Teenager volunteered over 1,000 hours as a special constable

A teenager who worked over 1,000 hours as a special constable during the pandemic has been praised as she gets set to join Police Scotland as a regular officer.

Fabienne Quinn, 19, started the volunteer role at Paisley Police Station in April 2020 after being furloughed as a lifeguard and completed 1,023 hours on shift – making her the youngest special constable in Scotland to do so.

She received her formal offer to join as a regular constable yesterday (Tuesday 17 November) and will start next month.

Special Constable Quinn said: “For me, it’s about being that figure in society as a police officer. Someone that people can talk to, someone that’s approachable and constantly on the move dealing with things. Every day is different.

“It’s great being a special constable. I wanted to get the experience first and see what the job is like before applying to join as a regular. A lot of special constables enjoy coming into the community and being that friendly face. They can do it around their work and family life. They can build their communication skills and confidence and get to know people. It’s a great insight into what the police do.”

Fabienne worked as a lifeguard in a leisure centre across the road from her police station but her heart was always set on policing.

Reflecting on her time with the police, Fabienne said one of her best memories was telling an assault victim that they’d managed to trace the suspect.

“The relief on her face and her family knowing that this wouldn’t happen to someone else was great to see,” she said. “For any call we deal with, knowing that we are making a difference and we are helping is huge. The public appreciate it so that means a lot to me.

“The most difficult situation I’ve dealt with was my first sudden death. Before I joined the police that’s not something I’d come across. Walking in and seeing what was going on and the atmosphere of what had happened was quite difficult but because of the job I had to be professional. There were family members downstairs. It was about putting my personal feelings to one side and dealing with that moment. It’s natural and human to say it’s not easy but you get used to being professional in that moment and being there for the family.”

There are currently 446 special constables in Scotland. The expectation is a special constable would work 96 hours in a year however because the role’s voluntary, there’s no pressure to meet that.

Chief Inspector Rhona Fraser, local area commander, said: “Fabienne has been part of the furniture here since the start of the pandemic. I didn’t know she was a special constable when she first started because she’s been here so often. She’s always enthusiastic, driven and worked out in Paisley like any other police officer.

“There are a lot of benefits to being a special constable. In the case of Fabienne, she’s 19, she really wanted to join the police and she’s been helping us out which put her in a really good position to join as a regular. You’ve got the other side where special constables work in that role over and above their day job and they have a strong sense of community. Everybody has their own reason behind being a special constable and ultimately, it’s always to the benefit of Police Scotland and the community.”

To find out more about being a special constable, visit our website section: https://www.scotland.police.uk/recruitment/special-constables/