Response to report of retired police officers in West Midlands being asked to return to the service as volunteer special constables

Thursday, 05 May 2011

Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, commented:

“Volunteers make a significant contribution to the police service. Also there is clearly that much that retired officers can offer their local communities in a voluntary capacity. But this appeal to retired police officers in the West Midlands to come back to the service as volunteers is troubling.

“The danger is that it will be seen as an attempt to get policing done on the cheap. It threatens to undermine the core principle that volunteers in public services should complement the work of paid professionals and not replace them.

“Volunteering England has worked hard over the years to encourage the police and other public bodies to take a positive attitude towards volunteering, and great progress had been made. Now we must work together to make sure that volunteers are seen as offering a particular and valuable contribution which is different from that of paid staff.”

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