A special constable from Chester will be under the spotlight next week as the star of a BBC TV show.
Upton mum and Glyndwr University English literature student Sarah Johnson will star in the new BBC One series First Time on the Front Line, documenting the journey from ‘civvy street’ to policing the beat.
Sarah said: “Being filmed by the BBC initially appeared to be a daunting prospect but actually turned out to be a really positive and enjoyable experience.
“They started filming during the training process, family at home and the first few duties on patrol. The film crew was fantastic and I am looking forward to the programme.”
Another star of the show will be University of Chester law and investigation student Amber-Louise Evans, originally from Nantwich but now living in Warrington.
The other ‘specials’ are: self-employed landscape gardener Laurence Towers, from Crewe, who now lives in Nantwich; contract manager Beccy Purcell from Warrington; dairy farmer Andrew Robinson from Rudyard, near Leek in Staffordshire; and Martin Toner, an IT teacher at a school in Derbyshire.
The TV series, which begins on Monday, April 28 at 11.30am, follows successful special constabulary applicants from their early days of training. Special constables are volunteers who give up some of their spare time to support the work of the police force. These men and women have the same powers as a police officer and are trained to the same standard.
The programme will follow them all attending drugs raids, dealing with antisocial behavior, traffic collisions and licensing operations.
Viewers will witness them swearing an oath of allegiance, in the classroom, and undergoing personal safety training, getting to grips with batons, captor spray and handcuffs. They then take to the streets, shadowing seasoned police officers and special constables to develop the judgment needed for the role.
Assistant chief constable Janette McCormick said: “Being a special constable opens up a world of opportunity to gain skills and experiences, perhaps unlike any other walk of life. Our specials are an integral part of the wider police family. Not only does their uniform presence reassure communities, but they bring vast experience from the range of professions with life skills. At a time when public confidence has been impacted in a very transparent way they bring the public into policing to build trust.”
If you are interested in joining Cheshire’s special constabulary, visit www.cheshire.police.uk.
