Hertfordshire Special Constable looks back on ‘meaningful’ career

8 May 2024

It was 2001 when a work colleague struck the right chord with Hertfordshire Police Federation’s Joanne Reay by suggesting she join the Special Constabulary.

Joanne’s (Jo’s) colleague, already a Special Constable himself, saw enough of a spark in her early work as a forensic psychologist to approach her with the idea. Her career may have only been in its infancy, but the way Jo had established herself in an instrumental role within the criminal justice system was what prompted the very conversation about taking up another.

“I think that work friend must have seen someone with a good set of transferable skills for the Specials, but also someone who was energetic, and maybe even a bit bossy,” said Jo, adding: “Whatever it was, I’m so glad they did get me thinking about it all those years ago. I’d never even considered it before that.

“I was used to working much further down the line in the system but becoming a Special meant I’d be at the other end – on the frontline, serving a community.”

Fast forward almost a quarter of a century, and for all the steps she has taken helping to patrol the streets of Bishop’s Stortford and wider East Hertfordshire, Jo has never once looked back.

Special Constable Joanne Reay.

She continued: “Every day is different and that’s what I’ve loved most. To be honest, I was very fortunate with the support I immediately received from regular officers. I’ve always felt so involved and that involvement has always felt meaningful.”

More recently in her service, Jo, 59, has found herself making an impact as a Special from inside an office as well as out on foot. Her current day job as an NHS lead commissioner for adult mental health and learning disability is complemented by her position on the Special’s wellbeing strategy group, where managing her own diary means she can take the initiative to fight for the psychological and emotional needs of others on two fronts.

“A lot of my hours are taken up with meetings, phone calls and admin nowadays, but I’ll still go out on patrol now and then to keep my skills up and so I can see what officers are dealing with for myself,” she continued.

As one of the longest-serving members of Hertfordshire’s 157 Specials, it would be fair to say Jo’s distinguished career has come in handy the longer it has gone on. Unfortunately, due to a multitude of circumstances, not every Special Constable will enjoy an appetite as unwavering for the profession as Jo - but this is where she says, she can help.

The wellbeing strategy group works to identify opportunities to reach out to disengaged Specials and determine what support they need to be welcomed back into the fold. A Special’s withdrawal from the Force, Jo explains, can be attributed to factors such as physical injury, changing family circumstances, or simply because the position was not quite as imagined.

She said: “Being a Special is very rewarding but very demanding too, and because it’s voluntary, which I believe is how it should be, Specials may take themselves out of duties for a while.

“If this develops into a prolonged absence, I want to use my knowledge and experience to help them return at a manageable level, or if not, find a way they can volunteer for the Police Force in a less regular capacity.”

Arguably the most significant body of work in Jo’s policing career comes in the shape of the Special Constabulary’s career pathway model, a labour of love taking her two years to write, alongside a colleague, not least with the long-term retention of Specials specifically in mind.

“The model was a huge project for me,” she revealed. “Special Constables can be amazing in helping regular officers, but just like regulars, they want to know their work will stay both meaningful and manageable. It was really important for me to get it right.”

Common ground between both ranks of officer, Special and regular, is something Jo says is in abundance at Hertfordshire Constabulary, describing the force as ‘a big family’ – one she is always keen to play her part in keeping happy.

“I think in times gone by, there might have been a bit of a disparity between the two. Slowly but surely, though, we have seemed to integrate, and we have got to the point in the last few years whereby every Special will be closely attached to a team of regulars. We’ve found this to nurture good mentorship,” she said.

“We work together to bring everything in line across the policing of the county. It just works for us.”

Jo was then quizzed on whether these shared wavelengths have been strengthened further by 2022’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which saw Specials become members of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) for the first time.

She continued: “For me at least, you can’t really tell the difference between a Special and a regular officer now. Listening to other Specials in the past, a lot of them have said they could have done with the protection and support of the Federation for certain incidents, so it’s great to know we have that to fall back on these days.

“It’s [Specials being part of the Federation] the sort of thing that will only boost the efforts of the wellbeing strategy group too because what we’re trying to do is prevent less experienced Specials from losing confidence in their ability and turning their backs on the job.

“I think we are in a strong position as a Constabulary in this respect, and that could really help bring through the next generation of Special Constables for Hertfordshire and beyond.”

Federation rep, Sergeant James Stopford, who leads the work between the branch and Specials heaped praise on Jo for her ‘hard work’.

“Jo is one of many wonderful, hard-working and supportive special constables who give up their free time to support their communities and fellow officers.

“Specials are a valued resource within our Force and since they have been able to be members of the Federation, we have tried locally to ensure we represent their views and concerns.

“We also support them during any formal process and while we still have a way to go in ensuring we are their voice, we are committed to doing so.”

James advised any Specials who are interested in joining the Federation to contact him directly by emailing james.stopford@herts.police.uk