Special Constabulary provide hours of support in boost to bank holiday policing in Dacorum

Hertfordshire’s Special Constabulary completed a total of 589 hours on duty over the bank holiday weekend.

Between Friday, May 8 and Sunday, May 10, the officers provided support across the county, helping to tackle crime and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In Dacorum, officers seized a vehicle that had no insurance and dealt with a male who was seen writing graffiti on a wall.

In Welwyn Hatfield, incidents they dealt with included locating an elderly person who was missing and reports of criminal damage where they arrested and charged a man.

A Special Constable is a part-time, voluntary police officer with all the same powers as regular police officers.

Specials come from all walks of life and volunteer their spare time for a minimum of 16 hours a month.

In return, they receive first class training, support and the uniform and equipment to carry out the role.

During a typical weekend, Hertfordshire’s Specials contribute around 200 hours of policing.

Across the bank holiday weekend, the Specials conducted high visibility foot and cycle patrols, ensuring that the public were adhering to social distancing.

The county’s rural Specials were also out on patrol following reports of stolen fishing rights and they found two fishing rods, suspected to have been left behind by offenders.

They are continuing to patrol the area and deal with the issue.

Assistant Chief Constable Nathan Briant, who is leading the Constabulary’s response to COVID-19, said: "Our Special Constabulary provides excellent support all year round and are a vital asset in helping to keep the residents of Hertfordshire safe.

"Their dedication over the bank holiday weekend was certainly impressive and I would like to congratulate them on their hard work.

"This is a challenging time for us all and the fact that we could rely on them to provide nearly three times the amount of usual support is fantastic.

"I would like to thank every single one of them who gave up their time to help keep Hertfordshire safe.

"I would also like to thank the many employers who have temporarily released our officers from their day jobs to assist on the front line.

"The sacrifice is truly appreciated by all of us at Hertfordshire Constabulary."

Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd said: ‘We need the whole community to pull together in a crisis, and nothing epitomises this spirit more than the Special Constabulary.

"These men and women with normal every day jobs, put in the extra hours to give back to society and keep us all safe.

"I would like to thank each and every one of them for their exceptional sacrifice during this difficult times.

"Many have been volunteering for extra shifts for the past few months, and I am also grateful for their employers who have be willing to give them more time to carry out their duties."

For more information about Special Constables and the requirements of being one visit the Hertfordshire Police website, if you are interested in becoming a Special Constable, visit hertspolicespecials.co.uk.

If you are contacting us to report a COVID-19 related crime, such as a mass gathering, please ensure that you use the online methods of reporting where possible as this will free up our telephone lines so we can answer urgent 999 calls.

You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, or call the non-emergency number 101. If a crime is in progress or someone’s life is in danger, call 999 immediately.

Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

To have your say on policing, crime or anti-social behaviour in Hertfordshire, visit: bit.ly/herts-echo.