Cheshire Constabulary has carried out a week of activities saluting the vital work that volunteers contribute throughout the county.

Held annually from 1 to 7 June, National Volunteers' Week is an opportunity to say a big thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. The week also incorporates National Specials Weekend which this year ran from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 June. 

In Congleton, Specials engaged with the community at Congleton Party in the Park. They attended a number of calls related to anti-social behaviour and suspicious activity in Middlewich and Sandbach. They were also in attendance at the Holmes Chapel Beacon Lighting and supported the NTE in Congleton town centre. Various traffic offences were also dealt with.

Cheshire Constabulary fully embraced the national initiative, holding special events and promoting the highly valued work of a range of volunteers who support the force and Cheshire's communities on a daily basis.

 Throughout the week, police cadets were engaging with the public across Cheshire. The new police cadet groups based in Warrington, Winsford and Ellesmere Port started their programme at the beginning of May and have been learning about the behaviour and uniform standards expected of a police cadet.

The Ellesmere Port cadets supported Op Sceptre recently and assisted PCs and PCSOs to conduct a knife sweep. The cadets attended a police briefing before the operation to understand how to work safely and call for support if they found anything.

Special Constables carried out a range of activities with a focus on the Platinum Jubilee Weekend celebrations. In summary, the weekend saw 65 Specials volunteer 875 hours of support – an incredible achievement. 

 The week ended on the evening of Tuesday 7 June with a fun quiz night attended by volunteers from across the force and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). Teams from the Special Constabulary, the volunteer Police Cadets, the OPCC and the Police Museum participated.

The quiz consisted of several different rounds and catered for age groups spanning from 15 to 75 years; everybody enjoyed themselves and the quiz was a success. The Police Museum team were the overall winners.

T/Assistant Chief Constable Bill Dutton said: "The support from our volunteers is integral to the work that we do in Cheshire Constabulary.

 "We value highly and gratefully appreciate the contribution that our volunteers make as part of our policing family. 

"All volunteers, from cadets to specials, dedicate many hours of their time and this national week gives us the ideal opportunity to formally celebrate and salute their vital contribution.  

 "During their service, volunteers can expect to learn new skills, see new things and make tangible differences to the lives of the public they serve.

"This year, National Volunteers Week and National Specials Weekend fell in the same week as The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Weekend. A bank holiday marking a national celebration is the perfect example of when volunteers fully integrate with our regular officers to support local communities at an extraordinary time. Their input helps to maintain public safety whilst encouraging people to enjoy themselves in a responsible and considerate way." 

 John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, added: "Our volunteers play an essential role both within the police and in my office where they help to hold the police to account. From our Cadets to our Special Constables and the variety of roles available in my office, their time and dedication really contributes to enhancing policing across Cheshire, and I am so grateful for the work that they do.

"The support that they provide to our officers and staff is invaluable, especially over busy periods such as the Jubilee weekend. The skills they learn and experiences that they have during their time as a volunteer will stay with them forever, as well as knowing that they have made a real difference in their community." 

 Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for Cheshire Constabulary can visit Volunteering opportunities | Cheshire Constabulary for more information.

 The OPCC appoints a range of volunteers that help to ensure the public receive an efficient and effective police service, as well as ensuring that Cheshire Constabulary treats people and animals in a professional manner. 

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire is currently looking for Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) to help scrutinise the way Cheshire Constabulary ensures the welfare of detainees.

All Police and Crime Commissioners are required to operate an ICV scheme, which provides an independent oversight of how people are treated when in police custody. 

 To find out more about the role of an ICV and to apply, please visit www.cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/volunteering/independent-custody-visitor 

ENDS

A summary of the Specials' activities by LPU:

 The Specials at Chester LPU focused on supporting officers in the city's busy night-time economy (NTE) with the expectation of a particularly busy Platinum Jubilee weekend. They volunteered over 70 hours helping with a number of incidents and arrests, including supporting a missing person investigation.  

In Congleton, Specials engaged with the community at Congleton Party in the Park. They attended a number of calls related to anti-social behaviour and suspicious activity in Middlewich and Sandbach. They were also in attendance at the Holmes Chapel Beacon Lighting and supported the NTE in Congleton town centre. Various traffic offences were also dealt with.

 Eleven Specials volunteered 140 hours in Crewe supporting the NTE and at Jubilee celebrations including the Queen's Park event.  

The Specials from Ellesmere Port supported officers from their LPU and Chester to police the historic Neston Ladies Day, engaging with hundreds of locals to ensure their enjoyment and safety. During the long weekend, they also focused on anti-social behaviour hot spots and helped with the policing of the Decades of Dance event at Whitby Park.   

 Macclesfield's Specials were present at Cheshire Fest in Knutsford across the weekend and attended seven domestic-related incidents.  

In Northwich, the priority was very much on supporting officers with additional demands at Jubilee events in Cuddington, Northwich, Tarporley and Winsford. 

Runcorn LPU saw six Specials put in a huge effort by completing 123 hours on duty resulting in four arrests and 21 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) issued for various motoring offences including drink driving. 

 The focus for the Specials in Warrington was to help visitors, especially vulnerable people, arriving at the town's bus and rail stations to get to the town centre safely. Police Dog Leo was also on duty, assisting with stop and searches and licencing checks. Additionally, the Specials helped to police the Warrington Wolves rugby match on Friday afternoon and carried out proactive traffic stops throughout the weekend.   

The Widnes Specials and regular officers worked as an integrated team for the four-day operation. During the NTE periods, there were high visibility patrols around the town centre. In a joint operation with Merseyside Police, speed enforcement was carried out in two areas of Widnes and cross border in St Helens and Speke. This resulted in 14 TORs and one vehicle seized for dangerous condition.

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