Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department is taking to increase recruitment of Special Constables.

The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by special constables in their work. The Home Office continues to work closely with its policing partners the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) on the Citizens in Policing Programme and the National Strategy for the Special Constabulary (2018 - 2023), and the College of Policing. These partnerships support the development of a national approach to the attraction, retention and training of special constables.

All decisions on the recruitment, size, composition of a police force’s workforce are a local matter for individual chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). Individual forces decide how best to recognise and reward police volunteering contributions whether that be in the form of allowances, benefits or expenses as part of their retention and attraction plans. Individual PCCs and chief officers are best placed to make decisions within their communities based on their local knowledge and experience. Chief officers can also make use of available national guidance set by the College of Policing.