Special constable given long service award

A volunteer police officer who has dedicated almost two decades to the force has been awarded a long-service medal.

Paisley special constable Colin McKellar visited the Scottish Police College for a ceremony, where he was presented with the honour by Chief Constable Phil Gormley.

It follows 19 years on the beat with fully qualified cops, helping with police duties — from tackling anti-social behaviour to crowd control for major events.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Congratulations to special constable Colin McKellar, who attended the Scottish Police College, where he was presented by Police Scotland Chief Constable Phil Gormley for his long service award.

“Colin has been a special constable in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Police Division for 19 years.

“Well done Colin and keep up the good work.”

In a post on the Police Scotland Facebook page, Colin thanked all his colleagues.

He said: “Thanks for all your kind messages.

“It has been a privilege to work with you all over the years and I hope for some time ahead.”

Speaking previously about the role special constables play, Chief Constable Gormley said: “Members of the special constabulary provide a vital link between policing and the public; by volunteering, individuals epitomise public-spiritedness and I know that our special constables take great pride in what they do.

“Those who volunteer bring skills and knowledge from their day job and their communities that benefit policing both locally and nationally.

“I personally value the contribution of special constables and encourage others to join us to enhance the delivery of policing.”

Yesterday, the Paisley Daily Express reported that the number of special constables on the streets of Renfrewshire had plummeted by more than half in three years.

Figures released following a Freedom of Information request revealed that the number of volunteers in K Division — which covers Renfrewshire — had dropped from 63 in 2013 to just 29 in 2016.

The findings have been described as a “huge concern” by members of the Tory party, who submitted the freedom of information request to Police Scotland.

Nationally, the statistics found that there were 1,300 special constables on the beat across Scotland in 2014.