A move to allow Special Constables to join the Police Federation is long overdue, says Staffordshire branch secretary Glyn Pattinson.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill , which includes provision for Specials to subscribe to the Police Federation for the first time, is currently going through Parliament and is set to become law early next year.
Glyn said: “We can’t wait to be able to welcome Specials into the Federation, it’s long overdue. We’ve campaigned for almost a decade for them to enjoy the same wide range of support and advice from the Federation as regular officers.
“They’ve been on the frontline during the pandemic, working alongside our members to protect the public, and their efforts have been fantastic.
“They face the same risks, so it’s only right they’re afforded the same support and protection.”
Glyn’s comments have been echoed by Dave Bamber, secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Special Constabulary Working Group, in a website blog.
Dave said: “Specials won’t be treated any differently when they join PFEW. They will have parity with the existing membership, and exactly the same expert support, representation, and rights to vote and stand in elections. Nothing will be any different from any Special and an existing member.
“As volunteers though, we are keen to offer as much support as we can – especially for Specials who might not earn a lot in their day jobs or are struggling financially.”
Dave added: “There is so much work to be done on the behalf of Specials. Nobody has looked properly at their conditions of service, how they are treated in the workplace, their terms of reference, or their pensions, for many, many years.”
