A member of the force that covers East Riding has revealed more about his time with Humberside Police.
Special Superintendent Joseph Broderick joined the Special Constabulary 11 years ago. His original plan was to volunteer with Police as a Special Constable first before joining as a regular, paid officer.
A lot of officers start their policing journey this way; it’s seen as a good way to get a real-life insight into what is an extremely privileged and unique career.
However, after experiencing life as a volunteer police officer, a lot of people also end up deciding that becoming a career Special is the right pathway for them instead.
And that’s exactly what Joe has done, working his way up the Special Constabulary ranks to Superintendent, whilst simultaneously developing his career as a Digital Forensic Technician at Humberside Police.
He said:
“At the time of when I joined, becoming a Special Constable felt like the next best thing whilst I waited for an opening to become a paid police officer.
“However, as my life progressed, and as I started to understand how the force worked and get comfortable in my role, I realised I was finding the work of a Special Constable to be really rewarding. It fitted in well with family life, managing childcare, and working my shifts around my own life.
“I’ve worked my way up and I’m now a Superintendent responsible for all the Special Constables across the Southbank.
“As Superintendent, I look after everyone and make sure everyone’s working efficiently, and that they have the tools they need to be a successful Special Constable.
“If a member of the public saw an officer in the street, you wouldn’t know if they are a paid officer or volunteer officer when we’re attending the same incidents. We all deal with the same people, often people at their most vulnerable. We face the same dangers, and we must remain calm and professional, just like our paid colleagues.
“It’s a job like no other – you’re going to see the best of society, and the worst, but you’re out there making a difference in the community. Helping people day in and day out. It’s such a unique position to be in.
“We’re always on the look out for more Specials to join us, and we want people who can bring all different sorts of skills, from different backgrounds, cultures, and different walks of life. We find that having that mix of corporate and policing backgrounds really makes for a successful partnership, we learn a lot from our colleagues who have only ever known policing, and they learn a lot from us too because we come from outside with a different perspective and fresh pair of eyes.
“Another good thing about being a Special is there are no minimum qualifications! You get the full training needed to get your independent status, and there’s also a mentoring scheme in place, so the support we receive is substantial, even though we’re not doing as many hours as our paid colleagues.
“You’re continually learning on the job and that’s why people should jump at this chance to become part of the force, and part of the police family.
“I’ve been doing this for 11 years and still love it as much as I did when I first started. Everyday I can see I’m making a difference to my local communities, I’m helping safeguard vulnerable people, and victims of crime. I’m out there proactively patrolling our communities and it’s just so satisfying.”
Humberside Police have now extended the application window to Sunday 24 March to give more people the opportunity to join up.
Find out how: https://www.humberside.police.uk/police-forces/humberside-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/join-the-specials/
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