WAVENEY District Council and Suffolk Police are joining together to encourage businesses and organisations across the county to support Suffolk Special Constabulary through Employer Supported Policing.

WAVENEY District Council and Suffolk Police are joining together to encourage businesses and organisations across the county to support Suffolk Special Constabulary through Employer Supported Policing.

Special constables have always been a valuable part of Suffolk Constabulary and there are currently 350 men and women who regularly give up their time to help make their communities safer.

More than 50 of these individuals work for businesses or organisations that are already part of the Employer Supported Policing scheme and this has benefits for police, the company or organisation and individuals concerned, and communities across Suffolk.

Employer supported policing sees businesses and organisations such as Waveney District Council working with Suffolk Constabulary, at the most basic level allowing the Constabulary to promote recruitment and at the other end of the scale allowing special constable trained employees to be released in the event of an emergency or to take several hours each month to fulfil their policing duties.

Waveney District Council is unique in that it employs Suffolk's top special - chief officer Paul Goldsmith, as well as three other special constables - and regularly allow him to be flexible with his work so he can also fulfil his senior management role with the Constabulary.

During the day Paul works as a food and safety officer in the Environmental Health department, carrying out a range of tasks including food hygiene and health & safety inspections, ship sanitation visits at sea and dealing with both workplace accidents and infectious disease investigations.

But in between these duties he also oversees volunteer police officers, liaising with Suffolk Police chiefs to ensure effective leadership and deployment of this additional resource.

Paul himself benefits from the skills he has learnt as he has worked his way through the ranks to the Special Chief Officer position, while Waveney District Council benefits from the experience and training he has gathered on the way.

Suffolk Constabulary assistant chief constable Stewart Gull said: “In Suffolk we have around 350 special constables who are all volunteers giving up their time and they carry out a variety of duties including uniformed patrols, assisting with the policing of events and the night time economy and even helping with the execution of drugs warrants.

“Employer support from organisations such as Waveney District Council further strengthens partnership work to tackle crime and disorder and has benefits for all those involved.

“In Waveney's case, freeing up Paul for several days a year allows him to spend time with senior managers which is essential and affords him the opportunity to remain visible and keep up to speed with what is happening in the Constabulary.”

Stephen Baker, chief executive of Waveney District Council said: “The scheme works for us as it allows for both individual development and council development. Paul has expanded his skills base and is then bringing those skills back to the council.”

If you would like to know more about employer supported policing and how you can get your organisation involved whether you're an employer or an employee, please call Mick Mann on 01473 613638 or email mick.mann@suffolk.pnn.police.uk .

CAPTION: Assistant chief constable Stewart Gull, Waveney District Council chief executive Stephen Baker and Suffolk Constabulary special chief officer Paul Goldsmith.