Specials annual report 2014 FINAL

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Kent Special Constabulary

Annual Report 2014

Alan Pughsley, Chief Constable, Kent PoliceIt is with a huge amount of pride that I write this introduction to the Kent Special Constabulary Annual Report.

When I first joined Kent Police we had a very good Special Constabulary. We now have a magnificent Special Constabulary and that is down to superb leadership, innovative thinking and, most importantly of all, the selfless commitment and dedication of the hundreds of men and women who make a real difference to the safety of our communities in this great county of ours.

Within this report you will get a sense of the scale and skill of the work of our Specials. These are people who come from all walks of life and volunteer in many varied areas of policing, from keeping our roads safe to helping look after our large rural communities.

Specials not only give us all the benefit of their previous experience and expertise, they also gain so much themselves through learning new skills and becoming part of the wider policing family with the camaraderie that brings.

Our Specials are already leading busy lives outside of policing and it is a testament to their strength of character and commitment that they give so many hours to public service day in day out.

The journey of the Kent Special Constabulary to its current form is truly inspirational as are the individuals who serve. On behalf of the Kent Police I thank you all.

Alan Pughsley, Chief Constable, Kent Police

Introduction by Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner 3

Foreword by Chief Officer 5

Kent Police Vision, Values and Priorities 6

Facts and figures 2014 7

Awards and achievements 8

Queens Award for Voluntary Service 8

Messages of congratulations 9

Annual awards 10

Regional award success 11

Teams and Divisional reports 12

Roads Policing Unit 12

Speed Watch 14

Marine Unit and Specialist Search 14

Dog Unit 15

Mounted Unit 16

Recruitment Team 16

Operation Octane 16

North Division 17

East Division 19

West Division 20

Self-sufficiency 22

Community engagement 23

Churchill Fellowship Report 24

Moving forward – Plans for 2015 and beyond 25

Join our award winning team 26

Kent Special Constabulary – Annual Report 2014 32 Kent Special Constabulary – Annual Report 2014

IntroductionContents

Gavin McKinnon, Chief Officer, Kent Special ConstabularyA big thank you to every Kent Special Constable for their fantastic efforts in 2014, which resulted in over 100,000 hours of police time volunteered in the county.

That is something to be really proud of. I’m hugely grateful to all of our supervisory ranks for the extra time and effort they put into leading their teams, ensuring people are supported and encouraged. Above all I’m grateful to every Special that made the sacrifice to come in and keep doing this vocation, rain or shine, for nothing but the satisfaction of protecting and serving our community.

We have come a long way. In 2012 we had over 400 officers and worked around 54,000 hours. In 2013 we had about 350 and volunteered an excellent 68,000 – a figure we were commended for by the Chief Constable and the PCC on television news at the time. Through working together we have smashed that figure completely with around 250 officers. You can’t put a true value on what that means to community policing in Kent – but if you use the figure that the Home Office use to cost an hour’s work and on-costs of a regular PC, you get an incredible £3.7 million. If you use the figure ACPO policy suggests using for charging commercial event organisers for a PC’s time you get £5.5 million! Either way it is a magnificent contribution, and a lot of additional support for policing in Kent.

We should never forget that Specials are a bridge between local people and the police, and are the police’s strongest supporters and advocates in the community. Legitimacy in policing is of paramount importance; the academic research shows clearly that it is the most important factor in motivating people to co-operate and not break the law, even more so than the perceived likelihood of being caught and punished. For people to feel their police service is legitimate they need to have trust and shared values, and to see themselves reflected in it. The Special Constabulary adds significantly to this critical aspect of maintaining confidence in the police as a whole.

Community safety is also directly improved by the active citizenship of volunteer police officers. So too are perceptions of security. Academic research has also consistently demonstrated that this improvement of perception is critical to public reassurance and confidence in the police service.

The landscape of policing in the UK is changing like it never has before. What have been the norms for decades are being challenged and are changing. Innovation is critical if service levels to the public

are to be maintained, and hard choices are having to be made on what to prioritise as budget reductions cut deep and numbers of paid police officers drop to the levels of thirty years ago whilst coping with increased demand.

There has never been a better time to involve the public more in their police force, to encourage them to serve alongside regular officers and experience the challenges and dilemmas they face, and create a strategic flexible reserve of public spirited citizens prepared to step in and assist.

There are lots of challenges and opportunities ahead for us in 2015 – new specialisms coming on-stream, increased specialist training, and the roll-out of our brand new online recruit training programme to name but a few. I am grateful for Kent Specials’ continued commitment and hard work – they are what make Kent Special Constabulary the nationally recognised and locally respected body that it is.

Finally, let me just say what a huge privilege it is to lead the Kent Special Constabulary. I spend a lot of time out on patrol with Specials right across Kent, and I never cease to be impressed by their professionalism, can-do attitude, and desire to help.

Ann Barnes, Kent Police & Crime CommissionerI am very pleased to have this opportunity to thank our Special Constabulary for the fantastic commitment that its members have shown during the last 12 months. To give more than 100,000 hours to the community of Kent is an amazing achievement and one that I certainly tell people about as I go around the county.

Quite simply, our Specials support and assist in the delivery of the policing priorities set by the Chief Constable and myself. Whether it is patrolling the beat, responding to emergency calls or joining operations targeting particular crimes – the effectiveness of our 246 men and women is beyond value.

Kent’s Special Constabulary has the full respect of regular colleagues, many of whom tell me often of the admiration which they have for the volunteers. So many of our Specials hold down a full-time job and then spend much of their own time doing another one helping the people of Kent.

It is a commitment that was rightly recognised during 2014 by the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This is a prestigious honour – all the more so because Kent is the first Special Constabulary to receive the award which highlighted the innovative approach to community policing.

Under the leadership of Specials Chief Officer Gavin McKinnon, there has been an enormous amount of work undertaken during the year to develop the role of Specials. I am delighted to see officers given the opportunity to join the dog unit and that four of our Specials are using their own horses to form a mounted unit.

Undertaking training is now easier than ever before for Specials and I am pleased that the programme of training is to be further developed during 2015 so that more people than ever before are able to consider becoming a Special.

This annual report is testimony to the dedication of our team of Specials and I hope that you will take time to read it and perhaps be inspired to join a great team that is making such a difference to policing in our county.

Ann Barnes, Kent Police & Crime Commissioner

Gavin McKinnon, Chief Officer, Kent Special Constabulary


Introduction Foreword

2014 was a year of achievements and of ground-breaking initiatives for Kent Special Constabulary. More teams were formed, new skills were developed and the outstanding efforts of members of Kent Special Constabulary were recognised when they became the first Special Constabulary ever to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Kent Special Constabulary aims to support Kent Police in achieving the vision of the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner. Kent Specials adhere to the same set of values as their regular colleagues and the force’s priorities, as listed below, are central to the work of every member of the Special Constabulary within Kent.

This report demonstrates how Kent Special Constabulary has contributed to the priorities of Kent Police during 2014 and provided a first class service protecting and serving the people of Kent.

Vision of the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner‘Our joint vision is for Kent to be a safe place for people to live, work and visit. By protecting the public from harm, we will allow our communities to flourish and by working with the public and partners, we will provide a first class policing service that is both visible and accessible. We will retain neighbourhood policing as the bedrock of policing in Kent. We will be there when the public need us and we will act with integrity in all that we do.’

Kent Police Priorities• Cutting crime, catching criminals and

dealing with anti-social behaviour.

• Ensuring visible community policing is at the heart of Kent’s Policing Model.

• Providing a professional service, putting victims and witnesses first.

• Protecting the public from serious harm.

• Meeting national commitments for policing.

• Delivering value for money.

• Developing and supporting our workforce.

Kent Police Values• We will put the public first and deliver a

service to be proud of.

• We will serve with integrity and professionalism.

• We will treat everyone with fairness, respect and dignity.

• We will be innovative, use resources wisely and operate as one team.

• We will act with humility, compassion and courtesy.

• We will listen, learn and strive to improve.

Process statistics

Janu

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Febr

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Mar

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April

May

June

July

Augu

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Sept

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Oct

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Nov

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Dec

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Tota

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5X5x5 submitted 42 58 71 81 58 74 52 44 47 46 29 20 622

Alcohol seizures 29 40 85 45 41 57 39 103 47 130 27 69 712

ARC (officer completing only) 15 9 10 15 10 14 20 15 5 17 15 14 159

Arrest 31 61 57 53 65 46 58 40 37 39 35 35 557

Assist arrest 88 97 87 91 110 85 116 80 81 83 65 98 1,081

CADs attended (updated by 1 SC in team)

908 811 779 889 943 831 864 802 727 727 482 723 9,486

Community engagement 1,268 1,010 1,014 1,471 1,374 1,520 3,469 2,362 1,670 1,843 2,109 1,724 20,834

Crime reports taken 99 114 102 81 86 87 72 82 69 74 41 81 988

Foot patrol (hrs) 1,109 1,382 2,298 1,496 1,742 1,505 2,085 1,252 1,005 1,565 1,466 1,506 18,411

Licensing checks 43 27 55 19 34 24 28 41 25 41 69 38 444

PND (£90) 5 3 8 3 9 6 3 7 4 2 3 4 57

Predpol (hrs) 650 544 499 492 313 257 479 137 168 116 99 259 4,013

Restorative resolution issued 3 0 1 3 6 9 1 1 1 2 3 0 30

Roadside breath test – positive 2 5 4 8 7 4 2 2 4 3 3 4 48

Rural policing (hrs) 464 656 866 562 396 445 504 425 342 221 550 370 5,801

S.59 warning – ASB/motor vehicle

0 7 0 1 3 8 2 0 4 1 2 3 31

Section 34 – direction to leave 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 7

Speeding – report for summons 4 2 3 1 3 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 19

Speed Watch sites visited 20 14 47 31 74 59 27 32 74 39 74 37 528

TOR – excess speed 2 4 10 55 72 43 48 34 61 60 47 49 485

TOR – mobile phone use 0 1 2 18 19 10 8 3 9 13 11 7 101

TOR – no insurance/no licence 87 44 82 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 213

TOR – not wearing seatbelt 1 1 3 7 16 4 12 18 17 4 11 13 107

TOR – other 0 1 7 22 36 23 17 22 20 10 22 32 212

Vehicle seizure 10 7 3 7 13 21 5 14 4 7 12 9 112

Breakdown by rank (as at 1st January 2015)

Special Constable 199

Special Sergeant (inc. acting/temporary) 27

Special Inspector (inc. acting/temporary) 15

Special Chief Inspector 4

Chief Officer 1

Total 246

Duties and hours 2014

Total number of duty hours performed 100,596

Average hours per officer/month 34

Average hours per officer/year 409 Officers meeting minimum hours

Gender breakdown

National minimum requirement of 16 hours per month

Male 80%

Female 20%

96.5%


Kent Police Vision, Values and Priorities Facts and figures – 2014

Kent’s volunteer police officers have become the first Special Constabulary to win the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The Citation reads: ‘Providing innovative community focussed volunteer policing to the people of Kent in support of the regular force.’

They were selected from groups nominated across the UK by members of the public who have seen the difference the volunteers have made to the lives of others or experienced the benefits of a group’s work in their community. The Award is overseen by the Office for Civil Society in the Cabinet Office. The Queen’s Award recognises groups whose work has significantly benefited others and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering by such groups. Because of the Award’s high status, the assessment process is thorough and rigorous so as to maintain the value of, and public respect for, the Award.

A rigorous nine month long assessment is undertaken, where a County Assessment Panel and a Specialist Independent Volunteering Panel look at evidence of need for the group’s activity, how well it is led and managed, the group’s reputation in the community and amongst other well established volunteering groups, and how it may have overcome obstacles. These can include issues such as funding, levels of recruitment, and the retention and motivation of volunteers. They also take into

account how far the group has achieved standards of excellence in its organisation, leadership, and the quality of outcomes its volunteers consistently achieve. How the group has generated a high level of good will and respect among those it serves and the community as a whole is also an important factor.

Only the very best groups who have consistently demonstrated the highest standards following this rigorous independent assessment process are honoured. The Award has the status of a collective MBE for the group.

This was a huge honour for all officers, and winners are announced in the London Gazette on 2nd June every year, the anniversary of HM the Queen’s coronation.

On Saturday 18th October 2014, the Kent Specials were presented with a certificate signed by HM the Queen and a commemorative crystal trophy during a ceremony

at the Kent Police Training School in Maidstone, following a parade and drill display by 150 Specials. The presentation was made by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle.

Gavin McKinnon, the Chief Officer of Kent Special Constabulary said ‘We are very proud of our achievement of this hallmark of excellence, and the recognition it brings to the hard work, dedication and commitment that volunteer police officers in Kent demonstrate every day in support of the regular police force and in the service of their community. Serving as a Special Constable is a decent and honourable calling, and a really great way to give something back to society by helping keep people safe and working to solve issues in the community.’ The achievement was also noted in an article in the Parliamentary Review, with an introduction by the Prime Minister and commendation by the Police Minister.

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Messages of congratulations Home Secretary, Rt Hon Teresa May MP:

“I want to wish Kent Special Constabulary the very best and to congratulate you on becoming the first ever special constabulary to win the Queen’s Award for the Voluntary Service. This is a tremendous achievement and a fitting tribute to your hard work, professionalism, and dedication in serving the public. All special constables and police support volunteers play an invaluable role in helping to cut crime and keeping the public safe. Your contribution is helping to make a real difference to local communities – and I am impressed to hear that over the last two years, Kent Special Constabulary has almost doubled the number of hours it volunteers. I wish Kent Special Constabulary continued success, and want to say well done and thank you for the exceptional work you do for the people of Kent.”

Kent’s Chief Constable, Alan Pughsley:

“Whilst I am delighted that our volunteer officers have received this magnificent and well deserved honour, I am not surprised by it. I have worked across four different police forces in my career and unquestionably the Kent Special Constabulary is the best I have ever seen. They are in a different league. They are well led, well organised, highly skilled, enthusiastic, and totally committed to community policing in Kent. I consistently receive excellent feedback from the public and partners about their impact, and I would like to add my thanks to each and every one of them for the work they do to support their local police force.”

Deputy Chief Constable Michael Banks, Association of Chief Police Officers Specials Lead:

“As the National Lead for Citizens in Policing I would like to congratulate Kent Special Constabulary on winning the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The motivation and commitment of Kent’s Specials both as individuals and as a team is clearly evident. They deserve their success, and the public service they provide is invaluable.”

The Minister for Policing & Criminal Justice Rt Hon Damian Green MP:

“It is wonderful news for Kent, and it is wonderful news for the Special Constabulary nationally. I presented an award at the Kent Special Constabulary Awards evening last November and heard first-hand about some of the tremendous work they do in the county. It was inspirational. I’m delighted that, as volunteers, they have been recognised as being at the forefront of innovation and community focussed policing.”

Viscount De L’Isle, HM Lord Lieutenant for Kent:

“The QAVS Awards judges felt that Kent’s Specials had worked diligently to become recognised nationally within Policing as an innovative and active Special Constabulary, inspiring others to do the same. They are the only Special Constabulary ever to meet the rigorous assessments standards for this Award. Her Majesty rates the importance of recognising the wonderful work organisations like yours do in the community very highly indeed – and on her behalf I bring heartfelt congratulations and thanks. This group is truly exceptional and as Lord-Lieutenant I am hugely grateful for the outstanding contribution you make providing such a valuable service to the people of Kent.”


Awards and achievements

On Friday 14th November 2014 the second Kent Special Constabulary Annual Awards ceremony was held at Kent County Council’s Oakwood House in Maidstone.

The Awards are a celebration of the great work carried out by Specials over the previous twelve months, and a chance to say thank you for everything they do. Special guests included Lord and Lady De’Lisle, the Chairman of the Police Federation, the President of the Superintendents’ Association, Director of Support Services for Kent and Essex Police Mr Mark Gilmartin, and Assistant Chief Constable of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate Mr Matthew Horne.

This year’s winners were:

Annual awards

Regional award successAt the ACPO South East Regional Special Constabulary Awards a panel of judges looked at nominations from Kent Police, Sussex Police, Surrey Police, Hampshire Police, Thames Valley Police, and the British Transport Police to choose the Special and Team of the Year.

Kent took 1st place in the Team of the Year (Rural West), and 2nd place in Special of the Year (SCI Lee Waters).

Special Constable of the Year 2014: Special Chief Inspector Lee Waters Special Chief Inspector Waters was praised for the way he has ‘completely transformed PDU training on North Division,’ as well as increasing both retention and hours across the division as a whole. His leadership of two operations – Operation Bootfair and Operation Octane – were described as exceptional. He was presented with his award by the chairman of the Kent Police Federation, Ian Pointon. Runners-up: Special Inspector Gary Gammer, Special Sergeant Ken Goddard, Special Sergeant Ben Elsey and Special Inspector Phil Booth.

Special Constabulary Team of the Year 2014: Rural Specials West – HeadcornThe team was recognised for its effective, well planned response to a challenge – for dramatically reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the village from an average 49 per month to an average of 17 and vastly increasing public confidence and community engagement. The award was presented by Lord Lieutenant for Kent, Viscount De L’Isle collected by Special Inspector Derek Moore on behalf of the team. Runners-up: QAVS Drill Team and SSU North Division.

Outstanding Support Award: Ian Pointon, Chairman of the Kent Police FederationThe award recognises a regular officer, PCSO or member of staff who significantly supports the work of the Special Constabulary. Ian was described as ‘someone who has gone against the grain and put themselves out on a limb at times’ to support Kent’s Special Constables, defending their evolving role, assisting Special Constables in difficult circumstances and being a champion of the Special Constabulary in the highest level corporate meetings. The award was presented by Assistant Chief Constable Matthew Horne, Director of the Serious Crime Directorate for Kent Police and Essex Police.

The Chief Officer’s Award: Teresa GeeringThe award reflects an exceptional contribution made to benefit the development and progress of Kent Special Constabulary. A volunteer for many years, Teresa was honoured for diligently supporting the work of the Special Constabulary throughout that time, volunteering around thirty hours per week and very often more when required, rarely missing an Attestation Ceremony for new recruits or other Special Constabulary events. Her unswerving support has allowed the volunteer officers in her division to thrive. Her award was presented by Mark Gilmartin, Director of the Support Services Directorate for Kent Police and Essex Police.

Attendees at the Special Constabulary Annual Awards 2014


Awards and achievements

Roads Policing

Team summary

In 2014 the Specials Roads Policing Unit comprised of 13 officers and contributed 8,943 hours of duty time. This represents an average of 50 hours per month per officer and is approximately equivalent to just over five full time officers.

The Specials Roads Policing Unit (SPRU) represented Kent in the ‘Team’ category at the annual regional awards ceremony 2013 and were runners up for the trophy.

For 2015, the unit aims to expand their number to 15 officers, and increase their contribution of total annual duty hours to 10,000 hours.

Team deployments

The work of the SRPU in 2014 comprised of, in addition to regular section work and specific taskings, twelve team deployments. These included nine focused on crime prevention and driver/vehicle standards, two operating ‘take-over’ shifts and one working with local District Specials to assist in the development of new officers’ roads policing skills. The team has become a renowned and much respected asset to Kent Police, providing value for money and boosting available resources, cutting crime and providing a professional service.

During their ‘take over’ shifts they responded to all policing calls for the strategic road network in order to free up their regular colleagues and enable them to dedicate their time to more focused deployments. The first of these shifts coincided with National Specials Weekend.

The SRPU pride themselves on the support they offer to their regular colleagues. For example,

2014 began with four Special Constables working alongside the night duty Roads Policing Unit (RPU). This provided a boost in resources which was needed when a serious collision occurred on a busy route during the early hours of New Year’s Day, requiring the road to be closed in both directions for the rest of the night to facilitate detailed forensic investigations.

A particular incident of note involved a road traffic collision in which a pedestrian was struck by a car. SCs Richards and Rendell from the Specials Roads Policing Unit were on patrol and were first on the scene. They found the male pedestrian in the road in a state of collapse and not breathing and immediately cleared and held open his airway. He was kept alive until an ambulance crew arrived and took over his care. Once his welfare was taken over by the ambulance staff, SCs Richards and Rendell secured the scene and took witness statements and first accounts of the incident.

During the coming year, the Specials Roads Policing Unit hopes to further develop the range of

their deployments by joining with several District-focused tasks and operations and broadening the provision of ‘take-over’ shifts as well as continuing to focus on crime prevention and enforcement of driver and vehicle standards.

Training

Members of the SRPU have many opportunities to undertake enhanced training pertinent to their role, which enables them to carry out the majority of tasks that are required of traffic officers. During 2014, three members of the SRPU team were accredited to advance driver level. In 2015 these officers will become the first Specials in the UK to be trained and accredited to employ tactical pursuit and containment techniques.

SRPU officers are also frequently involved in the continuing development and tutoring of existing and new officers.

In 2015, a further three Roads Policing Unit officers will study the Advanced Driving course; four officers will take the Standard Driving course and three officers will participate in the Tactical

Pursuit And Containment course. One is a qualified police driving instructor and trains police officers in Basic and Standard level courses.

The Specials who recently joined the team will complete the Traffic Patrol and vehicle inspection courses alongside assorted further training relating to roads policing. The current induction and tutoring process for new roads policing officers is being improved and developed with the aim to integrate to a greater extent with the regular roads policing teams.

Results

The four sections below highlight numbers which illustrate some of the breadth and volume of the team’s activity (where that can be represented by a number) over the last year:

Reducing death/injury on the roads• 286 roadside breath tests (of which 10 were positive)• 264 speed check sites visited• 14 summons for speeding• 277 TORs for speeding• 64 TORs for mobile phone use• 67 TORs for not wearing seatbelts

Response• 1,244 CADs attended• 91 accident cards completed

Driver and vehicle standards enforcement• 35 vehicle seizures• 15 PG9s issued• 99 VDRS issued• 213 TORs issued• 34 GFPNs issued• 5 s59 warnings issued• 28 summons reports issued

Crime enforcement and intelligence• 40 arrests• 92 assist arrests• 12 stop & search (s1, s23)• 20 crime/domestic reports• 4 crime summons reports issued• 5 statements taken • 2 cannabis warnings• 2 PNDs issued• 22 5x5x5s completed


Team and Divisional Reports

Speed WatchSpeed Watch is a scheme designed to enable the community and the police to work together and educate drivers about the consequences of excessive speed in order to reduce offences. The involvement of the SRPU team in the Speed Watch campaign continued in 2014 with much success, and a dedicated Special Inspector, Alan Watson, was appointed to help co-ordinate the work and ensure appropriate enforcement, advice and guidance operates alongside traditional Speed Watch work. In response to this success, in 2015 Speed Watch will be expanded as a countywide initiative involving officers at district level.

Marine Unit and Specialist SearchIt was a year of change for the Specials Marine Unit and their regular colleagues. The team moved their base from Sheerness Port to Coldharbour and their role was developed from a dedicated Marine Unit to a Marine and Search Team. The Specials team mainly focused on security and visibility around marinas and four specials from the team were trained to be competent crew on the Bombard (Kent Police’s small RHIB) on non-tidal waters; this allows the officers who have gained their Level 2 powerboat qualification to operate this vessel unsupervised on certain waters.

As the team developed their new role, they started to undertake dedicated patrols on the Bombard on the River Stour and the River Medway and worked very closely with the Environment Agency to set up and carry out joint enforcement campaigns targeting the licensing of vessels. High visibility patrols were received very well by local communities and had a positive effect on the crime rates in the area.

The Marine Unit Special Constables also represented Kent Police at several meetings for users of the Medway, including the Medway Rivers Users Association and the Medway River Alliance set up by the Environment Agency.

Dog Unit In 2014 a small group of Special Constables were given the opportunity to join the dog unit. They were issued with appropriate equipment and took part in several weekend training courses to allow them to work alongside the dogs and their handlers. They were taught how to care for the animals, work with them at their kennels, and how to search and track with the dogs (a skill used on many occasions). The integration of Specials into the dog unit has been so successful that requests have been made for more Special Constables to join them.

Special Constables in the dog unit carry out duties paired with dog handlers. They go to all calls the regular officer attends and, as a second officer, they can deal with the incident (following procedures and making arrests), while the regular officer looks after the dog. So far Specials in the dog unit have been involved in pursuits, searches, domestic incidents and a wide range of other service requirements. The Dog Unit Specials have also been trained as Standard Drivers.

Marine Unit Specials also responded to calls to assist their local district colleagues and conducted searches for high risk missing people around coastal areas on numerous occasions throughout the year. They recovered a number of bodies during waterborne searches.

The Grove Ferry on the River Stour area recently suffered from a spate of thefts and criminal damage. The Specials Marine Unit dedicated two officers to focus solely on this area, which restored the confidence of the local community and reduced crime.

A new Specials Search and Rescue team was introduced in 2014. Seventeen special constables took part in an initial training package and two regular POLSA officers, who are experts in the fields of search and investigation, were assigned to assist the team. The officers of the search and rescue unit have taken part in further training to develop their skills and knowledge to the level of an accredited lowland search technician. A call-out system became operational in January 2015.

The Specials work very closely with fellow volunteers from Kent Search and Rescue who have provided training and support. One major advantage of involving Special Constables in this work is that, unlike other volunteers, their legal powers as police officers allow them to enter buildings and other areas during the search and to conduct further dynamic enquiries on police systems to try and save lives.


Team and Divisional Reports

Mounted UnitWork began in 2014 towards the establishment of a Special Mounted Unit. The remit of this team is to patrol rural areas on horseback in order to engage with communities and gather intelligence on rural crime.

Members of the team are Specials that own their own horses and are accomplished riders. The four person team have gone through rigorous police riding assessments, and ACPO policy and guidance has been followed as the model for the team.

Kent Police officers last used horses in 1943, when police horse Bess finally retired.

Recruitment TeamTowards the end of 2014 a dedicated Specials Recruitment Team was introduced with the aim of encouraging more people to join Kent Special Constabulary. This was timed to coincide with the development of a new, more flexible, initial training programme for recruits, allowing a significant proportion of the training content to be studied at home around the other commitments of trainee officers.

An Open Evening was held in October and was very well attended.

A significant rise in applications to join the Special Constabulary followed and a comprehensive recruitment campaign is planned to take place throughout 2015.Recruitment event – Herne Bay

2014 was a very busy year for the special constables in North Division with involvement in many operations aimed at tackling everything from burglary to counterfeit goods to drugs, alongside the provision of high quality support to the regular officers of the division.

Response team

During the year Special Constables working with the North Division response teams held ‘all out’ days during weekends and busy periods. They attended a large range of priority calls and freed up regular response teams for other deployments as required.

Rural Team

As well as working in partnership with other agencies in an operation to target rural crime each month, the North Division Rural Team visited the agricultural show in Detling in April in order to brush up on their knowledge and meet members of the rural and farming communities. They received training from members of the

National Farmers Union regarding agricultural machinery, vehicles and plant which are often targeted by thieves due to their high value.

Operations and events

North Division officers assisted with a variety of operations and events during 2014. They engaged with the public during the annual

Dickens and Sweeps Festivals in Rochester and the Hop and Apple Festivals in Faversham; they policed crowds of thousands of people and handled a serious public order incident at the Rochester Castle concert series and were on duty during a high-profile boxing event at Bluewater. They also supported the operation to facilitate the Strood by-election. They policed the polling stations as well as the nearby football ground and helped to deal with a confrontation on Rochester High Street between members of Britain First and the Anti-Fascist League.

The storms at the beginning of 2014 prompted a series of severe flood warnings and a call-out was made to Special Constables to assist with the operation in North and East divisions to manage the risk of harm to the public from the rising floodwaters. Within three hours 128 Specials from across the county were on duty at high risk locations ready to assist as required. PCs Luke Andersen and Jim Empett, the special constabulary coordinators from North and East Kent, were

Dartford, Gravesend, Medway, and Swale Districts

Medway – response team ‘all out’ day

SC Sutherland at Detling Agricultural Show

Operation Octane2014 saw the introduction of ‘all-out’ days – operations where a large number of Specials perform duty concentrated on one District. Ashford, Dover, Medway, Swale, Maidstone and Tonbridge all saw up to 70 extra officers volunteer from 6am through to 4am the following morning to focus on local community policing priorities. Drink driving, mobile phone use by motorists, anti-social behaviour reduction, speeding in villages and around schools, and retail crime in the run up to Christmas are some examples. Town centre foot patrol and rural crime deployments also formed part of each Op Octane.

The amount of extra police visibility that Op Octane brings was favourably commented on by many members of the public. Analysis by Kent Police’s Corporate Services Department on each deployment also showed a major impact in terms of crime reduction; a number of significant wanted persons were also located and arrested.

On six occasions we ran ‘take-over’ days where all policing on a District was carried out only by Specials. These worked very well and allowed regular officers to catch-up on other duties or focus on team operations rather than attend calls for assistance. The Specials Roads Policing Unit also carried out two successful take-over days where they took on all policing of the county’s strategic road network.


Team and Divisional Reports North Division

both awarded commendations for their extensive contribution to the operation.

North Division Officers also planned and conducted an operation targeting counterfeit goods. This reaped £2,000 worth of counterfeit goods from a car boot stall which was passed on to Trading Standards officials.

As Christmas approached, Specials in North Division assisted with an operation in conjunction with British Transport Police directed at drink driving and anti-social behaviour in the area of Ebbsfleet train station. A vehicle attracted their attention when it drove into the station car park; the officers caused it to stop and

the passengers and vehicle were searched. A large quantity of class A drugs were found in the car. By the end of the operation six people had been arrested in connection with the drugs located as well as one drink driver.

Other operations of note that North Division Specials took part in during 2014 include:• Operations Pilot and Iron Horse

(enforcing licensing regulations and removing drugs and weapons from the streets)

• Op Eliminate (focussing on burglary hotspots)

• Op Tusca in conjunction with Medway Community Safety Unit (providing vulnerable victims who turn to prostitution with

support to beat drug addiction and convicting those who solicit and organise prostitution)

• Op Herm (targeting metal theft)• Op Nero (a day of action using

the predictive policing model)• Op Enact (responding to

nuisance vehicle use).

The support provided by Specials in North Division during 2014 has been focused on the delivery of Kent Police priorities, particularly visible community policing, cutting crime, catching criminals and dealing with anti-social behaviour.

Counterfeit goods operation haul

East Division was the first area to run a new initiative known as Operation Octane in September of 2014. Over fifty additional Special Constables took part in the various elements of the operation and were involved in the execution of two drugs warrants, which resulted in four arrests and quantities of drugs and property seized. A large number of Special Constables visibly and proactively patrolled Ashford Town Centre during the operation, which resulted in an unheard-of zero reports of shoplifting in a 24-hour period, and much lower levels of shoplifting incidents in the period that followed the operation. Operation Octane was hailed as a great success and has subsequently been run on a monthly basis throughout the county.

Recruitment

East Division Specials have been busy during 2014 with recruitment events across the area. One group of officers volunteered for three days to promote the Special Constabulary at the annual Chilli Farm Festival resulting in a number of people expressing an interest.

Recruitment has been high on the list of priorities across the East Division during the year. Taking full advantage of the good weather, officers took the opportunity to promote the work of the Specials at the Emergency Services Day held at Herne Bay.

Get on your bike

To help officers with their patrols in the busy city centre of Canterbury, several officers took up the opportunity to complete a cycle course. This has assisted in allowing the officers to travel much further on their patrols and increase their interaction with the public. Community engagement was at the heart of this initiative and has been well received. It has now been duplicated in both Folkestone and Ashford.

Throughout the year, S/Sgt Woodrow assisted in reducing night time economy in Thanet by arranging for regular team deployments.

During an operation targeting nuisance motorcycles (an area priority) two Special Constables from Thanet stopped and arrested a man for driving without insurance, having no driving licence, no MOT and for using a motor vehicle other than in accordance with a licence. As this involved the rider of a motorcycle being ridden in an anti-social manner in an area where the local residents were particularly concerned about this type of behaviour, it was reassuring for members of the community to see action being taken. The offender pleaded guilty at magistrates’ court and is due to be sentenced.

Training on the job

New officers who had just completed their initial training programme at Kent Police Training School used a vehicle safety check area in Margate as their first experience of operational activity. This helped in raising the profile of the Special Constabulary on the district and supported local safe driving initiatives. Several Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) were issued.

Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway, and Thanet Districts

East Division recruitment


North Division East Division

The Special Constables of West Division also provided valuable support across a range of policing requirements in 2014. They participated in several operations of note. Operation Gear, a licensing and drugs enforcement operation, took place in the Tonbridge and Sevenoaks area. The operation was run on a regular basis throughout the year with the assistance of the Specials and in June, five Specials helped to achieve fantastic results. SC Charlie Roostan, S/Sgt Chris Archer, S/Sgt Phil Crowhurst, SC James Roostan and S/Insp Gary Gammer between them:• issued one penalty notice for

possession of a controlled substance

• made one arrest on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled substance

• assisted with two further arrests• conducted numerous searches

under s23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act

• seized two items of drugs paraphernalia

• conducted a relentless search and containment exercise in parkland along with the dog unit, divisional support unit and regular colleagues, resulting in several arrests for intent to supply and a large amount of drugs seized.

This was recognised as a highly successful operation which disrupted the criminal element and provided reassurance and increased confidence in the local community.

As Halloween is traditionally a busy period for the police, 33 Specials in West Division offered support to their local district policing teams. During the Halloween weekend two Specials stopped a vehicle which did not

have any lights on. Following a routine stop to talk to the driver they arrested him for taking the vehicle without the consent of its owner, driving whilst disqualified and for possession of class A drugs. An immediate search of the driver’s home address revealed 10.2 grams of a white powder believed to be cocaine, a large sum of cash, a police-type extendable baton and paraphernalia concerned with the supply of drugs. The driver was then further arrested for possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

West Division Specials were praised for their ability to work closely and supportively with other agencies. One such occasion prompted the following letter of thanks from a paramedic:“I wanted to write to you to

make you aware of the help your colleagues provided me last night (30/8/14). I am a Paramedic working for South East Coast Ambulance Service. Last night I was single crewed and called to a gentleman suffering with abdominal pain

in Royal Tunbridge Wells. It was quite busy in the area as we were close to the town centre and it was a Saturday night. I spent a small amount of time with the patient before three of your officers stopped to assist me; they were 18391 Jack Marshall, 18638 Chris Archer & 18772 Tom Burton. I didn’t ask them to stop but they did simply to check everything was okay. They ensured that I could provide optimal patient care and protect patient dignity by keeping members of the public away whilst I dealt with the gentleman. Unfortunately we were very busy that night and there were no ambulances available to back me up. Your colleagues kindly offered to transport the patient in their vehicle, meaning that I could travel with the patient and ensure his condition did not change en route. Your colleagues were courteous, professional and extremely helpful throughout the incident and a fine example of the quality of police officer I’m sure you’re committed to providing. I was even more

Maidstone, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks Districtsimpressed when I found out that your colleagues were working voluntarily as ‘Specials’ last night.

We often deal with officers from Kent Police and I have never had a bad experience It is always reassuring to know that our colleagues ‘in blue’ are there if we need them. From when I started working for the Ambulance Service I was always told that police and ambulance have a very good working relationship, and I feel this incident and these officers will continue to contribute to that positive relationship.”

The good work of West Division officers was not confined to ‘on duty’ hours. SC Jason Bushell was off duty at Ashford Designer Outlet one afternoon in October when he became aware of security staff giving chase to a man who was making a determined attempt to evade capture. He did not interfere directly at first, however, keeping in touch visually and in close proximity his intention was to afford supportive assistance should it become necessary.

He then witnessed the man struggling with another member of retail staff who attempted to prevent him from leaving and SC Bushell intervened to assist in what became quite a struggle. It transpired that the detained man had been using a counterfeit £20 note and had a large quantity in his possession.

The West Division rural team also received praise in 2014, winning the Specials Team Award at the annual Kent Special Constabulary Awards Ceremony. SC Paul Martin, SC Ken Baker, S/CI Derek Moore and S/Sgt Mark Johnson were also noted for their monthly visits to rural areas of Maidstone where they carried out speed checks, gave advice and provided high visibility policing. The West Division Rural Specials team also won the South East Region Specials Team of the Year for their work in preventing and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.


West Division

As budgets and numbers of officers and staff reduce these are unquestionably tough times for police forces. Special Constables are never there to replace regular officers, only to bring additionality and support. In Kent, Specials are never factored into the minimum numbers required for shifts and are only expected to police when they can for as long as they can – as volunteers it is entirely up to them.

Recognising the pressure Kent Police is under a plan was put in place in 2014 to reduce the need for support from the force or regular officers. This included Special Inspectors taking on responsibility for Home Visits to applicants, which saved around 200 days of regular police Inspector time which can be used on frontline policing.

Kent Specials have also trained a number of officers as Training Assessment and Quality Assurance (TAQA) assessors so that regular police trainers can focus on regular recruits. Initial training was also transferred to dedicated Specials trainers. Another Special from the Roads Policing Unit has trained as a Police Driving Instructor, and is able to take on the training of Specials in Basic and Standard police driving courses, maximising driving school time on regular officers whilst at the same time increasing the number of driver-trained Specials.

Policy for the Specials, which previously represented part of the jobs of a Chief Superintendent and a Superintendent was transferred to the Specials Chief Officer, freeing up their time to focus on other priorities and allowing a volunteer lead on the issue for the first time; the Chief Officer is

held to account via the Specials Development Board which is chaired by an Assistant Chief Constable and has the Chief Executive of the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner and the Chairman of the Police Federation on there.

An entirely new online training website, which trains officers to the same level as regular officers using the same occupational standards, has also been designed and developed without placing a burden on the force’s trainers or IT systems. It is now being looked at for introduction into regular training following the successful roll out for Specials.

Twenty Specials have been trained to the Level 3 Public Order standard and are, for the first time, policing football matches and other public order events in the county. A further six have been trained to the

higher Level 2 standard. In 2015 we also hope to have our first PIP Level 2 Detective, building on several officers who have achieved PIP Level 1.

Self-sufficiency and reducing the burden on the regular force A key role for Kent’s Specials is in community engagement. This includes meeting with stakeholders and partners such as the National Farmers Union, or meeting with Parish Councils, community groups, as well as attending community events such as the County Show, fetes, the Sikh Vaisakhi Festival, Remembrance Day, and other neighbourhood events. Nearly 21,000 hours were spent in 2014 on this activity alone, and it is a vital and sometimes overlooked part of maintaining confidence and trust in the police service.

Online engagement has also been important as a means of talking to the public, identifying community problems to assist with, and sometimes dispelling myths about policing. This identification of problems via social media and then solving them with the community was a factor in Kent Special’s win of Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The Kent Specials Twitter account has attracted 40,000 followers in less than two years, which is more than ten times as many as the next most popular Specials social media account (and is more than many entire police forces.) @kentspecials

New funding from the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes covered the cost of three regular PC co-ordinators used for the Specials development.

The PCC also gave Specials with over two years service, meeting minimum hours, a sum equivalent to the average Council Tax payment towards working – around £140 each.

For 2015 the PCC is funding a dedicated recruitment assistant.

In total the PCC has invested over £240,000.


Self-sufficiency Community engagement

During August 2014 Chief Officer Gavin McKinnon took unpaid leave from his day job and travelled to the USA and Canada in order to conduct research into the current best practice for voluntary police officers in North America. He was able to conduct this research due to the award of a Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. CO McKinnon visited police departments in Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New Jersey, New York, Ottowa and Toronto with the aim of sharing good practice and reaching conclusions which will allow him to continue to develop the Kent Special Constabulary in ways that provide even greater benefit to the community it serves.

Following analysis of his research, CO McKinnon produced a comprehensive report to outline his findings and make recommendations, which are being implemented in Kent and other forces. A copy can be found at www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/getting-best-communities-volunteer-police-officers

Getting the best for communities from Volunteer Police Officers To recruit more Specials without compromising on quality or commitment and maintain overall strength.

In 2014 the Kent Police recruitment team received a very large number of expressions of interest in becoming a Special in Kent, however, this converted into only 60 new officers. There is no shortage of members of the public who wish to join Kent Special Constabulary and who will contribute their time to supporting their local police force, but many chose not to apply when they learnt more about the commitment expected as they felt they may not be able to fit the role around their regular employment and family life.

Elements which have previously been perceived as a barrier to some potential applicants have included the intense and inflexible initial training schedule as well as the lengthy application process. With this in mind a new training programme has been developed and introduced in December 2014 which takes 75% of training online; it can be done at the pace and convenience of the student, rather than across 38 evenings and weekends in 7 months as before. This will improve our diversity in terms of age, gender and community background, and for the first time facilitate those working in sectors such as retail and the car industry to complete the training.

A number of significant changes to streamline the application process have also been made. The new, flexible approach is expected to improve the demographics and range of applicants that can commit to the programme. Distance learning also brings challenges, though, and monitoring the individual students and supporting their motivation and needs will be critical. The Kent Specials leadership team will invest a great deal of time and effort into making a success of the new training programme in 2015, maximising the conversion rate into new attested and qualified Specials; and ensuring that as many qualified people as possible are recruited to join Kent Special Constabulary.

In both recruitment and training, flexibility to work around the needs of the volunteer will be at the heart of all decisions. Alongside the changes made to the training programme and the streamlined application process, a team of specials and a new member of police staff have been assigned to focus on the recruitment of new special constables; to increase awareness of the work of the Special Constabulary; and to support candidates through the application process.

To maintain the exceptional number of hours volunteered through effective leadership and provision of opportunity and ensure that a suitable package of support, pastoral care and first-class supervision is in place for every special constable to retain them and encourage them to volunteer.

In recent years the way which Kent Special Constabulary is led and organised has comprehensively changed. Results have improved significantly and the aim is to ensure that this is maintained and that each individual special constable is offered support, pastoral care, inspiration and a range of opportunities in order to maximise their enjoyment of the role and the hours of service which they volunteer. Each officer and their supervisor will track their career and aspirations on a new personal development record to enable them to achieve and contribute to the force’s priorities of Operational Policing, Visibility, and Community Reassurance. Bespoke leadership training, backed by Chartered Management Institute certification, is being introduced for all supervisors.

Kent Special Constabulary aims to achieve even greater success in 2015 than in our QAVS year of 2014 by working together, remaining focussed on the Force Priorities and always striving to improve our support to the force and the community we are part of.

“Kent Special Constabulary is the model for how special constables can contribute a huge amount to making our streets safer.”

The Police Minister, 9 February 2015


Churchill Fellowship Report Moving Forward – Plans for 2015 and beyond

http://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/getting-best-communities-volunteer-police-officers

26 Kent Special Constabulary – Annual Report 2014

Join our award winning team

‘I am a self-employed domestic plumber, mainly general maintenance. I’ve lived in Kent for the last 10 years and have two children and two grandchildren.’

‘I am also a member of the Special

Constabulary. I’ve learnt new skills and

achieved personal goals. I am proud to

serve the communities of Kent alongside

regular officers.’

Ken Goddard, Self-employed plumber

Ken Goddard, Special Sergeant

Do something new. Do something extra.Do something Special. Join us.Follow our work and ask any questions byemail [email protected] @kentspecials

or visit www.kent.police.uk/specials

Documents

Specials annual report 2014 FINAL