Meet Alan – a Herts Constabulary volunteer

This week we’re celebrating Volunteers’ Week.

The constabulary currently has around 160 Police Support Volunteers, who work in various different roles across the county.

Between them, they have contributed thousands of volunteering hours over the past year.

Alan, who volunteers with the constabulary’s Citizens in Policing team and Positive Action team tells us a bit about why he chose to volunteer with the police. He said: “Following early retirement from a role in the financial markets in the City of London seven years ago, my first experiences of volunteering came during COVID as an NHS Responder delivering prescriptions twice a week for my local pharmacy. It felt good to be helping when things were so difficult for people, and one of the few positives from the pandemic was that it engendered a real community spirit again.

“Post-COVID, after a short break, I began to wonder what else I might be able to do that could be a benefit to the community. It sounds a bit cheesy, but that’s the truth of it.

“I’ve always had great admiration and respect for our police force. It always seems such a thankless task, with the continued focus by people and media on the negatives. I visited the volunteers’ section on the Herts Constabulary website as I felt this might tick the right boxes for me. I realised quickly there was limited appetite for Volunteer Detectives so applied for an office-based role at police headquarters. I sent in my CV, had an interview, went through vetting and three months later I'm sitting at HQ thinking ‘how did this happen?!’”

As a police volunteer, you benefit from a range of different experiences that are unique. Alan said: “One of the most notable experiences I’ve had is without doubt having the opportunity to go out on a ride along with Intervention officers and see real policing in action. We were called to a variety of jobs that ranged from a missing person who we located and reunited with their parents, a car fire at a shopping centre and some domestic incidents leading to an arrest. During the quieter moments earlier on in the shift we chatted with members of the public and some children who had shown an interest in the police car. It reinforced everything I had always believed about the police and what a fantastic job they do.”

Talking about what his role involves, Alan said: “It's varied. I started once a week working in the Citizens in Policing Team who primarily look after the volunteers and cadet units across the county. I help to organise activities and events as well as a myriad of other tasks. Soon after joining I began to take an interest in the Positive Action Team who are an active response policing unit, but who also work to support people in the constabulary or those looking to apply to join, with protected characteristics and build bridges with their communities. One ride along later and suddenly I was doing two days a week!”

Alan was also awarded joint ‘Volunteer of the Year’ at our Citizens in Policing Awards last month alongside our Chaplaincy Team.

Reflecting on what he enjoys about volunteering, Alan said: “Being part of a team again. The environment is great, the people are friendly, and it has given me back a discipline and purpose. It’s also very motivating to work with such professional and committed people.

“To anyone who is thinking about volunteering with the constabulary, I’d say do it! Your help would be so welcome, even if you can only commit to half a day a week, you can still make a difference. It certainly keeps the mind active and it is so rewarding to feel you are doing something tangible and positive.”

If you’re looking for an opportunity to make a real difference, visit our careers website.