Top honour for Essex Specials
Essex’s amazing volunteer police officers have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
And the award includes a ‘special designation’ for providing impactful support during the early months of the pandemic.
During the last year’s lockdown, between March and June, Essex Police’s Special Constabulary volunteered over 54,000 operational hours, providing visible policing and helping communities during unprecedented times. And in the year to 31 May 2021, they volunteered a total of 207,552 hours to help to police Essex. That’s an average of 17,300 hours a month.
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “Our Special Constabulary do an amazing job. It really is humbling to hear the number of hours people give for free for the benefit of keeping our communities safer and the great work that they do, putting themselves on the frontline to help people.
“To be honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK, is a great validation of their dedication. On behalf of the people of Essex, thank you to every one of you who volunteers.”
