Police thank Special Constables who dedicated 10,000 hours of their time to keeping people safe

In 2023, Special Constables, who are unpaid volunteers for Devon & Cornwall Police, devoted over 10,000 hours of their own time to serve the local communities of South Devon. This made up nearly 1,600 duties, helping to keep the communities of South Devon safe. Here are some of their key achievements:

• Over 3,000 hours were spent responding to emergency 999 calls and crimes logged though 101

• Almost 900 hours were carried out conducting street patrols, investigating offences in local areas and connecting with local people

• A total 440 hours were spent patrolling busy town centres during the late night evenings and into the early hours of the morning

• Nearly 360 hours were dedicated to the custody unit, picking up and transporting offenders to various stations

• Almost 900 hours were spent policing community events such as the Torbay Air Show, ensuring the safety of those attending

A vital part of the Special Constables role is to provide public engagement to local people; these included door-to-door enquiries to follow up on crime, attendance at community meetings to give crime prevention advice to local people and answer any police queries; all with the aim to prevent vulnerable members of the community from becoming victims of crime.

South Devon Commander, Chief Superintendent Roy Linden, who heads up policing in South Devon said: “It is with great pride that I thank the Special Constables who use their own time to support our officers in South Devon. Without their dedication throughout the year, we would not achieve as much as we do.”

Special Constable Mike Fleming, who volunteered 1,496 hours for South Devon in 2023, said: “Volunteering my time to help keep the local community safe is such a rewarding experience. For the past couple of years I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a fantastic team of officers and other volunteers and have built many meaningful connections with neighbourhoods across South Devon.

I am proud to be able to volunteer for the police to help make a difference and take positive steps to make our streets safer.”

Special Constables are unpaid volunteer police officers who have the same power as regular officers. They donate their time to support frontline policing activities like crime-prevention initiatives and patrols