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Could you do something special?

Special Constables are part-time, voluntary police officers who work in some of the most important areas of modern policing.

Special Constables have the same powers, uniform and equipment as regular officers and work alongside our front-line as well as police staff to help keep our people, places and communities of Staffordshire safe.

Being a Special Constable is a great opportunity for you to do something special for you and your community. If you already have a career that you love, but have always wanted to become a police officer then this role is perfect for you as you can volunteer around your day-to-day life.

Specials are asked to commit a minimum of 16 hours a month, although many of our Special Constabulary do significantly more as the hours can fit around your work and home life commitments.

Working as a Special Constable you have the chance to make a valuable contribution to your local community, bringing varied skills and experience to the role. You will also have opportunities to progress to Special Sergeant and Special Inspector over time

Staffordshire Police are fully committed to supporting equality and diversity and aims to recruit a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.

If you have a question about our special constables or recruitment opportunities, please get in touch by emailing hrrecruitment@staffordshire.police.uk

How to become a Special Constable

Skills and experience

We need people who are:

  • Good at communicating and working as part of a team.
  • Able to take the initiative to resolve issues.
  • Good at dealing with unpredictable situations in a calm and decisive manner.
  • Community-focused and keen to make a positive contribution.

Eligibility

There are some minimum entry requirements you need in order to apply.

You can find out more about the recruitment process on our eligibility page.

Benefits to being a Special Constable

  • Develop new skills whilst being free to continue your career or other commitments
  • Meet new people
  • Enjoy new experiences
  • Protect people from harm
  • Work with specialist teams, for example road policing, public order and intelligence​

Training and development

The training programme you will receive from Staffordshire Police will help you gain a level of knowledge in law and procedure that will make you an asset to your chosen policing area.

You will be fully trained over nine weekends to give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to handle all situations. Training will include learning:

  • About the police service and the duties of police officer
  • Stop and Search procedures
  • Drugs
  • The powers of arrest / search / enter
  • Theft
  • Criminal damage
  • Public order
  • Airwave radio
  • Domestic violence
  • Custody
  • Road scene management
  • Statements and how to prepare evidence for court
  • All IT systems

Take a look at what our specials have been up to this month:

 

Number of active officers

120

 

 

3,363

total duty hours carried out by Staffs Police specials

 

 

30

arrests made

 

 

45

statements taken

 

 

7

stop and searches complete

 

 

The number of road traffic collisions attended

31

 

 

Vehicles stopped

120

 

Frequently asked questions

A Special Constable is a part time, voluntary Police Officer who works in some of the most important areas of modern policing.

As a fully trained Special Constable, you will have full police powers, wear a police uniform and work alongside regular police officers and police staff to reduce crime, help communities and provide investigative assistance.

Special Constables do everything regular Police Constables do.

Duties vary day-by-day. They can include: responding to incidents, foot patrols, tackling anti-social behavior, assisting on operations, house-to-house enquiries, providing security at events, engaging with local communities and much more.

Special Constables receive high quality training to ensure they are equipped and have all of the necessary skills to perform their duties.

Yes.

PCSOs are salaried uniformed civilian members of police support staff who are employed to work alongside Police Officers.

Special Constables are fully warranted Police Officers who give their time voluntarily to work for the Police.

Yes. You must be 18 to become a Special Constable.

No. Providing you pass our recruitment process, which includes a medical and fitness check.

You don’t need any specific qualifications to apply for this role, instead, we are looking for people with relevant skills and experience to confidently work in local communities on a voluntary basis.

No. The role of Special Constable is voluntary. However, we will cover your travel expenses when travelling to and from shifts (from within the county).

Aside from being one of the most exciting voluntary opportunities available, you will also enjoy benefits from being part of Staffordshire Police including: thousands of pounds worth of training invested in you; ongoing training and development; full uniform and kit the same as a Regular Officer; a career-voluntary opportunity; the chance to specialise in specific areas of policing; and much more!

As a Special Constable you are required to conduct a minimum of 16 hours per month. Many of our Special Constabulary enjoy their duties so much that they volunteer to do many more hours than the minimum. But there is no expectation for this, we are extremely flexible!

No. This is a voluntary role and there is no minimum length of time required. We’re confident that you will enjoy the role of Special Constable, however if you don’t, then you can resign at any time. So if it sounds like the role for you, it really is worth giving it a go!

Please see the eligibility section of our website.

Whilst there are no guarantees, the experience and exposure of being a Special Constable will certainly give you great insight and understanding into what a career as a Police Officer might look like. Many of our Special Constables go on to become regular, fulltime officers and we are always willing to support anyone that wishes to move on.

Applications open

Applications for Special Constables is now open. Visit our current vacancies to apply.