National Specials Weekend
Hertfordshire’s Special Constabulary provided an amazing 1070 hours of policing across National Specials Weekend which ran between Friday 5 and Sunday 7 June.
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.
102 Specials were on duty across the weekend and were involved in a wide range of policing duties including a plain clothes operation in St Albans which saw one arrested on suspicion of drug driving/possession of a class B drug. Officers also responded to anti-social behaviour in Verulam Park and took part in a speed enforcement operation where over 40 vehicles were stopped and either given strong words of advice or reported for excess speed.
Meanwhile in Welwyn Hatfield, Specials assisted the Safer Neighbourhood Team to deal with reports of speeding. They took part in an operation in Hatfield Avenue, stopping around 20 vehicles and issuing traffic offence reports for speeding, no insurance and using a mobile phone at the wheel.
Over in Dacorum, Specials took part in an operation targeting rogue traders and were also out in the community issuing crime prevention advice. They also took part in a speeding operation, conducting checks in Shootersway in Berkhamsted and Leverstock Green Way in Hemel Hempstead where two drivers were reported for driving at 39mph and 54mph despite the speed limit being 30mph.
Assistant Chief Constable Nathan Briant said: ‘During a typical weekend, our Specials contribute around 200 hours of policing which is fantastic in itself but 1070 hours is truly impressive! I would like to say a massive thank you for all their efforts. Specials play a pivotal role in ensuring that Hertfordshire remains a safe place to live and work and we are very lucky to have such a hard-working and dedicated team.’
You can find more information about Special Constables and the requirements of being one by visiting the FAQ on Herts Police website. If you’re interested in becoming a Special Constable, please visit hertspolicespecials.co.uk.
If you are contacting police 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 telephone lines so we can answer for urgent 999 calls. You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, or speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact.
To report any other crime, you can use the online methods listed above 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 or report information online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
You can tell the Constabulary what matters most to you about policing, crime or anti-social behaviour in Hertfordshire using echo. Go to bit.ly/herts-echo and have your say.