Special weekend planned

North Yorkshire's Special Constabulary will be out in force this weekend as part of a nationwide event to highlight their work.

The National Special Constabulary Weekend takes place between 11 and 13 February and will see Specials carrying out a number of different policing operations across North Yorkshire alongside their regular police officer colleagues.

These include anti-social behaviour patrols in towns across North Yorkshire, Operation Highwayman which targets travelling criminals, a rural crime initiative in Richmondshire called Borderwatch, drug crime and various road safety operations across the county's roads.

The aim of the weekend is to highlight the valuable work and contribution Special Constables make to policing and keeping our communities safe.

Chief Inspector Richard Anderson, who has responsibility for North Yorkshire's Special Constabulary, said: "Special Constables give their time freely to police our communities, and the weekend gives us all a chance to recognise their much-valued contribution to policing.

"As well as enhancing our ability to prevent and detect crime, they bring a wealth of invaluable life experiences to the force.

"The weekend also gives the officers an opportunity to experience different aspects of policing, gaining more experience and increasing their knowledge."

Special Constables are volunteers who give a minimum of four hours of their own time each week to help police the communities of North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire's Special Constabulary is made up of 174 officers who work alongside regular officers. They wear the same uniform and have the same powers of arrest as their regular colleagues.

Not only do Specials provide a welcome boost to the police service, it also gives them many opportunities for personal development.

For more information on becoming a Special Constable go to www.northyorkshire.police.uk/specials. Please note we are not recruiting at present, but please keep checking the website for our next recruitment campaign.