Questions & Answers Archive
My eventual aim is to become a
full-time police officer. If I join the Specials, will that
help me when I eventually apply?
It would seem like common sense to give Specials at
least some advantage in the regulars' recruitment process -
particularly if a Special has a good record and significant length
of service with the force to which they apply. However, most
forces do not give any sort of dispensation to Specials when
they apply to the regulars, in most cases they have to go through
exactly the same recruitment process.
Some forces are starting to realise that this is a
nonsensical situation, especially in light of the time and effort
many spend on recruitment. I understand that Hampshire Police
are now offering some sort of accelerated selection process, and I
am sure there a few others.
Note also that in early 2003 all UK forces moved
over to a new national assessment model for recruiting regular
police officers.
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I'm in London on an ancestry visa
from Australia (which means I can stay here for 4 years, and then
apply for residency), and was just wondering whether I would be
eligible to apply as a Special Constable. I am interested in the
British Transport Police after seeing an ad on a train in the
underground.
The nationality requirements to join the Special
Constabulary changed in 2002. Under the new rules, all you
need to have now is indefinite leave to remain in the UK and to pass
a test on written and spoken English and numeracy. There are no
other restrictions on nationality. So in this case your
application has a good chance of success.
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I am thinking of applying to become a special
but am worried about a driving offence I went to court for. I
received 6 points and a fine in Scotland for driving without due
care and attention 10 years ago. Will these be a problem for entry?
What about possible driving on-duty if I do get in?
This shouldn't be a problem, although you must disclose it in
full on the application form. Without belittling the seriousness of
driving without due care and attention, It is a conviction for an
offence where there was no intent - a momentary lapse of
concentration is a human trait, which we are all prone to. A
conviction for Dangerous Driving, Drink Driving, etc is far more
serious. If you have had no further convictions in the last
ten years, and provided the incident didn't cause serious injury to
someone, you shouldn't really have any problems as most
'non-serious' offences are considered 'spent' after 5 years.
The best thing to do if you're still not sure is to speak to the
recruiting office of the force you want to join, I'm sure they will
be pleased that you're being open with them about it.
Regarding driving on duty, driving policies vary from force to
force but to undertake a driving course in most forces you need a
clean licence.
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I am recently divorced and last
year through no fault of my own I had to declare myself bankrupt.
Would this have any effect on my getting into the Specials?
You have to be free of debt (other than mortgages,
arranged overdrafts etc), any wilfully un-discharged county court
judgements, and not be bankrupt. If any of the above happen while in
Police service it is a disciplinary offence too.
If you are a discharged bankrupt you will not be
accepted for 3 years after the discharge - this apparently applies
to regulars and specials. It's a strange situation - while
it's perhaps understandable that potential officers shouldn't have
debts which could conceivably put them in a position where they
could be exploited or otherwise influenced, most bankrupts owe
nothing to anyone!
I am told that the Insolvency Service is working
with the Government on a possible policy change on bankruptcy, as
the stigma has been removed recently and they feel it should be
downgraded from its current status where it seems almost to be
considered as a crime. Watch this space!
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I'm very interested in joining a local traffic
section as a special constable. I have a very keen interest in all
things "road traffic" including accident investigation as well as the
more routine work of traffic. Do traffic take in specials straight
off or do I have to go in via the normal route?
I have to say that permanent attachments to traffic by Specials are
rare. Traffic is a specialised function and few Specials can
give it the time and dedication that it requires. In my eleven years
as a Special I did precisely three duties with traffic, and those had to be begged, borrowed and stolen!
These days, an increasing number of forces are targeting their
Specials at resolving local problems (quality of life issues, like
graffiti, underage drinking, nuisance youths etc.) rather than
putting them into response or specialist roles.
Even so I am aware that some forces, including for example Surrey Police, are allowing long-term attachments to traffic departments. You will need to check with your local force to see if they do something similar.
It's not likely to be a specialisation that is available to Specials who are new in service since you'll be required to know your stuff and have some experience under your belt. Having said that, there is still
lots of fun & games to be had doing "normal" police work, so don't
be put off!
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What happens if a Special Constable gets sued for
something that happens while they're on duty? Who pays for legal fees, etc.? Will the Police Federation or
Police Force help?
Unfortunately it's true to say that we are living in an increasingly
litigious society where people seem to go to law over the most
seemingly trivial incidents. And while I don't have any
official figures, it seems to me that complaints against the police
are on the rise.
Sadly the Police Federation, the Police "union" representing the
rights of regular police officers in the UK, is a closed door to
Specials. Historically the Fed has been totally and vehemently
against Specials. More recently, however,
their stance has
softened considerably, and it seems as though Specials will in
due course be admitted.
But for the time being, while the Fed may support and defend regular officers if they are
sued, it won't as a rule touch Specials.
Police forces also have a patchy record of standing up for their
officers when they are the subject of criminal investigations.
While many are very supportive, some are not. Better for any
Special to assume your force will not help.
So in the absence of the Fed's protection, the Home Office has put
together a legal insurance scheme for Specials. It provides
cover to Specials for incidents arising on duty only, in the areas
of Personal Injury (pursue offender for compensation), Misconduct
(internal disciplinary proceedings), Legal Defence (if charged with
a criminal offence) and Discrimination (if accused of sex, race or
religious discrimination). However the total cover per claim
is only £50,000 which won't pay for much - but it is at least better
than nothing.
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I have always had an interest in becoming a
Special Constable but I have not applied before because I have
visible tattoos on my neck and hands. Will this prevent me
from becoming a Special Constable? I have a clean record and
have been a reliable and honest employee.
I know that in years gone by police forces were very picky about
what officers looked like -- at one time you couldn't have a beard,
for example! More recently they've become more lenient because most
are recruiting to meet Government targets, and in any event the
service recognises that many people have tattoos, and many of those
apply to be police officers!
Having said that, even though forces are more relaxed about it all the
advice I can find suggests that they will only accept you if the
tattoos are not offensive and will be covered by your uniform.
The Met's advice says, "Not all tattoos are taboo. But they do have
to be conducive with the standards expected of a police officer. A
tattoo on the face clearly could not be accepted nor would ones that are
rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist or homophobic be acceptable."
Sorry I don't think this sounds very hopeful - but for the
definitive answer you need to call the HQ of your local force and
ask their recruitment office for guidance.
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Hello I am very interested in becoming a
special with the British Transport Police. I have been working in
security now for 3 years and 5 months, and have been a supervisor
for the past 6 months. Would this work to my advantage?
You said you have been working in security - most forces do not
accept people in the security business as Specials because there
could be conflicts of interest between the office of constable and
your full time job. You're going to have to check with BTP
recruitment but this could well be a big hurdle for you.
For the record, here's a list of occupations which are typically
excluded, i.e. if you do a job on this list, you can't be a Special:
- Members of Police Authorities
- Magistrates
- Clerks to Justice
- Clerks to Courts
- Members of employer's police forces
- Holders of liquor licences, managers of licensed houses and
their husband or wife
- Licensees of betting and gaming establishments and lottery
promoters
- Bailiffs
- Members of private security organisations (whether directors,
partners or employees)
- Private detectives and enquiry agents
- School crossing patrols and traffic wardens
- Members of Fire Services (but see below)
- Members of medical, nursing and midwifery professions, and
Ambulance Service (unless written permission is given by their
employing NHS Trust or Health Authority)
- Subject to approval by the Chief Superintendent of Personnel
Services, members of the Territorial Army may be permitted to join
the Special Constabulary whilst still serving in the Territorial
Army.
If you are a member of the reserve forces (i.e. Royal Navy, Army,
Air Force) then you can join the Special Constabulary, and
the same works in the opposite directions (i.e. Specials can join a
reserve). It may be that police forces have local policies which
would go against this, however it seems likely that under the
"unfair treatment of part-time employees regulations" or the Human
Rights Act any appeal would be successful anyway.
Although some forces, including the Met, still won't accept members of the fire service into the Specials, it appears that others will. If this affects you, then check with the recruitment department of your chosen force to be sure.
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What sort of training does a new Special get,
and how long does it take?
Until recently, each police force designed its own training
package so it could take varying amounts of time depending on where
you served.
Recently though a new
Foundation Training Package for Specials has been drawn up by
the national police training organisation,
Centrex. I expect
most forces will start to put this package into effect. That
suggests a minimum of 18 days (105 hours) of training, which is
usually given on weekday evenings, or during the weekend, to fit
around Specials' working hours.
You can also get hold of an audio
learning package to help you learn the fundamental legislation
that every Special needs to know.
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