A SPECIAL constable is bidding farewell to Teesdale after dedicating thousands of hours of his time to protecting the folk of rural communities.
Ross Moralee, 27, joined Durham Special Constabulary eight years ago and has since spent most of his duty hours working from Barnard Castle.
He said: “Being in the police was something I always wanted to do to follow in my father’s footsteps.
“It has definitely been interesting. I have met a lot of different people and done things I never imagined. It is amazing how diverse Teesdale is.”
Mr Moralee spent his first three years as a response officer working out of Barnard Castle, attending 999 emergencies. He then joined the road policing unit for two years before returning to the country roads of the dale where he has since worked alongside response and beat officers to help tackle rural crime. As well as being the first on the scene when people have needed help, Mr Moralee has made 31 arrests over the past three years alone. In the last five years, he has spent nearly 5,000 hours volunteering on duty alongside his day job as a Co-op manager. According to the force, his contribution amounts to £150,000 worth of policing that he has donated to Teesdale for free.
He said: “Policing in Teesdale has given me many challenges over the years, from the hundreds of calls of sheep on the roads, to a bull running through the streets of Barnard Castle and dealing with countless serious road traffic collisions across the area.
“Over the years I’ve seen and experienced things I’d never have seen working outside of the police force. I’ve dealt with the public at the highest and lowest points of their lives and everything in between.”
Mr Moralee has been at the heart of a number of initiatives which have been launched by Durham Constabulary including the Special Constable rural policing team for which he was a founder member. As a special, he also helped to roll out the Land Rover Defender marking scheme last summer. The aim was give a unique set of codes to each vehicle to try to stop thieves from targeting them.
Speaking of his time with the force, he said: “I have loved it. It has given me the knowledge and the confidence to pursue a career.”
Mr Moralee will step down as a special constable for Durham Constabulary on March 4. He will be moving across the border to North Yorkshire Police where he has landed a job as a full-time police constable. Chief officer of Durham Special Constabulary Dale Checksfield said: “In Ross’ time as a special constable, he has made an incredible contribution to communities in Teesdale and has built incredible relationships with people. Special constables have the full powers of a police officer but they give their time voluntarily. Some months Ross volunteered nearly 100 hours which is a lot when you are not getting paid. He has gone out of his way and taken the time and energy to meet the needs of the community. He is such an unassuming character.”
