Acting Special Chief Inspector Lander

I’m a Chartered Accountant and have been investing in and turning around businesses for over 20 years. I’m a petrol-head with a strong interest in road safety, both in cars and motorcycles. My two children are now grown-up and I’m able to spend more time on volunteering activities. I originally hail from Scotland but have lived in Kent for more than 30 years.

What was your main motivation for joining Kent Special Constabulary?

When I was at university, I had considered joining the regular police, but decided to follow a career in business. I’ve no regrets about that, but my interest in policing, particularly roads policing, has never left me. Whilst I’d like to say my joining motivations were solely about helping others, they weren’t. It was also about seeing another side of life and to learn skills that are unique to policing, which would benefit me both mentally and physically. More recently, I've learned to fly drones for the police, which is another skill I never thought I'd have.

Did you have any concerns before joining?

I guess I was a bit apprehensive because there are various assessments on the journey to becoming a special constable. However, the training is good and the support from other specials really helps. You’re not treading an unknown path. Fitness is fairly important – there’s an annual fitness test – but that’s not a bad thing for any of us!

What would you say to someone considering joining?

Be clear about your reasons for joining. Some people join as a gateway to becoming a regular officer and others, like me, are “career specials”, who don’t want a paid policing role. For those who want to continue as specials, there’s the opportunity to focus your time on the areas that matter to you and your communities. Yes, we do have to support regular colleagues in times of need, but we are able to make a societal difference by operating alongside and distinctly from our regular colleagues. We have the time to engage in communities in a high-profile way and hopefully deter – not simply react to – crime.