Russ was always destined to be in policing, after a starting as a cadet and having his training cut short by a nasty bout of appendicitis!
Years later he started in West Mercia as a special constable and moved up through the ranks to Inspector by demonstrating his commitment. Russ has 42 years military service, and although he brings fantastic experience, it isn’t just people with this kind of background who are needed in the Special constabulary. The Special’s represent the communities the rich and diverse communities they serve.
Russ describes it the blend as what makes Specials’s special. Everyone gives something different, a different voice, a different background, a different way of talking to people
Based in Shrewsbury, and covering all of Shropshire, Russ is response trained with almost the same responsibilities as a regular officer. He is committed to the role, giving 138 hours of his own time in one month, covering late and night shifts throughout the pandemic plus additional operations with local policing teams.
He became a special to help people who need help, when sometimes you are the only people who can do so. He describes his greatest achievement as finding three high risk missing people within an hour!
One of his earliest experiences, was reuniting a missing five year old with her family. He described the feeling of knowing she was safe and well as hugely rewarding, and the kind of incident which makes it so worthwhile and stays with you for months.
For those considering getting involved in volunteering, Russ say’s “If you care for your community do something about it. You will be rewarded with all the training you need. That one extra pair of hands, that one extra voice can make all the difference.”
Wednesday 2nd June 2021
