The Role
Our special constables are volunteer police officers from all walks of life who dedicate their valuable spare time to policing their local communities in Surrey.
Special constables in Surrey are valued, supported and integrated into our wider policing family. Being a constable is a privilege and bestows significant powers and responsibilities; a volunteer police officer has the same powers as a paid police officer and that carries with it the same highest of expectations in terms of standards and public service.
Not everyone is willing to do something about fear, exploitation, abuse or even anti-social behaviour, but special constables aren’t everyone. They’re the public who have stepped up to support front line policing, yet they’re also the gardeners, retail staff, electricians and teachers we encounter every day.
The hours you volunteer will make a real difference to the public of Surrey as you will help us to reduce crime and the fear of crime, whilst gaining unique experiences that you are unlikely to encounter elsewhere.
Key Responsibilities
Based within each of our 11 boroughs in Surrey, our special constables wear the same uniform and have the same powers and responsibilities as our regular police officers.
To become a special constable, you will be expected to attend an initial training course twice a week for up to 12 weeks. This course is intensive and incorporates many different aspects of policing and conflict resolution, but once complete you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills you need to begin your journey with us.
You will then be expected to dedicate a minimum of 16 hours per month to your special constable duties, volunteering alongside our regular (paid) police officers carrying out a range of policing activities. This minimum commitment will enable you to maintain your operational competence and as you become more experienced in the role, there may be opportunities to specialise within our UAV (Drone) Team, our Roads Policing Units, Public Order Units or working alongside one of our partner agencies on our joint Ambulance and Police Response Unit (JRU).
Due to the level of commitment required, you should consider this a long-term volunteer role which will continue to offer new experiences and opportunities.
Skills & Experience
We are looking for individuals who have the drive, determination and willingness to learn to become a special constable.
You will need to have good communication skills and be able to think laterally to solve problems, often under pressure. You will encounter a wide range of challenging situations and must be able to deal with conflict and interact with victims and members of the public calmly and confidently.
To become a special constable, you will need to demonstrate that your values and behaviours are aligned to our Code of Ethics and our Competency and values framework. Further information about this can be found here:
https://www.college.police.uk/career-learning/career-development/competency-and-values-framework-cvf
https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/Ethics/Ethics-home/Pages/Code-of-Ethics.aspx
Contact Details
A number of the questions we are commonly asked are answered within the attached recruitment guide, however if you have a question this doesn’t answer, please do contact us directly via email at specials@surrey.pnn.police.uk
Additional Information
Eligibility
There are several key eligibility requirements applicants must meet before becoming a special constable.
Please refer to the recruitment guide special constable Recruitment Guide for more details.
We recommend reading the eligibility criteria in full to confirm you are able to apply before submitting an application.
Diversity Statement
Our ability to build trust, understand problems and support our communities across a range of policing matters, relies on us having a workforce that is reflective of our communities and all the unique individuals that exist within them. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity within our workforce and to eliminating discrimination.
We are very keen to encourage applications from those that have never considered policing as a career. Representation within our workforce from black and minority ethnic communities is currently much lower than we want it to be; by improving this we will be better able to serve our local communities and our work place will benefit from all the differences in thinking, points of view, and approaches that diversity brings.
We are actively working on a range of activities to improve this and one of the proactive ways we are seeking to increase representation is via a bespoke mentoring scheme which is aimed at guiding applicants from diverse communities through the recruitment process.
For more information email positiveaction@surrey.pnn.police.uk.
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