Specials Week - Meet Phil Booth a Special Inspector who joined in his mid-thirties

S/Inspector Phil Booth | Kent Police Special Constabulary

Hi everyone, 

As a day job I work as a teacher and Subject Head at a school in Medway. When I’m not working or being a special I’m a big supporter of Gills FC and enjoy competing in cycling events, riding for Medway Velo Cycling Club.

My day job means I work extremely hard but it still gives me time to carry out my duties as a Special. Most of my shifts are Friday evenings but I do like to get out more during school holidays.

I joined up in November 2007 and over the last 6 1/2 years I’ve been in a variety of different roles across Medway and Swale for Kent Police.

At the moment I’m an Inspector responsible for the Special District Team in Swale. I was fortunate enough to be promoted to the management role in 2012 and I’ve had the opportunity to develop my skills further, many of which I can easily transfer to my day job which is great. Our team works alongside response teams in north Kent dealing with 999 calls and emergencies.

I only became a special in my mid-thirties and whilst I was a little apprehensive that being older may have meant that I wasn’t suited for the role I soon realised that it meant that I could bring my life experiences and skills from my civilian job to the force.

My intention was never to join as a regular officer but I now see myself as a ‘career special’. The rewards will always keep me going, knowing that I have done something to improve my community. 

The role is immensely enjoyable, I really value working with regular officers and our team and I enjoy the real sense of team spirit that exists here.

Training has always been well delivered and you soon pick up all of the necessary skills and pass your on-going exams. My initial training was a great experience and whilst in some ways it was a little sad to finish, it was incredibly exciting to move on and be out on patrol.

I quickly found out first hand that Kent Police was one big team. As police officers we attend all sorts of jobs ranging from anti-social behaviour issues to attending burglaries and more serious crimes. Residents don’t see us differently and are often very surprised to hear that we volunteer our time. 

One area where I did feel that I made a real difference was when I organised an operation tackling large numbers of nuisance vehicles causing issues in a local industrial estate. Organising this operation used a great deal of my personal and professional skills and the strong team spirit and ‘can do’ attitude that exists here meant it all ran smoothly. It was great that our operation had a long-term effect on reducing the issues around anti-social motorists in this area, and gave us all a real sense of achievement and doing some good for the local community.

Kent Police has provided me with training throughout my time in the force and I feel well equipped to perform my role and support my teams of officers. I like to think that I have had a positive impact with what I do and I find the role so rewarding.

If you are thinking about joining the Specials then I would thoroughly recommend it. Having served for a number of years every shift is still different and brings new challenges. Kent is a county of wide contrasts, everyone will find a role that interests them, and of course, you will be supported every step of your journey.

Thanks for reading, hope you've enjoyed it. If you have any questions about becoming a Special please leave a comment below.

Phil

Specials Week - Message from the Police and Crime Commissioner

Police and Crime Commissioner

Ann Barnes

Specials do truly remarkable things for our county. Did you know they have been around even longer than the regular force?

They stand shoulder to shoulder with their regular police officer colleagues, but give their free time, without payment, to help keep us safe. 

Last year, the Specials gave nearly 100,000 hours of voluntary policing to Kent – a staggering amount. As a gesture of appreciation and to say thank you, I found the funding to pay the police precept part of the council tax for Specials who’ve served for over two years. It’s a big investment and speaks volumes for how I think the people of Kent feel about these magnificent volunteers, and I’m pleased to say they’ll be able to claim it from 1st April.

Last year I also gave almost £250,000 to the Special Constabulary to help recruit and train more volunteers, and was one of the first Police and Crime Commissioners to make such an investment. I hope this shows that I really do recognise and value the unique contribution that Special Constables make by devoting their time to helping others in the community.

The men and women who volunteer to help police our communities usually have a day job, yet they find the time, for free, to help out and to keep everyone safe. I take my hat off to them. The Specials are ordinary people doing an extraordinary thing and that’s why I’ve invested heavily in the scheme. 

If you have ever been interested in policing and have some time to spare, I’d urge you to apply to the Special Constabulary. I’d love to see more ‘mature’ members of our communities joining up – it’s never too late – I’m living proof. 

Becoming a Special Constable really is one of the very best ways to give something back to your community – so come on everyone!

Ann Barnes, KPCC

Specials Week - Meet Matt Sims, a serving Special Constable (8 years on)

SC Matthew Sims

Kent Police Special Constabulary

Hi, I’m Matt and I’ve been a Special for eight years now.

I joined in 2006 when I was 25, after I saw that Kent Police were advertising. I had always wanted to become a police officer but my career had taken a different path. I knew I didn’t want to change jobs completely so becoming a Special in my spare time could give me the both of best worlds.

I had a think about it, found out exactly what it entailed and thought, let’s give it a try.

My application was successful and I began my training. It was daunting at first, with so much to learn but I was supported along the way. The trainers were excellent and really worked with us all to adapt things and make sure we kept up with the schedule. The fitness and safety training was hard work but always fun with your team around you.

So, here I am, eight years later and I wouldn’t change it. Putting on my uniform and hitting the street gives me a real sense of worth. It allows me to make a difference, to give something back and that is still the case today as it was all that time ago when I first started.

Becoming a special has helped me increase my skills professionally but it has helped me personally too. It has made me truly appreciate my family and what I have a lot more, as you see first-hand how it can be taken away so quickly. It’s also increased my confidence leaps and bounds, not to mention the impact the people I’ve met along the way have had.

I had the chance to work within the sexual exploitation team recently and that was a real eye-opener. Here I could make even more of a difference and gain valuable experience in supporting victims and communities which I’ve really enjoyed.

I’m about to start working with other regular officers as part of Kent Police’s Rural Team which I’m really looking forward to. After my time in the sexual exploitation team I wanted a new challenge, one of the perks of being a Special, and hopefully it’ll be a good one.

If you are reading this and considering becoming a Special, go and take a look at the information on the Kent Police website. You’ve got this far so there’s no harm in looking right? : )

If you’re worried about joining because you have kids; I have one myself, a five year old who was born three years into my service and we’ve been able to make it work around us. You might be worried that your current employer may not support you, but have you asked? When I approached my employer they were great; the police will even speak to them directly to give guidance and support if they need it.

You may even be thinking that this just isn’t for you but if you really want to make a difference, I cannot stress how fulfilling a role being a Special Constable is. I honestly don’t believe there is another job that you can volunteer as and make such a positive and constant difference to people’s lives, including your own.

Thanks for reading everyone, hope you’ve enjoyed it.

Tomorrow one of my colleagues will be writing another blog so keep a look out on twitter and Facebook.

Good luck if you’re applying!

Matt

SC Matt Sims