Nine new special constables are ready to play their part in keeping North Yorkshire safe following their attestation ceremony on Thursday night (29 September 2016).
The volunteer officers took their oath at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court in front of Mrs Anna Ramsden JP at a ceremony attended by senior officers, family and friends.
The officers are the latest group to have completed their rigorous, initial training course and will now be assigned tutor constables out on their beat who will oversee their probation period over the next two years.
Acting Deputy Chief Constable, Paul Kennedy attended the ceremony:
I am delighted to welcome our latest volunteer recruits to North Yorkshire Police. I hope the officers and their families share my sense of pride in their achievements as they take the next important step in their policing career.
Policing is a challenging job and the support of family and friends is very important, especially when it is done voluntarily. So I would like to thank everyone for the sacrifices they are making to help us keep North Yorkshire’s communities safe.
We’d like to encourage anyone who is interested in following in their footsteps to take the opportunity when we open our recruitment campaign on 10 October. Being a special constable opens up a world of opportunities for personal development and a challenging but rewarding voluntary career.
Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire:
Specials make an enormous contribution in helping their communities be safe and feel safe and I congratulate these new recruits joining the North Yorkshire Police family. It takes commitment, time and effort to be a special police constable. It’s a great way to give back to our communities and I wish them all the best.
The new officers will be based in Scarborough (4), York (2), Selby (2) and Harrogate (1).
Special constables, or “specials” as they are also known, are volunteer officers who give up their own time to support their regular colleagues.
They play a key role in local policing and have the same uniform and powers in law as regular police officers, including the power of arrest.
Specials come from all walks of life and volunteer a minimum of four hours a week to their local police force, forming a vital link between the regular (full-time) police and the local community. However, the role of specials can also extend into more complex areas of policing.
North Yorkshire Police’s special constable recruitment will open on 10 -31 October 2016.
To apply visit www.northyorkshire.police.uk/specials
