Special Sergeant Dr Dan Britton believes an over-reliance on young officers who see volunteering as a ‘stepping stone’ to regular policing is costing the Special Constabulary when it comes to retention.
A Special since 2021, Dan’s passion for policing began at an early age, inspired by his dad who worked as an area manager in the probation service.
A broader interest in the emergency services developed at university, where he joined the St John Ambulance.
But, with his studies reaching doctorate level and feeding into his career as an engineering consultant, it was clear policing would always be a voluntary pursuit.
Special Sergeant Dr Dan Britton
For many other students with ambitions of becoming a cop, however, Dan, 28, says a very different path is mapped out.
“Nowadays, there are so many policing degrees which include agreements for the student to join the Special Constabulary as part of their journey to becoming a regular officer,” he explained.
“While that may seem equally beneficial between the university and the force involved, it can also create a false image where the Special Constabulary seems more supplied than it really is.
“At South Wales Police, a lot of our Specials are in roles where resources depend on them. If these are suddenly vacated, gaps reappear – and to say that doesn’t matter because they’ve become regulars would be off the mark, in my opinion.”
Volunteers
Dan feels it is important for police personnel to be kept hold of, specifically as volunteers.
“It’s about being that second line of defence. If you take this stepping stone route, your force may not lose you, but you lose the resilience provided by Specials if they’re weakened by poor retention.
“Beyond that practical impact, I also think we need to keep the principle alive of the police being the public and the public being the police, for the sake of society as a whole.”
Despite this, the Police Foundation notes many Specials leave for reasons unrelated to joining as regulars, and Dan agrees there are plenty of other factors at play.
He echoed concerns around the jump from training to becoming operational, arguing the transition can intimidate some and lead to second thoughts.
His comments come days after Government statistics showed that the number of Special Constables had reduced by -9.4 per cent in the 12 months between April 2024 and April 2025.
Response
“Right now, I’m working more on the neighbourhood side after several years in response. Despite great encouragement from regular officers and senior management, both areas are often too stretched to walk newly qualified Specials through things in detail, and that can put people off,” continued Dan, who oversees Specials in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Basic Command Unit (BCU), highlights the working environment behind deployments involving struggling volunteers.
“A lot of being a Special is learning on the job, so that lack of teaching can delay our progress to becoming independent and passing probation.
“A big motivator for many is having that personalised experience to suit their capabilities. No one expects to pick and choose what they do just because they’re voluntary, but everyone deserves not to be thrown in at the deep end before they can grow into the role properly.
“Now I’m in a management position, I’m working more closely with fantastic regular sergeants and inspectors to ensure my Specials have support while on shift.”
Dan also reflected on the idea that some have been forced to turn their back on the Special Constabulary in recent years due to a cost-of-living crisis which is ‘too hard to ignore’ as a potential factor in retention issues.
Incentive
In a climate where fewer people can afford to spend significant time in an unpaid role, he posed the question of whether it was time for policing to give something back financially to its Specials.
“I’m not talking about direct pay – perhaps a council tax discount, for example. It could be an easy win, as it wouldn’t be a lot to councils or forces, but I’m sure it would be to many of the recipients,” he added.
Crucially, Dan believes that a small financial incentive wouldn’t jeopardise the integrity of the Special Constabulary – something he says must be upheld in the fight against retention problems.
“Being a Special has given me so much – more confidence, better people skills, and the ability to deal with pressure,” he continues.
“Now it’s a part of my life, I can’t see that ever changing. It gets me away from my work desk and connects me with a job I don’t belong to by salary.
“However we do it, I think that’s what we need to empower people to feel again – that desire to dedicate yourself to a profession and, in turn, a community, because you know you can make a difference.”
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