Volunteers do a fantastic job say Devon & Cornwall Police

Devon & Cornwall Police recently honoured the work of police cadets and volunteer police officers, also known as ‘Specials’, to recognise the important role they play in protecting local communities.

Devon & Cornwall Police recently honoured the work of police cadets and volunteer police officers, also known as ‘Specials’, to recognise the important role they play in protecting local communities.

At a recent awards event, every member of the Special Constabulary and cadets in South Devon received a unique coin to thank them for their dedication and contribution in supporting the work of the police.

Chief Superintendent Roy Linden, who heads up policing teams across South Devon, said: “Specials and cadets are invaluable to our policing service – they really enhance the great work that our officers do, by supporting with patrols, attending engagement events, carrying out reassurance visits and much more.

“I’d like to recognise the selflessness of the Specials we are lucky enough to have; whilst they usually have regular day-jobs, they choose to dedicate their spare time to support the Force and our aims to keep people safe. In 2024, they collectively devoted over 10,000 hours of their own time to serve local communities. They are key in helping us maintain a visible and reassuring presence in local neighbourhoods.

“The volunteer cadets are also a fantastic asset to our police teams too. These young people work regularly with us to engage with the public, educate people on useful crime prevention advice, give valuable information out about how to report crime and support our regular officers at local events. The way they connect with local communities is vital and helps us to build the public’s confidence in the police work we do.”

Police cadets are made up of young people aged 13-17 years old. There are 55 active police cadets in South Devon. Some of their recent work to help protect communities included joining police officers during a plain clothes operation, where the cadets attempted to purchase knives as an underage person without ID. This formed part of the police’s effort to prevent knife sales to young people by educating shops around the laws of knife sales.

The South Devon policing area currently has 24 Specials who volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month. They have the same powers of arrest as police officers and they volunteer their time to provide additional support to the front line. Specials work alongside police officers to carry out high-visibility patrols, getting involved with targeted operations and community engagement, such as door to door visits.