Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

A force will test a new approach to recruitment, roles and powers for people wanting to help it without getting paid.

City of London Police specials at a recent attestation event

A pilot scheme which will try to maximise the potential for volunteers to help the police service is about to begin.

City of London Police will test a new approach where anyone who wants to give up time for law enforcement will be encouraged to do so – even if no roles exist for them at the moment.

Under the Home Office-funded pilot the force, which leads on economic crime across the UK, is to introduce the system for trying to make the most of everyone who approaches it.

Special Commander James Phipson told Police Oracle: “One of the biggest problems in the past is somebody walks into the front office of a police station anywhere in the country and says I want to help you, and the only thing that can be done is to direct them to HR. 

“Now HR doesn’t know what to do with them until it’s got a role description, risk assessment, you probably need vetting. Already you’ve probably derailed the police’s ability to use that person,” he said.

Everyone “from the owner of an enormous accountancy firm” to a “pensioner who lives nearby” who approached the force will be sent to a recruitment event, to be held once a month.

“Those events will be very different from events in the past, the role is really to evangelise, to say – if you want to help the police we want to help you to do so.

“There’s lots of ways you can help us, we’ll use case studies that range from a barrister who might be prepared to take the odd phone call on a legal issue right the way through to an accountancy firm who will commit its fraud department to come in and assist us on a regular basis., or through to mucking out the stables.”

He also gave examples of manning front desks and making tea in control rooms during crises.

While the accounts of people being turned away from helping the police are anecdotal, researchers from the University of Northampton will be evaluating the pilot.

The initiative will be launched next month with £25,000 from the police transformation fund going towards a fulltime coordinator and £10,000 for the evaluation.

People in different departments across the force will have responsibility for helping to bring the would-be volunteers into their areas, though special constables are managing much of the programme “because they understand volunteers”.

Those taking part may be assigned the new powers from the Police and Crime Act if it is thought useful. There is currently no guidance on how the powers can be used.

S/Comm Phipson said an example of a volunteer the force is already about to use is an ex-soldier who ran ceremonies in the army who asked if he could help.

“In the past we might have said you can be a special or a cadet otherwise we don’t know what to do with you, and he’s now going to be advising us on all of the state ceremonial occasions that we host. That’s gold dust.”

Overall, he said: “The goal is to take away that ‘We don’t know you do for us therefore we can’t engage with you’ and reverse that to say ‘We now understand your skills, lets find out how we can use them’ because the answer will most always be ‘yes’."

View On Police Oracle

[David + 4,981]

What a good Idea. They could call it the Special Constabulary or something like that.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Who mon earth is being paid to come up with such suggestions.  City of London policing 1 square mile. 

[David + 4,981]

Seems a shame nobody thought of this over 180 years ago really, but then it's always 'wise after the event' I guess.

[Conor James 9]

I think it’s a great idea 

[Sceptre + 2,701]

5 hours ago, Zulu 22 said:

Who mon earth is being paid to come up with such suggestions.  City of London policing 1 square mile. 

I don't think Special Commander Phipson is being paid anything for his ideas judging by his rank.

10 hours ago, David said:

What a good Idea. They could call it the Special Constabulary or something like that.

The idea seems to be to take advantage of people who don't fit into the narrow boxes we have already. Special Constables are already hemmed in by peoples' preconceptions about them and the role, you can see that even on here from people who used to be specials, which limits some of the more creative uses of individual talent. 

[Mac7 808]

On paper it’s not a bad idea, although in my opinion they have used some bad examples regarding the accountancy firm and barrister.

The real test would be longevity of the volunteers. Many forces have ran similar schemes (albeit not evaluated by a university) and the initial uplift in volunteers was good. However, once the novelty had warn off or the volunteers realised they were completing tasks that a salaried employee should be doing, volunteer numbers fell dramatically.

[David + 4,981]

It still doesn't explain why they are re-inventing the wheel.

[ScotLass + 638]

But they won’t be Specials, they’ll be volunteers providing their existing knowledge, or at least that’s the way I’ve read it. It’s not a reinvention of the wheel. They’re doing tasks that wouldn’t be covered by Specials anyway.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

My father used to talk about the Judges Rules which, amongst other things, set down the wording of the "Caution"  One of those Judges rules stat4d something like, "The Public have an obligation to speak to and assist the Police in enquiries. Those Judges rules were printe3d on the inner cover ofg his pocket book.  If I remember next time I am over I will ask if his old pocket books are still in his possession. I believe that they are. This is nothing new, it is all about officers talking to the public.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

My father used to talk about the Judges Rules which, amongst other things, set down the wording of the "Caution"  One of those Judges rules stat4d something like, "The Public have an obligation to speak to and assist the Police in enquiries. Those Judges rules were printe3d on the inner cover ofg his pocket book.  If I remember next time I am over I will ask if his old pocket books are still in his possession. I believe that they are. This is nothing new, it is all about officers talking to the public.

I remember Judges Rules - that was the way it was before PACE.
I'm surprised you didn't use them too as I thought you and I joined (and retired) at about the same time?

[Beaker 817]

My father used to talk about the Judges Rules which, amongst other things, set down the wording of the "Caution"  One of those Judges rules stat4d something like, "The Public have an obligation to speak to and assist the Police in enquiries. Those Judges rules were printe3d on the inner cover ofg his pocket book.  If I remember next time I am over I will ask if his old pocket books are still in his possession. I believe that they are. This is nothing new, it is all about officers talking to the public.

I have a set currently that date from the late 60s/early 70s. Little pocket in the back of the PNB cover that they slide in to. Going to give them to the new police museum at Lancaster soonish.