1. SPECIAL: Kevin Eyles
TRAINING: Recruits take part in the fitness test
BOSS: Chief of Gwent Special Police Richard Jones
From the arduous physical
training of Beep tests, new
recruits are quickly put to
the test to see whether they
can manage in what is often
a physically demanding job.
With these new recruits
soon to officially start, the
juggling of multiple jobs and
social lives will begin.
“Our special officers are
committed to serving a mini-
mum of four hours a week,
yet most of our officers do
far more hours in excess of
that as they are keen to work
and help regular officers”,
Mr Jones adds.
All of this voluntary work
also throws up the question
of how special officers man-
age in their full-time jobs?
Answering the question,
Richard Jones said: “It does
help if you have an under-
standing employer and
some employers do sign up
to the Employer Supported
Policing scheme, where they
allow workers days off for
policing duties, but I think
the difficulty is juggling
family life and I think that
is something Specials must
consider before applying”.
Having been a Special
Police Constable for six
years, Gareth Owen is one of
Gwent’s more experienced
Specials.
“I joined the Gwent Special
Police force because I wanted
to serve my community and
also gain an insight into the
policing world.”
Mr Owen – who has been
working as a Special Inspec-
tor for 14 months now – also
went on to describe what
it was like working as a
Special.
“Serving the community as
a Special is very rewarding
as it’s great to give some-
thing back to the community.
Also it is great to work in
a team environment with
the other specials and on
occasions the regular police
force”, Mr Owen added.
A new training system
was recently brought in at
the end of 2014, whereby
new recruits get training,
along with experience with
regular officers doing opera-
tional hours.
Describing the new sys-
tem, Mr Jones said: “New
recruits are trained in their
basic skills, before they go
out with a regular officer as
a mentor to complete some
policing tasks, before they
then return for some more
training. As a result new
recruits are consolidating
what they have learnt, get-
ting experience and keeping
motivated.”
Through 13 years of work-
ing as a special constable,
Richard Jones has done and
seen it all.
From covering rugby
match-days in Cardiff to
driving through the Severn
Tunnel on a quad bike
at night, working for the
British Transport Police,
Mr Jones says: “I feel very
lucky and privileged to
have had the opportunity
to manage and handle big
events through my work as a
Special Constable.”
For more information
about becoming a Special
visit corporate.gwent.police.
uk/careers/specialconsta-
ble/
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It’s The
19Saturday, August 1, 2015
VOLUNTEER: Zoe Phillips