Special efforts to help
Fantastic response of specials taking paid leave
A brave East Kilbride dad has joined the police full-time in his role as a Special Constable to support the national response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Following a nationwide appeal for volunteers to increase their commitment, 50-year-old Michael Lydon pledged his support to the cause by taking paid leave from his job managing a tool and plant hire company in order to perform his duty through the crisis.
Special Constables are warranted officers with all the powers of regular police officers who volunteer their services. They are deployed in local communities to support daily operations and provide resilience at critical times.
Dad-of-two Michael, told the News: “When I received the email from the Volunteer Coordination Unit at Tulliallan on the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, asking us to consider increasing our commitment, I remembered the basic ethos of the Special Constabulary – to step up at a time of National Emergency.
“I spoke to my employer who agreed to paid leave to work with the police, allowing me to work full-time.
“When the government announced the lockdown, my employer working in a non-essential industry, like so many others, closed the doors.
“This has meant in April I have agreed to a total of 20 full shifts, up from my usual six.
“It is my intention, assuming I remain virus-free, to continue working full-time until things return to ‘normal’.
“I am just doing my wee bit to keep people safe.”
Michael has worked for a family-owned independent tool and plant hire company for 29 years. Starting off as a plant fitter, he is now the general manager, but he always had an interest in the police.
At 19 he applied to join Strathclyde Police as a regular, however, offered a promotion at the same time, he put his career ambition on hold.
In 2003 he joined Strathclyde Police as a Special Constable, which he says allowed him “the best of both worlds”, doing the job he always wanted to do, while doing the job he needed to do.
Michael added: “Over the years I have worked solely with the one shift in East Kilbride Police Office, becoming an integral and recognised part of the shift.
“Given 29 years in the one job, don’t get me wrong, has been a good career move, it does not bring many challenges with the same basic tasks each day.
“Perhaps this is the reason for 17 years of continuous police service – the uncertainty. You can be driving about one minute, next your radio goes and before you know it, you are heading at speed to the unknown.
“People assume because you are a police officer that all you do is handcuff people and put them in a cell, but from my experience, I would say that sometimes you have to do that, but the majority of time, you simply help people.”
Michael joins a quarter of all Scotland’s Special Constables – around 140 – who, over the past three weeks, have volunteered more than 7500 hours across more than 885 shifts.
Police Scotland thanked all those who have pledged their time so far at this critical period.
Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins said: “We have been humbled by the response of our Special Constables. Their commitment to their roles during this unprecedented time is staggering and I cannot thank them enough for their dedication to the service.
“Our thanks also go to the employers who have allowed their employees to dedicate their time to supporting Police Scotland in our efforts to help save lives and protect the NHS.”