Do Specials have to get permission to arrest people?
Firstly I should say that I my experiences are only with serving in an English police force and that Scottish police forces do things a little differently – not least because the law is different! So I can tell you what happens in my experience but you should ask a Scottish officer for the definitive answer. Specials working in England and Wales are police officers with full powers. They do not have to get authorisation from a regular officer before making arrests or doing anything like that. On duty, Specials make their own decisions although operationally they typically fall under the command of regular police sergeants, or more senior Special Constables. Many Specials are independent so will sometimes work on their own out on the street, so they are making decisions for themselves based on their experience and understanding of the law. In Scotland I guess they use specials a little differently, it’s my understanding that officers always work in pairs so it seems likely that you woul
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- Do Specials have to get permission to arrest people?
