Hertfordshire Constabulary welcomes seven new Special Constables

Seven new Special Constables were welcomed into Hertfordshire Constabulary during their Attestation Ceremony at Police Headquarters on Thursday 6 August.

Special Constables have full police powers, uniform and protective equipment and work alongside the regular force.

During 13 weeks of training, the new recruits learnt about basic law around theft, public order, assaults, traffic, powers of arrest and Stop and Search. They also used a virtual learning environment which trained them in legislation.

Each graduate went through a rigorous selection process and had to pass a final exam and practical assessments to enable them to qualify for the role of Special Constable.

Those who graduated are:

• Emma Lanaway, who works as a manager at McDonalds. She will be based in East Herts.
• Thomas Hicks, who works for Sainsbury’s. He will be based in Stevenage.
• Cindy Lorenzi, who works as a civil servant leading on the delivery of digital products. She will be based in Stevenage.
• George Potton, who works in a hospital. He will be based in Stevenage.
• Leslie Rajaratnam, who works as a Head Pastry Chef. He will be based in Three Rivers.
• Jolanta Kublin, who works in a primary school. She will be based in Watford.
• Saajan Shah, who works as an estate agent and a security guard. He will be based in Welwyn Hatfield.

They were joined on the evening by Assistant Chief Constable Nathan Doust-Briant, Special Superintendent Mike Allardyce and Justice of Peace Dr Suzy Jordache.

The ceremony was socially distanced so unlike normal circumstances, friends and family could not attend. Nevertheless, efforts were made to ensure they were still included and the Constabulary successfully experimented with live streaming the ceremony to friends and family for the first time.

Over the next 12 months the new recruits will continue their training, working towards Independent Patrol Status, allowing them to pass out as substantive Special Constables.

Assistant Chief Constable Nathan Doust-Briant said: ‘It was a great honour to welcome our newest recruits and I would like to congratulate them on their hard work so far, especially during these challenging times. Our Special Constabulary are an important asset in policing Hertfordshire and I’m confident that our latest recruits will deliver a great service in keeping the county safe. I wish them all the best in their new role.’

If you would like more information on becoming a Special Constable, visit www.hertspolicespecials.co.uk and click on ‘register your interest’ to receive an application form (please check your junk folder!) or browse the pages to find out more. You can also watch a video and read case studies from some officers.