North Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable Dave Jones has been appointed as the national lead for Citizens in Policing – the area of policing that includes volunteers and the Special Constabulary.
He has taken over the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) portfolio from Deputy Chief Constable Michael Banks of Durham Constabulary who handed over the reins last week.
From the Special Constabulary to puppy walkers, police support volunteers to chaplains, Neighbourhood Watch to search and rescue teams, Citizens in Policing covers a diverse range of roles that provide vital support to the police service across the UK.
Chief Constable Jones said:
I am delighted to take over the national portfolio for this important area of policing. North Yorkshire Police has a strong history of volunteering and I am very much looking forward to developing our volunteers and Special Constabulary, as well as recognising and supporting the valuable role other agencies play in policing. My own brother was a special constable for 16 years with Merseyside Police so I know how rewarding and beneficial volunteering can be.
It’s exciting times for volunteering in North Yorkshire Police. Mike Maiden has recently joined us as the first volunteer Chief Officer for Citizens in Policing in the country. We have launched our first ever volunteer cadet unit this year and we are developing our Special Constabulary to support some of the more specialist areas such as roads policing. Our volunteers are collaborating with the county council to protect vulnerable people from fraudsters as well as supporting departments such as the Major Crime Unit and the Force Control Room.
Volunteers also provide vital links with our communities, for example we were able to provide policing support for the Great Knaresborough Bed Race – a tradition going back nearly 50 years – because of the superb support we have from our Special Constabulary. They developed the policing plan and policed it entirely with volunteer officers. Without their support, the event would not have had its own dedicated policing presence.
The Special Constabulary and our volunteer programme is set to evolve, and with the ever-changing face of policing, can provide greater support to help to manage the demand on our services as well as bringing a wide range of skills and abilities into the service.
I see this as an exciting challenge and I am looking forward to working with our many partners to embrace and develop Citizens in Policing.
