPIA has held responsibility for national policy on Special Constabulary issues. The NPIA also works with ACPO in implementing the National Strategy for the Special Constabulary, which will assist in the ongoing professional development of the Special Constabulary. NPIA further has responsibility for implementing the targeted increase in overall numbers of Special Constables as stated in the Policing Green Paper, From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing Our Communities Together, published in 2008. The NPIA also promotes links between Special Constables and businesses through the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) Scheme. ESP is a partnership between businesses, their staff and the police service which aims to engage with and assist organisations in providing support for their employees to volunteer as Special Constables. ESP was re-launched in October 2009 by the NPIA, who have developed a revised model to be rolled out nationally. Additionally, the NPIA promotes shared practice and offers advice and assistance to forces on the management of their Special Constabularies. For more information, please visit the NPIA's Special Constabulary web pages at: www.npia.police.uk/specials.htm About NPIA
"The events taking place as part of National Specials Weekend show just how professional and valuable Special Constables are."
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Special Constables are trained volunteer police officers who provide a valuable link between full-time police and the local community. Specials have the same powers as full-time police officers but are unpaid and work in their free time on a variety of police duties. The Special Constabulary has a long history, dating back almost 180 years. Latest figures indicate that as at 30 September 2009, there were 14,516 Specials, providing a voluntary policing resource to the 43 Home Office police forces in England and Wales.
The NPIA is a single national organisation created to support effective policing. It provides expertise in areas as diverse as information and communications technology, support for information and intelligence sharing, core police processes, managing change and recruiting, developing and deploying people. NPIA works for the police service and is governed by a tripartite board comprising ACPO, APA, Home Office and independent members.
For further information, contact Vincent Burke, Senior Press Officer at the National Policing Improvement Agency on 020 7147 8310 or Home Office press office on 020 7035 3535
