volunteer
He highlights the importance of recognizing the value of special constables and the need to attract more volunteers.
Alistair shares the diverse roles and responsibilities of special constables in Scotland, including specialist crime, financial investigation, airport policing, and community policing.
He emphasizes the need for better recruitment campaigns and the sharing of best practices among police forces. Alistair also discusses the challenges of juggling his volunteer role with his full-time job and the rewarding experiences he has had as a special constable.
Takeaways
- Special constables in Scotland have diverse roles and responsibilities, including specialist crime, financial investigation, airport policing, and community policing.
- There is a need to attract more volunteers to the special constabulary and better promote the value and benefits of volunteering.
- Sharing best practices and learning from international volunteer policing programs can help improve recruitment and development strategies.
- Juggling the responsibilities of being a special constable and a full-time job can be challenging but also rewarding.
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the sense of common purpose and the importance of volunteer police officers in supporting their communities.
Sound Bites
- “I was a student at Edinburgh University studying microbiology… I rocked up to sign up for a driving course and I walked out having signed up to be a special constable.”
- “We need to do better at selling the role… The commitment is high, the expectations are high, but the rewards are immense.”
- “I’ve never had an issue… I’ve never had that experience and I would be aghast if colleagues these days were having that type of experience.”
Chapters
00:00. Introduction and King’s Place Medal
01:44. History of Involvement in Volunteer Policing
03:43. Overview of Special Constable Role in Police Scotland
05:27. Adapting and Developing the Role of Volunteer Police Officers
09:04. Support and Relationship with Regular Police Officers
10:54. Importance of Early Experience and Support for Volunteer Careers
12:33. Making a Difference as a Volunteer Officer
14:03. Roles of Special Constables During the COVID-19 Pandemic
16:22. Juggling Volunteer Role with Full-Time Job
18:34. Recommendation and Challenges of Being a Special Constable
20:04. Attracting More Volunteers to the Special Constabulary
22:21. Learning from International Volunteer Policing Programs
25:18. Promoting Volunteer Policing and Sharing Best Practices
27:45. Closing Remarks and Acknowledgment
We have launched a YouTube channel where you can also view our videos – just click here and please like and subscribe PTV Youtube
PolicingTV content is being brought to you in partnership with Altia & Vantaset
Altia is a trusted partner for intelligence and investigation organisations globally. They specialise in improving the management of criminal and civil investigations, fraud and financial investigations, incident management and covert operations.
Their solutions and software help make investigations more efficient and effective, while also meeting regulatory, evidentiary and legislative requirements.
For more information click here www.altiaintel.com/policingtv
Vantaset delivers strategic alignment and performance software, transforming organisations and the way they work,
Vantaset helps organisations transform their impact and competitiveness by delivering
Better performance and productivity. Better staff engagement & Better stakeholder outcomes
For more information click here www.vantaset.com