The Special Constabulary

"The Special Constabulary is a long-overdue addition to our knowledge of policing in the UK. This text, with contributions from established scholars, new researchers as well as practitioners, discusses in detail a topic of incredible importance to contemporary policing, but of which we still know relatively little. It is a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the Special Constabulary which will be of interest to a wide audience."

- Megan O'Neill, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee, UK

"Special Constables have been an important member of the police family since the mid-nineteenth century and have been heralded as a vital resource and the embodiment of the much-cited Peelian principle that 'the police and the public, and the public are the police'. This collection provides greatly needed discussion and analysis of the various roles Special Constables perform and offers a wide-range of insights into a central but generally under-researched dimension of the police service. In a period where the pluralisation of policing is widely recognised, Bullock and Millie bring together a fascinating set of perspectives on one of the longest running elements of police service delivery: the role of voluntary constables. This book will be an important reference point for all of those interested in future organisation of police, public trust and confidence, and efforts to promote professional and democratically-accountable policing."

- Michael Rowe, Professor of Criminology, Department of Social Sciences, Northumbria University, UK