Specialist teams

Alongside regular patrol duties, Cheshire’s Special Constabulary has various specialised teams including:

Deployment Support Team

The Deployment Support Team  is a unique and flexible unit based at HQ. It responds to critical incidents, emerging threats, force wide searches and provides cover when it is needed most.

Operating as an independent unit and using additional training, it  is able to provide resilience at short notice and where it is needed most. Whether it is a major fire, response support or warrant – officers are on hand to support their colleagues.

Using a range of driving authorities  the team can deploy in marked response vehicles, 4x4 vehicles and personnel carriers providing the ability to reach any location in Cheshire.

Enhanced Search Team

The Enhanced Search Team  is trained in specialist search techniques and provides support to colleagues.

Whether it is building, vehicle, vessel or open area – the team  is able to use a range of skills and tools to search for items. This can be searching for objects as small as a bullet through to a missing person.

As a force resource the team  is able to deploy to large scale searches, pre-planned warrants and unplanned incidents at short notice.

Cyber Crime Investigation Team

Cheshire Police’s Cyber Crime  supports investigations such as ransomware attacks, DDOS attacks and hacking. They also deliver advice to victims of crime and pro-actively engage with individuals and businesses.

Moreover the team work with individuals to prevent them from offending or becoming victims of cyber crime.

Special Constabulary Proactive Licensing Unit

This is a successful team that has evolved from a local police station to become the county resource for licensing, and a lead in running force licensing operations.  It promotes a policy of assistance, education and enforcement to licensed premises.

The team works closely with all licensing officers at each local policing unit, the drugs dogs and partner agencies such as Cheshire Council Licensing, Trading Standards and Environmental Health from each of the Councils, Immigration Enforcement, SIA and Cheshire Fire and Rescue.

Operation Skyscraper successes for the licensing unit

• approximately 25 - 30 arrests
• premises closed
• fines issued by Immigration Enforcement in the region of £300,000
• thousands of illegal cigarettes and tobaccos seized
• £4,000 cash seized
• intelligence gathered assisting in major drugs raid - six arrested, £60,000 worth of drugs seized and £30,000 cash seized
• intelligence discovered and passed onto Counter Terrorism Unit, HMRC and Child Sexual Exploitation Services
• major and minor breaches of licensing law uncovered
• door staff and companies prosecuted for breaching SIA law
• major food hygiene issues uncovered
• major breaches in fire regulations resulting in the closure of three premises

Roads and Crime Unit

This unit comprises of a team of Special Constables (SC) who have been integrated into working alongside the Roads Policing and Motorway officers that operate within Cheshire and the wider North West Motorway Policing Group (NWMPG). They all work towards denying criminals the use of the roads.

2017 - 2019 Successes:

• Volunteered a total of more than 4500 hours Led in 230 incidents and supported in 570 incidents
• Undertaken more than 600 duties
• Made 25 arrests and assisted in 113 arrests
• 100 per cent success rate for prosecutions.
• Attended 477 traffic incidents including enforcement, education and collisions.
• 30 Special Constables ran operation Sparkle, a Christmas drink/drug drive operation, where  regular officers supported
• Led five road and vehicle related public events to engage with and inform the public.

Any Special Constable with a minimum of one year of Independent Patrol  is able to book three trial shifts on the  Roads and Crime unit team  to build their experience.