Course success puts Specials in driving seat for Force

27 July 2025

Mitch Flavell-West.

A Special Constable has praised a group of fellow voluntary cops for becoming blue light trained and the Federation for giving them ‘protection to fall back on’ as they take on extra responsibilities in the Force.

A number of West Mercia-based Specials have already passed the College of Policing Standard Response Driving Course this year, qualifying them to take control of a police car in emergency situations on the frontline.

This was thanks to West Mercia Police’s driving school, which regularly creates opportunities for Specials to complete the three-week course alongside regular officers.

Nathan Pawley currently oversees the Force’s Specials in his day job as its temporary citizens in policing manager and shared his delight at the recent progression on show.

“Having been a Special Constable for 16 years, it really puts a smile on my face to see us get chances to develop and take them – and this driving course is one of the very best in that respect,” he said.

Skills

“The course teaches the mechanisms and technologies behind response driving, as well as the psychological skills needed to perform, like staying calm under pressure.

“And now they have this under their belts, they’ll get better with time, until they are handling incidents at the fastest, safest and most efficient speeds possible. I think it’s a huge win for any Special, to be honest.”

Nathan went on to discuss how the training can also benefit the Force as a whole: “Of course, the Special Constabulary is proving effective if it is genuinely supplementing the work of regular officers, taking pressure off them and freeing them up for other things.

“In my view, this is the kind of ‘stepping up’ which makes the role attractive – particularly to career Specials who want a meaningful impact in the police over a long period of time.”

A case in point is Special Constable Mitch Flavell, who passed his blue light course in March.

Capability

Having volunteered in West Mercia Police since 2022, the majority of Mitch’s contribution to the Force is seen through its Roads Policing Unit.

In what has already proven a huge boost to his work in this area, he says his new capability will set him up in good stead for many years to come.

“To be honest, I feel very lucky to have been selected for the course in the first place, with places for Specials at a premium,” Mitch said.

“Although that’s not to suggest the Force isn’t doing enough for our development – quite the opposite, actually. It is investing highly in the Special Constabulary, and we are seeing the benefits of that.

“This course was the best I have attended so far. I have already had four blue light runs on shift since passing, and the standard I can now drive at in these serious response situations is very high.

“To have these skills at my disposal definitely makes me feel good about myself as an officer, and the plan now is to keep building on them every time I’m called upon to drive.”

Responsibility

Echoing these sentiments around West Mercia Police’s investment was Nathan, who revealed there another three Specials in the pipeline to become blue light trained in 2025, with another driving course being planned for September.

As Nathan looked towards the future, he stressed the importance of remembering added capabilities do not come for free – not only do they require hard work to achieve, but responsibility to take forward.

With that in mind, he gave credit to the Federation for matching the Force’s commitment to the Special Constabulary in its own way.

“We have got a good landscape going on in terms of development opportunities for Specials – there are courses on offer in stinger and method-of-entry, as well as blue light.

“But it’s important to remember this all comes with extra risk for the training officers to carry – that’s why it’s crucial there is protection from the Fed to fall back on, in case something does go wrong.

“In that regard, I think I can speak for all the Specials I manage when I say knowing we have that backing ready to go is something we really appreciate.

“Overall, when you look at the set-up we have in place, with support from all angles, there is plenty of reason for optimism that Specials are being given the platform they need to make a real difference within the Force,” he ended.

READ MORE: Pay award delayed: Federation statement.