Plural policing in Australia: how “special” are Special Constables in New South Wales?

Abstract

Special constables are an example of plural policing. Historically, special constables were an unpaid and untrained “on call” reserve police force. In the contemporary Australian context, appointment of special constables is now uncommon. The exception is the state of New South Wales, where special constables are employed, trained and remunerated. This paper overviews the development of special constables in New South Wales, and compares and contrasts the current role of special constables with that of protective service officers in other Australian jurisdictions. By applying the powers, appearance, organisation, and mandate framework of O’Neill, de Maillard and van Steden (2023), the paper identifies what is special about New South Wales special constables given the variability in powers, appearance, and mandate among protective service officers. The implications this might have for understanding plural policing in Australia are considered. Further examination of the history, creation, and deployment of protective service officers would widen our appreciation of the trajectory of plural policing in Australia.