ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the history of special constables from 1856 to the present day. It examines how, after 1856, special constables were used on an ad hoc basis until the turn of the twentieth century when the issue of whether Special Constabularies ought to be established on an organised and semi-permanent basis began to be considered. This chapter examines why permanent peacetime reserve forces gained a legal basis until 1923. It also considers the development of Special Constabularies post-Second World War, when the arrangements for the establishment of professional Special Constabulary reserve forces - with standardised recruitment, rank, uniform, training and disciplinary procedures - began to be put in place. This chapter then explores themes relating to the role and functions of Special Constabularies from 1923 to the present day. These include falling numbers, a role for women, the nature of the grade/rank structure in Special Constabularies, uniforms and training, hostility from regular officers and wider questions about the role of special constables within the organisation.
