Eight
police forces will lead a drive to boost the number of Special Constables.
They
will be given £300,000 by the Government to help spread good practice.
Special
Constables are volunteers with full police powers. They carry out a range of
police work under the supervision of regular officers. Specials give a few hours
each week, usually evenings and weekends.
Home
Office Minister John Denham said the funding will support projects looking at
the best ways to attract new recruits, manage them effectively and boost the
overall numbers.
"Modern
Specials, with full police powers, carry out an enormous range of duties and
are integral to our ongoing priority of fighting crime and the fear of
crime," he said.
"The
findings will be used to offer advice and support to other police forces."
The
eight forces identified as Specials Champions are Merseyside, West Midlands,
Greater Manchester Police, Kent, Surrey, South Yorkshire, Norfolk and South
Wales.
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They
have been recognised for their work with Specials, or are leading the push for
good practice in key areas. The number of serving Specials at the end of March
was 11,598.
