Mr Dale Cartwright has been appointed as the new Specials Chief Officer for South Wales Police, leading the force’s Special Constabulary as they support regular police officers to fight crime.
Dale took up appointment on 1st January 2012 as the successor of Mrs Sue Bowes-Evans, who served as Chief Commandant for 11 years before retiring from a staggering 37-year career with South Wales Police.
When 25-year-old Dale isn’t in force, you’ll find him practising medicine in his day job as a trainee doctor.
Special Constables are volunteers who have the same powers as regular police officers, wearing the same uniform and receiving the same training.
In 2011 alone, the force Special Constabulary clocked up a total of 40,000 voluntary hours.
Having been a Special Constable for over four years now, he is used to making the dash from the College of Medicine at Swansea University to the station.
Dale said: “I’d always wanted to become a doctor but also had an interest in policing, so when I applied to study Medicine I also applied to join the police. I thought I’d let fate decide and the letter from Swansea University arrived first!”
Being a trainee doctor came in handy when Dale was working on the frontline. He used his experience to become the team medic on one of the force PSUs (Public Support Units) and has used his first aid skills on the beat.
Recalling one such incident, Dale said: “I was the first officer on the scene of a road traffic collision where a young man had been hit by a bus in Trecynon. I immediately administered first aid and assisted the rapid response paramedic until an ambulance arrived.
“I travelled with the young man in the ambulance to the hospital and was able to use my communications skills learned in medical school to liaise with his family when they arrived.”
Dale spent his first two years of service patrolling his home town of Aberdare as part of the Cynon Neighbourhood Policing Team. He went on to become Senior Specials Coordinator for Merthyr Tydfil and the Cynon Valley, which involved forming police operations and pushing through neighbourhood policing initiatives.
In his new role, Dale will be responsible for coordinating Special Constables across the force. One of his priorities is to ensure that the skills used by Special Constables in their day jobs are utilised during their volunteering.
He said: “Special Constables often have outside skills that compliment their work as police officers. Deploying officers into posts that allow them to exercise these skills will create stronger teams and a fitter organisation.
“Special Constables are incredibly valued by their colleagues for the hours they put in. Speaking from experience it’s challenging, but extremely rewarding.”
Dale’s dedication to volunteering has been widely recognised. One of his career highlights was in November 2010, when he was presented with the Harry King Award at the all-Wales Special Constabulary Ceremony held at Tredegar House in Gwent.
The award was donated by Mrs Anne King to commemorate the time her late husband, Mr Harry King, spent in the Special Constabulary. He was an officer with South Wales Police for 21 years.
Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said: “We are fortunate to have a group of committed and enthusiastic Special Constables at South Wales Police, and we are immensely appreciative of the work they do to help keep our communities safe.
“During his time with us, Dale has shown himself to be an exemplary individual and I am impressed by what he has achieved.
“I am sure that the Special Constabulary will thrive under his leadership.”
Dale is still considering which field of medicine he will specialise in after graduation, but insisted he sees a long future with the force.
He added: “I am absolutely delighted to have been accepted for the role of Chief Officer and am excited for the challenge.”
