WESTBURY Acting Sergeant Sarah Pickles was awarded ‘Special of the Year’ in recognition of her achievements to the Westbury and Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Teams, at the Wiltshire Police Special Constabulary Awards last month.
The ceremony, which took place at St John’s School in Marlborough saw Special Constables receive awards from the Chief Constable Mike Veale and Specials Superintendent Scott Bateman.
Special Constables are volunteers who when on duty have the same powers as regular police officers.
Specials Superintendent Scott Bateman said, “I was delighted to be able to present these awards. As a Special myself I understand the time and commitment it takes to be a Special.
“These awards have given us an opportunity to recognise the excellent standard of policing we have within the Special Constabulary in both individuals and teams.
“They are our way of saying thank you to our Special Officers who often go above and beyond what is expected of them and an opportunity to recognise the support of the families of the Specials and thank them as well.”
Sarah who has been a Special for nearly four years said, “Although my day job is with Wiltshire Police as a coordinator of the Specials getting the award was a real surprise.
“Those nominated for the Specials awards are nominations from both regular and Special Constable colleagues, so it was really great to be short listed.
“To receive the award was wonderful, and I must pay tribute to all my colleagues, both regulars and Specials who I have the pleasure of working with on a regular basis. They all do a great job and make working as a Special a really rewarding experience.
“It was a lovely event and my family were able to come along, so it was great to have them there. They were very proud of me. They know about all the time I put into the Specials, but I don’t think they knew how much this was appreciated by my colleagues.
Sarah told White Horse News why she decided to become a Special constable, “Having already worked within Wiltshire Police as a member of Police staff, I had a knowledge of the Specials and the work they did.
“My police colleagues suggested I should consider joining the Specials. When I asked myself if I could do the role, I felt it was worth a try. I saw the training that they went through and saw the benefit, not just to the police, but personally also.
“I get satisfaction from working in a close knit team, from the development I get as a Special, but mostly from feeling I am giving something back to my community.”
