Civilians to investigate crimes under new Home Office police reform plan

Civilians will help investigate crime under a major expansion of the role of police volunteers unveiled by the Home Secretary.

Forces will be able to enlist members of the public who specialise in computing or accountancy for cyber and financial inquiries.

Theresa May.is expected to announce a package of measures giving chief constables the power to hand more responsibility to support staff and volunteers.

The proposals were unveiled last year in a government consultation which raised the prospect of creating uniformed Police Community Support Volunteers and suggested civilians could could carry out tasks such as interviewing victims and taking witness statements.

Officials have now confirmed that reforms will be taken forward to enable bosses to confer a wider range of powers on civilian staff and volunteers, with full details due to be set out in a government response to the consultation published later.

It will also confirm the abolition of the role of police traffic warden.

Mrs May said the Government is "committed to finishing the job of police reform".

She said:

Police community support officers were first introduced in 2002, under a Labour government. Credit: PA

Civilians have been able to exercise the full range of police powers for almost 200 years in the shape of special constables.

Those wishing to volunteer their time currently have two alternatives - become a special or a police support volunteer who has no powers and works mainly in a supporting role.

The measures will allow volunteers to be given powers without becoming a Special Constable for the first time, while also specifying a core list of powers reserved for police officers.

These are expected to include making arrests, carrying out stop and searches and all powers under counter-terrorism legislation.

Under the new regime, chiefs will be able to designate volunteers with powers in the same way as they can with police staff in the current model.