NCJ Number
127890
Date Published
1990
Length
181 pages
Annotation
This study traces the history of the British special constabulary, compares it with similar entities in other countries, assesses its functions, and recommends improvements.
Abstract
The special constabulary in Great Britain, known as police volunteers, auxiliaries, or reserves in other countries, consists of volunteers deployed part-time to perform certain police duties. "Specials" wear a uniform almost identical to that of regular officers. They have all the powers of a constable and perform a variety of daily police functions in addition to specialist work. The book first reviews the history of the special constabulary and then profiles its current structure and operations. Each chapter focuses on the goals and impact of the special constabulary and its social composition. An examination of foreign reserve or auxiliary units provides an extensive analysis of the United States, since there is an extensive range of auxiliary police programs operating in that country. A separate chapter focuses on European and Commonwealth examples of police reserves. A case study of one special constabulary in South West England considers the role of the specials and relevant police agency policy. An assessment of the role of specials in relation to that of regulars and the police subculture notes that the specials tend to identify more with the police than with the community in their attitudes and self-conceptions. Some recommendations offered by this study are a reduction in entrance requirements to admit a broader representation of community residents and joint training with other criminal justice volunteers. Chapter notes, figures, and a 252-item bibliography