“I wanted to be a policeman so joined the Special Police and have enjoyed it ever since, and I wanted to contribute to keeping Wiltshire safe”. – Special Constable Ken Bridgeman.

In 1975 Ken Bridgeman applied to be an officer with Wiltshire Police. But he was deemed too short to be considered. Most police forces across the country would only consider applicants who were at least 170cm tall (5ft 6ins).

At this time a Police Constable would have been started on a salary of £2,400 reaching to £5,286 as an experienced Chief Inspector. Today, a Police Constable would start on a salary of £28,551.

Shortly after being turned down by Wiltshire Police Ken became a detention officer for the Force, which he continued to do for 26 years.  He then worked in Intelligence in Swindon for seven years before he semi-retired.

It was on April 1, 1980 that he joined as a Special Constable.

Ken said, “I’ve worked in many departments in my special role including intelligence and football game management. The Specials Road Safety Unit was formed about ten years ago and I was one of the first to join it. I love the roads policing part of the police so when SRSU was formed I jumped at the chance of joining the department.

I often get asked what is being a special like? I always encourage them to consider joining the police as a special constable as I find it so rewarding. I am a standard trained driver which means I can drive a police car on blues and two’s, and I am the first Wiltshire Special to be trained as an Initial Phase Pursuit driver.

Not every day has been easy. I have been assaulted many times in my role but still love the job I do.”

In Ken’s role he takes speeding incredibly seriously.

The amount of road traffic collisions we have with pedestrians and other vehicles through speed shows you that speed does kill, it does maim and it does have life-changing injuries to some people.

There is no reason to speed,” Ken insisted. “We’ve all got speedometers in our cars. People say ‘I didn’t know it was a 30 zone, but the signs are there, it’s written on the road.”

Ken added, “People often say to me, ‘Why do you do it, you don’t get paid’. I tell them that lots of people carry out voluntary work and don’t get paid. I do it because I like helping people and just being there when they need the police.”

You can watch SC Ken Bridgeman at work in Wiltshire Polices video highlighting the Fatal5 driving offences that lead to serious or fatal collisions on the roads here

If you want to find out more about becoming a Special for Wiltshire Police you can find out here: Special constables | Wiltshire Police