Since being a special constable I’ve been able to see what I’m capable of

Kirsty is a mum of two and joined Bedfordshire Police as a special constable to help make Bedfordshire safe for her young children.

I have lived in Bedfordshire my whole life. I have had some difficult personal life experiences and wanted to be able to turn those negative experiences into something positive through volunteering as an officer. To be able to help others who might have experienced something similar to me and those who are in need of support is important to me.

I had always wanted to be a police officer, now I’m one in my spare time

Jonathan Behan, known as Jon, volunteers as a Special Constable with Bedfordshire Police alongside his day-job in insurance.

I had always wanted to be a police officer.

At the age of 13, I can remember running to the back door looking at all the police cars going past the house with their blue lights and sirens on.

“The 100 Days of Action gives us a chance to showcase what we, as volunteers, can do…”

Policing is something I’ve always wanted to do. I love programmes like Police Interceptors and Traffic Cops and that’s what inspired me to join.

I’ve been quite lucky in my career in that early on I was on a good salary. Unfortunately a police salary wouldn’t compete with that – I wouldn’t be able to take a pay cut to join so it’s not a full time career option for me. That’s why I do it as a hobby; although I volunteer about 140 hours a month, which is probably about the same as a regular officer would work.