‘It takes a special person to be a Special’ says branch chair

6 June 2025

Voluntary cops have bolstered the efforts of regular officers since 1831 in the name of the Special Constabulary, meaning they have been providing resilience to UK policing for almost two centuries.

The latest Home Office figures show 83 Specials served in North Yorkshire Police as of March 2024, with 5,818 totalled across England and Wales, which is slightly more recent than figures from September 2024.

Rob said: “On behalf of the Federation, I would like to send a big thank-you to all those Specials who help the Force make our region a safer, better place.

“The idea of police volunteers backing up regulars may date back a long time, but it is vital we continue to show our appreciation for what they do.

“The clue is in the name – it takes a special kind of person to be a Special, someone who is willing to give their time and attention to a public service, without asking for anything in return.

“Personally, I’m very happy we have awareness initiatives like this one, because it reminds us to be grateful for such an amazing thing we have in policing – we’re very lucky and we should never take the Special Constabulary for granted.”

Back in 2022, a Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) campaign sought to change law so Specials could be officially protected by the Fed.

This was a success, resulting in the passing of a new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

Volunteer members

And while the impact of this move may still be in its relative infancy, Rob encouraged the formal relationship between the branch and its volunteer members to keep growing.

“We want our Specials to feel like they can come to us with anything,” he added.

“They give so much to the profession that it is only right they have their rights looked after on an organisational level by the Police Federation.

“It is an honour to have these incredible officers within our membership, and I hope over the years, we can keep adding to the ways in which we can look out for them.

“It’s the least we can do to thank them for everything they do.”