Being a Special Constable: fighting drug crime

Special Constable Will Liley describes how a Special Constable can play a role in tackling drug crime

One of my most memorable experiences since becoming a Special Constable took place a few months back on a busy Friday evening in Maidstone town centre.

I was taking part in an operation to crack down on drug use among pub and club goers; we visit local social hot-spots, swabbing and testing surfaces for signs of drugs. Sometimes we’ll swab customers too! 

That night, I was in plain clothes acting as a ‘spotter’. This means watching people’s reactions as they’re approached by uniformed officers patrolling with sniffer dogs. 

I was looking out for people who’d immediately turn and walk away, or who’d shiftily play with their pockets – all tell-tale signs they’re hiding something.

Trying to escape

I saw a group of four men stood by a fast food restaurant in Week Street. I watched closely as the officers got closer, sniffer dogs trotting keenly by their sides.

The men froze as soon as they saw them; in a split-second, they’d made a run for it. 

I knew exactly what I had to do. 

Sprinting after them, I shouted out that I was a police officer and called for them to stop; unsurprisingly, they just ignored me. 

The four split up, disappearing through a maze of side roads. I focused on one man, carrying a bag. As I chased him he got quicker and quicker, and I began struggling to keep up.

He grabbed at his bag and hurled it into a nearby wheelie bin. He stumbled, having performed the move at great speed, giving me the extra couple of seconds I needed to catch up. Finally I caught him! 

A great feeling

We fell to the ground as he tried to break free, but I secured him with hand cuffs and placed him under arrest.

My colleagues had seen me give chase and were following closely behind. One of the team pulled the bag from the bin; we found drugs, drug paraphernalia and a wallet so full of cash it barely closed.

Later on, his three friends were found and arrested too.

With the offender back in custody, my job was only partly done. His address had to be searched and paperwork completed.

Being a special is a varied and exciting volunteer role. You learn to think quickly on your feet and are driven by a need to protect those in your community from harm. 

The great result that night left me with a feeling of real satisfaction. I’d say to anyone reading this, ask yourself: 'Could I do something really Special?'

Want to find out more about becoming a Special Constable? Get details of the next Specials recruitment event in Swale on Thursday 23 July.

Focus on... Crime Scene Investigation - 'you have to detach yourself from the reality'

Crime Scene Investigator

Phill Pemble

Afternoon all.  Here is another snapshot of the daily work of a CSI. 

I went back to the scene I had left the day before (if you remember, it was an allegation of rape) and took more pictures as the light was much better.

With no more jobs on the work-list I submitted evidence from previous jobs to the lab. I had managed to obtain DNA from clothing of a recent assault victim so I sent that in for analysis. I also sent off some plants that had been recovered from a scene to confirm that they were in fact cannabis and to calculate the potential street value – something that can affect the length of sentence given to drug dealers/producers. I also submitted syringes and other drug paraphernalia for DNA examination. 

Evidence submission came to an abrupt stop when I was asked to attend a burglary scene. A garage at a house had been broken into with an item stolen. Despite searching I could not find any forensic evidence but I spoke to the owners and showed them how this particular incident happened so they could protect against it in the future. I then passed the job back to officers so they could make witness enquiries in the nearby area. 

Back in the office the day quietened down and I carried on with my paperwork – not very exciting but we have to make sure all the proper processes are followed.  

The next day 

Once again the phone was ringing as I walked through the door with a request to attend a sudden death involving a child. As with all instances of sudden death, they can be explained by a range of scenarios, but it is my responsibility to check the scene and eliminate any concerns over the cause. It is important we attend to rule out any involvement by a third party. I gathered the evidence and returned back to the office. 

Next on the list: offenders who had gained entry to a home and stole various items. I managed to recover fingerprints which I really hope will help put a name to the burglar/s. Later I was passed items by officers that were left at another scene and I logged them for testing. You can only hope that in the offender’s hurry to leave they have left proof of who they are. 

What I’ve described to you is a pretty standard week in the life of a Crime Scene Investigator. I hope this has given you an insight into the range of jobs and scenes we attend. Our role is a really important part of the investigative process and we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned. Even the smallest piece of evidence might be the key to a conviction and taking a dangerous criminal off the streets so they cannot continue to harm other people.  

I’m now off for a few well-earned rest days…  

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading. The next blog is from our principal investigator who will be letting you know about what you can do to help us if you ever find yourself a victim of crime. 

Thanks everyone,

Phill

Focus on...Crime Scene Investigation - 'the highs and lows'

Phill Pemble - CSI

Hi all,

So a typical day… not sure there’s such a thing for a CSI but here goes;

(I’ve removed all references to date, time and location in case any investigations are on-going and to prevent victims from being identified)

I literally got through the door of the office as a Detective Sergeant (DS) came in to let me know of a sudden, unexplained death.

Someone had stopped breathing, paramedics were in attendance and although they made every effort to resuscitate, they had not been successful. As we had details on the individual and knew some of their history, there were some concerns as to the cause of death. I rushed down to the scene along with the local DS and DI (Detective Inspector) and started the examination. During this time other officers began their neighbourhood and family enquiries. 

As always, the first thing I did was photograph the scene before taking a closer look at the body. This obviously isn’t a nice part of my job but it has to be done. If it was a relative of mine I would want to know that the police had done everything they could to determine what had happened. In this case I did not find any suspicious circumstances, so I passed the investigation over to the local coroner. We located some drug taking paraphernalia at the scene which officers seized so they could find out who had used it and what drugs were involved.

Shortly afterwards, I moved onto a shed break-in. With incidents like this I speak to the victims first to establish the circumstances. They were able to show me how they believed the offender did not activate their security light. I took the evidence back to the lab for analysis and spoke to the victims again about extra home security measures they could put in place to help them feel safer and reduce the risk of being targeted again. Any hits from my evidence is fed back to the officer investigating the crime and, if appropriate, shown to the Crown Prosecution Service to help put offenders before the courts.

Another job came in, this time a very difficult one. We received a report of an alleged rape. I know the effect that this type of crime can have on victims having spoken to many over the years so I pay extra attention to even the smallest detail, sometimes it’s all that’s needed to secure a conviction. 

Officers on patrol quickly arrived at the home of the person who made the report to obtain a statement and I sealed off the area where it was reported to have happened and began searching. With reports like this I could be looking for a range of things, so the available light is a huge issue. It was getting dark quickly so I made the decision to leave and return again in the morning.  

Before I leave you for today, I would like to mention crime scenes and the taped off areas you may come across from time to time. 

Please don’t be alarmed when you see this. Even if a CSI is not there, you will see a police car or officer patrolling just to make sure no one tampers with the scene. I will seal off areas

for a range of offences from drug taking to assaults; some may stay up longer because of diminishing light, workloads, dense areas and so on.

They may look alarming but it is critical we make sure any evidence is located so our officers have the best possible
opportunity to bring an offender to justice.

Thanks for reading.  Tomorrow’s blog – ‘you have to detach yourself from the reality’

Phill

Focus on... Special Constable Rachael Jarman

Rachael Jarman

26 |  Special Constable based in Maidstone  
Started in June 2011

I was at the same drugs op as SC Ross Smith a few weeks ago in Maidstone. Eight Special Constables went out with a drugs liaison officer and a police drugs dog and we searched the queues of people waiting to get into the pubs and clubs.  After we’d completed some searches and one person had been arrested, I was walking back towards the high street when the drugs dog made a beeline for a man walking past. I stopped the man and told him I was going to search him as the dog had positively identified him as being of interest. He turned out his pockets and handed over a packet of white powder, just like that! So I arrested the man and called for a van to take him back to the police station and process him.

It was my first drugs arrest. Working in the town centre, we usually deal with drunks and minor disorder so taking part in a specific operation like that was really interesting and it was a really good day.

For me, the best thing about being a Special is meeting loads of different people. In this role, we obviously deal with all sorts of people, offenders, victims and lost people.

I like to help people too. Just recently, officers brought in a girl for drink driving and, as I was the only female nearby, they called me down to search her. After putting her back into her cell, she burst into tears. You have to be firm but also empathetic in this role – she’d obviously committed a crime but was so distraught, I don’t think we’ll be seeing her again.

Last night I was crewed with my sergeant and our first job was to locate a man for breach of bail. After attending two locations including the man’s home address, we ascertained his story checked out so there was no need to arrest him.

We then attended another report of three people causing a nuisance to an elderly man in Coxheath. After speaking with the witness, we located three potential suspects and took their details to be forwarded to the local PCSO to make follow up enquiries.

We then carried out high visibility patrols in the rural area of Maidstone, checking vulnerable cash machine sites and an industrial estate that had recently been the target of a theft. We also checked out Maidstone town centre and stopped two drivers for motoring offences. I gave them words of advice as, in the circumstances, it was more appropriate to educate rather than prosecute.

To find out more about the work of Specials in Maidstone, read my colleague Ross Smith's blog.

Online chat – watch the replay

You can watch a replay of last night’s online chat with Specials Co-ordinator T/Insp Guy Thompson.

Guy answered questions on the recruitment process and training requirements.

Focus on... Special Constable Ross Smith

Ross Smith

39  |  Special Constable in Maidstone  |  IT manager

A 'typical' day

After finishing work at my day job I head to Maidstone Police Station, put my uniform on and meet up with my colleagues.

If I’ve been allocated to a specific operation, I’ll attend the briefing. Otherwise I’ll meet with the neighbourhood sergeant to get my taskings for the evening. This could be town centre patrol or being sent to an area for a particular operation, investigation or intelligence gathering.

After being allocated my tasking, I’ll pair up with another officer and head out on patrol, on foot or in the car and see what unfolds!

Recent arrest

On Saturday night last week, I was part of an operation to crack down on drugs in the town centre. I went out with a group of other Specials and carried out random swabbing at local pubs/clubs. We took the swabs back to the station for analysis and from this, we could tell what types of drugs may be being used and where.

With the swab analysis complete, I met up with a passive drugs dog and his handler in the high street and patrolled with them. It didn’t take long before the dog positively identified potential suspects so we searched a number of people and arrested one man for possession of illegal drugs. We took him back to the station, booked him into custody and completed the paperwork. That arrest wasn’t the only one of the night so it turned out to be a very successful operation.

After a short break, we headed back out to police the busy night time town centre.

Most memorable ‘job’

One of my most memorable jobs was a drugs raid one evening in a pub. I attended the briefing and was told by the sergeant I would be actively involved in the op which was exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time! Everyone was quiet in the van on the way to the pub and tension was high as everyone prepared themselves for the raid. Suddenly it was go, go, go and we all ran into the party where it was dark and the music was loud. I headed to my allocated point by the toilets and searched them. When I pushed open a cubicle door I saw two men involved in what appeared to be a drug deal.

My training kicked in and I got them both out of the cubicle but not before I saw one of them throw a bag behind the toilet.

I didn’t let them know that I had seen this and began explaining calmly that they had nothing to worry about and that we were doing a licencing check on the pub. I stalled them while covertly calling for assistance - two of them, one of me, that’s what was on my mind! Two colleagues joined me and I told them what I had seen so we arrested and handcuffed the two men.

Back in the van on the way to custody with the two men, I felt a huge sense of relief and pride. By keeping calm, I had got the two arrests for the night, without any struggle or anyone getting hurt. When I got home, I couldn’t sleep - I was so excited by what had just happened!

Thinking of joining?

If you’re thinking about becoming a Special, I’d definitely say go for it! I went to a recruitment open day and found out a little more about the role and what would be expected of me. Then spoke to my wife about what I would be required to commit and after deciding together it wouldn’t impact on my family life in a negative way, I applied. As soon as I started the training I knew I was going to enjoy the role. I have never looked back since!

The best thing about being a Special is when you see you have made a difference – it’s very rewarding. Also the people around you become like a second family - everyone looks out for each other and you are part of the team. Even though, as a Special, you are not there as much as the regulars, you are never excluded.

Being a Special constable has given me a lot back that I could never have got from another ‘normal’ job. The life skills you get from the training and being out interacting with people is immense. You build confidence in yourself and your abilities to think clearly in stressful situations. I still think it’s odd that now I run towards incidents that I used to step back from! The training is tough, but the rewards make it all worthwhile.

To find out more about the Specials in Maidstone, check out my colleague Special Constable Rachael Jarman's blog.