Tech experts urged to volunteer as police officers to help investigate online crimes
The Home Office told LBC that the recruitment will aim to "tackle modern crime"
The Government will launch a fresh recruitment campaign for volunteer officers to help police investigate online offences and gather electronic evidence.
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Experts in cybersecurity and technology will be encouraged to join the Special Constabulary as part of a ramping up of efforts to ‘tackle modern crime’, the Home Office has told LBC.
It comes as data shows 90 per cent of investigations now have a digital element to them. The push forms part of the government’s radical reforms to policing, which are due to be set out by the Home Secretary later.
Special Constables are volunteer police officers who give up their spare time outside of their main careers, but are given the same powers, responsibilities and uniform as regular officers.
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The number of Special Constables in England and Wales has fallen 73 per cent since 2012, when there was a major influx ahead of the London Olympics.
In March 2025, there were just 5,534 volunteer officers, compared to 20,343 before the Games. As ministers look to beef up the ranks again, they’re set to diversify the role away from just traditional beat policing, to attract more officers who can help with digital investigations.
Sarah Jones, the police and crime minister, told LBC: "Crime is increasingly digital, so our volunteers must be too.
"We’re opening the doors to cyber and tech experts to join the Specials and help keep people safe online and on our streets.
"Under the previous government, we saw an unacceptable decline in the number of people volunteering to help keep their communities safe. That changes now.
"Special Constables are a vital tool in the arsenal of neighbourhood policing. We are committed to making it easier for individuals to step forward and play their part in protecting their communities."
Police chiefs have faced pressure in recent months over controversial investigations into online posts, recorded as non-crime hate incidents.
The Metropolitan Police led the charge in October as it announced it would no longer investigate them. It's after the force dropped its probe into a series of alleged anti-transgender posts by Father Ted creator Graham Linehan.
Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said: "Labour say they recognise the need for more police officers, but rather than funding them properly they are going begging for volunteers instead.
"Labour would rather fund a welfare splurge for benefits street than give our police the resources they need. They have stripped more than 1300 police officers from the front line.
"Only the Conservatives have a credible plan to cut crime. Through our fully funded £800 million-a-year Policing Plan, we will recruit 10,000 extra officers, give the Home Secretary new powers to ensure police focus on catching real criminals, triple stop and search, use technology, and target the hotspots where crime is concentrated.
"That is how you protect communities and restore confidence in policing."
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reiterated over the weekend that she believes "public confidence is knocked" if police "go after perfectly legal tweets."
She told Sky News she would be saying more about the policies around online policing in the coming days. Analysis for the National Policing Digital Strategy found nine in 10 crimes now have a digital component to them, including social media, camera footage or mobile phone data.
Dr Ashley Frayling, chair of the Association of Special Constabulary Officers and Specials Chief Officer at Devon and Cornwall Police, told LBC that she’s happy to see the role being taken seriously.
She said: “When I first joined [19 years ago], we were very much doing parades and fetes and now, the Special Constabulary is at the very heart of policing.
"It’s an acknowledgement of the skills and the professionalism that the volunteer police force have. We're not seen as the sort of hobby bobby anymore.
"There are huge possibilities to get involved in tackling financial fraud, engaging with people working in the financial sector or insurance.
"And there’s young people and their ability to not only know what is happening online, on the different platforms and the way different people are communicating now, but they’re aware of the language and how things are being said.
"People could really assist the police in those spaces.'
The Home Office says it plans to streamline the recruitment process for Specials and grow the number of organisations and businesses who give paid time off for employees to volunteer with the police.