A Special Thank You

As part of the Force’s COVID19 response, our Special Constabulary has volunteered an amazing 3400 hours in April alone.

We’d like to say a big thank you to them for putting in the work and commitment to help keep us all safe.

As with many others, Special Sergeant Dave Holmes was furloughed from his full-time job, and is now doing additional hours to assist on the frontline in Derby. 

So far this month, he has already volunteered 112 hours for the Force. 

Speaking about his time as a Special, Dave said: “There is great camaraderie in the Special Constabulary and a real sense of team spirit. With the right level of humility and confidence, you can really make a positive impact in helping our regular police colleagues. I have a particular passion for traffic and motorcycles and I enjoy making a positive impact by helping out with roadside operations, high visibility patrols using compliant stops and assisting the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) with things like mobile phone campaigns, drink drive efforts or acquisitive crime initiatives.

“Over the last year, I have been focused on supporting our colleagues in CREST (Casualty Reduction Enforcement Support Team), UpRight & RPU. I attend UpRight engagement campaigns to aid the education of bikers and aim to reduce road casualties through positive educational contact.

“It’s tricky balancing a home, work and volunteering lifestyle, I'm required to commit a minimum of 16 hours per month for duty. It's fair to say I exceed that consistently! I try to align my police work with my wife's work pattern as a midwife. I'm also helped by my company who allow me additional paid leave to commit to duty.

“In times of need such as a high-risk missing person or a national campaign such as the recent Whaley Bridge major incident, I will come on duty and support my colleagues. The unfolding COVID19 crisis has seen my company release me full time to the frontline. As such, I'm working at Derby North section and enjoy being a supporting part of a great team.”

Ordinarily, Dave works for Edge PS Limited, a construction company based in Sheffield as a senior project manager for the construction sector, alongside volunteering with us - something he has done since 2016.

Edge PS said: “We are proud to support the Employee Supported Policing Scheme by releasing Dave Holmes to serve as a Special Sergeant for Derbyshire’s Special Constabulary during the current COVID19 crisis. Dave is making a valuable contribution to his community by supporting front-line officers during this difficult time.”

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson said: “At any time our Special Constabulary never know what they will face when they come on shift – but to have stepped up in the way they have in the face of a new and unseen danger has been truly inspirational.

“Our Specials have come together efficiently and effectively to mobilise and offer an additional resource from the very start of the pandemic, without the need for us to ask for additional duties as they are motived, committed and led by a very strong Specials management structure who lead from the front. 

“We would also like to say a special thanks to Special Inspector James Hopkinson from North Division and Special Chief Inspector Arron Kirkham, as throughout the pandemic they have been instrumental in pulling together teams to assist the Force wherever there has been a need.”

All of our Specials do this role voluntary alongside their day to day jobs. We can’t thank them enough for the work they do and sacrifices they make.