How Specials Make A Difference To Policing

6 June 2024

SC Michael Jacobs has shared his experience of being a Special Constable for Sussex Police to mark National Volunteers Week this week.

Michael has been a Special Constable since 2008 following a family tragedy in which his uncle was murdered in a violent knife attack some years before.

He said: “This was my first experience of the police, and from this it really made me want to join the police and give back in a way where I could make a similar difference to other people that the police did for us all those years ago.”

Michael’s brother is a full-time officer in Sussex, and their grandfather had been a Special in the Metropolitan Police.

“The prospect of being able to continue my day job and join the police was the perfect outcome,” Michael said.

Michael worked with Response officers in East Grinstead and across Mid Sussex, before joining the Local Support Team in Brighton in 2012.

He explained: “I was offered the chance to get a few days worth of experience with the team in Brighton, and I never left. It opened doors to specialist training and now carry skills.

“As a result, I now work with the Tactical Enforcement Unit where I have been since its inception, and like all the previous roles I’ve been involved with, I feel like a part of the team, no different to a regular officer. I am treated no differently, I get exposed to so much, sometimes things I can’t unsee, but many things I enjoy.

“I always wanted to be at the cutting edge of policing to help bring down drug gangs and the most violent of people that can cause high harm and risk to the public.

“It’s a real privilege to work alongside such excellent police officers, all of whom are for me the best at what they do, and hopefully they feel the same towards me.

“I enjoy every minute of the role. The most satisfying part is writing my statement at the end of the job, and listing all the items, seized, the rational for arrests and all the work that has been done to that point, and I pinch myself sometimes and think ‘I did all that’.”

Michael, who was awarded the Chief Constable’s Special Constable of the Year Award in 2023, added: “Police work gives me daily contact with people which I don’t have in my day-to-day job, and the camaraderie and togetherness really is rewarding for me and makes it even more worthwhile.

“I like to think that the shifts I do, and the hours I give, like all other Specials who are amazing makes a huge difference. It helps get more boots on the ground and it helps prevent crime and protect the public.

“If that one shift helps to prevent a crime or to apprehend an offender, that’s one that might have got away if I wasn’t on duty, and in my uncle’s honour it makes me feel proud.”

Sussex Police Federation Chair Raffaele Cioffi paid tribute to Michael and all the other Specials who volunteer for Sussex Police.

He said: “It is often lost on the public that we have volunteer police officers who join us on the front line under the Special Constabulary. I have had the pleasure of working with many thoughout my career and always been impressed with the selfless commitment that is shown by our Specials. You commitment has not gone unnoticed and we thank you.

“Special Constables can now become members of the Federation, and within Sussex the bill for your subscription is picked up by the Police and Crime Commissioners Office. As a Special Constable you carry the same risk, so you should have equal representation when needed.

“Membership of the Federation is optional. Members receive support and advice from fellow officers who are elected workplace Reps and have received training on Police Regulations to ensure you are properly represented, should you face an issue. This could be about knowing your rights and entitlements, but it also could mean getting you the right support if you become a victim of any workplace issues.

“During performance and misconduct proceedings, a Fed Rep will help, advise and represent you. Federation members can make Criminal, Misconduct and Civil applications for legal Assistance should they need it.”

Any Special Constables who want to join the Federation should email admin@sussex.polfed.org for an application form. 

Photo courtesy of Sussex Police.