Force welcomes new volunteer police officers

A pig farmer, a gymnast coach and a waitress are among the newest special constables to join a police force.

Special constables, known as "specials", are volunteers who work alongside regular police officers and hold the same powers when responding to incidents.

Cambridgeshire Police has welcomed five new special constables, bringing the total number in the county to 66.

Figures show that in April, specials worked on average more than 41 hours each, which was the highest monthly total on record.

The new recruits were welcomed to the force at a ceremony at Cambridgeshire Police's headquarters in Huntingdon, by assistant chief constable John Massey and were sworn in by magistrate Ian Balmer.

Specials receive professional training and can use the role as a pathway into full-time policing, with the force describing it as a way of "trying before you buy".

During the force's volunteers' week earlier this month, Chief Constable Simon Megicks thanked specials and other volunteers for contributing tens of thousands of hours over the past year.

A spokesperson said: "Our specials will go on to make a significant contribution to policing in Cambridgeshire, and we have a huge amount of admiration for the dedication they show by giving up their spare time to help us keep people safe.

"Becoming a special is an exciting opportunity to give something back to the community and get involved in some very valuable and rewarding work.

"It provides a unique insight into the challenges of policing, and provides people with a real opportunity to assist the force in providing a better service to the communities we serve."

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