North Yorkshire Police are on the hunt for people with that “Special” quality, as the force launches its campaign to recruit a new intake of Special Constables.

Special Constables are volunteers, who commit at least four hours of their time per week to keeping communities safe. “Specials” go through a rigorous training programme before they qualify to go out on the beat, where they work alongside regular police officers covering a wide range of different duties – anything from policing public events, to tackling anti-social behaviour or attending emergency incidents.

North Yorkshire Police currently has more than 160 Special Constable volunteers, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and professions, including teachers, airline cabin crew, office workers and archaeologists.

The force is hoping to recruit a further 100 Specials as part of a wider programme to boost the number of citizens involved in policing, and enhance links with all parts of the community in North Yorkshire.

Commenting on the Specials recruitment campaign, Dave Jones, Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Special Constables are a very important part of the policing family.  It is a role where life experience really counts, so we are looking for people who have already built up some problem-solving and people skills through their work or home life, and are looking to use their abilities to take on a new challenge.

“Our ideal recruit will be someone with strong links to their local community, who works well as part of a team, and is interested in developing their career as a Special on a long-term basis.  If that sounds like you, I would urge you to visit our website to find out how to apply.”

Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, added: “Special Constables make a very positive difference to their communities, by protecting vulnerable people and helping to bring law-breakers to justice.  I want a Special Constabulary that is as diverse as the communities we serve, so I hope this campaign will encourage a wide range of people to sign up.”

Anyone who is interested in becoming a Special Constable can visit www.nypspecials.com for more information and an expression-of-interest form.