Special Constabulary
Special Constable recruitment events
Are you interested in becoming a Volunteer Police Officer for Essex Police? If so then join us at our virtual or in-person recruitment evenings.
Each evening will consist of a series of short presentations about being a Special Constable; the various roles available within the Special Constabulary and the recruitment process. There will be an opportunity after the presentations to ask any questions.
Please note that these are not drop in sessions and you must register to attend.
What is a Special Constable?
Special Constables are volunteer Police Officers. They have the same police powers, uniforms and equipment as regular Police Officers but sacrifice their free time on a voluntary basis, organising their busy personal lives, day jobs and other commitments around police duties. They do not get paid, but are reimbursed for expenses.
A Special in Essex is someone who will be valued, supported and integrated into the wider policing family. They’re someone who will learn new skills, see new things and make tangible differences to the lives of the public they serve. A Special in Essex is someone who makes new friends, sees life from new perspectives and upholds the law.
A Special Constable is an extraordinary person, a remarkable person, a special person. Join us and be that person.
Once you have carefully read all the information on this page you can begin your application to join the Essex Police Special Constabulary.
Once your application has been reviewed you may be invited to attend an assessment centre. Candidates who are successful at the assessment centre will advance to the next steps of the application process which will include a fitness test, vetting, a medical and reference checks.
We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming you into one of the most fulfilling volunteer careers there is.
Am I eligible?
To become a Special Constable you must:
- Be a British, Commonwealth, European Economic Area (EEA) citizen or have an indefinite right to stay in the UK
- Not have a criminal record but some minor offences may not exclude you
- Have resided in the UK for a continuous period of three years immediately prior to the date of application
- Be able to meet our required medical and fitness standards and have a suitable BMI, for example 5.4 on the Bleep Test, with a BMI range of 18-30. You will be individually assessed.
- Due to this role being front-line and public facing, it is recommended that you have been well, without medication for stress, anxiety or depression for a period of time before you apply. You will be individually assessed.
Please read our medical FAQs for more information about the medical standards required for this role. Each case is always reviewed individually and candidates will never be excluded automatically on the basis of a medical condition or disability.
The HM Government website also has detailed information on medical standards including which illnesses, injuries and disorders will affect your ability to perform the role of a police officer - these also apply to Specials.
If you feel like something might be holding you back, speak to the recruitment team about what additional support might be available to you.
To join as a Special Constable, you must not:
- Be registered bankrupt, subject to CCJs or IVAs
- Omit to declare any offences or 'spent' convictions
- Have defaulted accounts
- Ideally not have been convicted or cautioned for a serious arrestable offence
- Applicants who have received cautions, reprimands, formal warnings and final warnings will not be considered until a full five years from the date of the sanction
What would I do?
- Make our communities and its people safer by supporting the regular force
- Improve public confidence and support victims by detecting and investigating crime
- Improve communication with communities by providing an important link between them
- Assist the force with many aspects of policing, from high-visibility patrols to traffic operations, counter-terrorism and community safety
- Make Essex a safer place by working with colleagues to bring those responsible for crime to justice, from arrest through to conviction
What would I gain from being a Special?
- Make a difference to communities and people
- Build your confidence
- Develop new skills in a unique and challenging role
- Gain opportunities for promotion in a rank structure mirrored to the regulars
- Explore opportunities to progress in specialist policing roles
What do I need to be a Special?
- To be at least 18 years old at the start of your training
- Commit to a minimum of 16 hours per month for operational duties plus mandatory training duties
- Meet the required fitness standard
- Commit to the initial training requirements of 20 days
Meet some of our Special Constables
Tell us a bit about yourself
I have been a Special with Essex Police for 1 year. I am based at Chelmsford. Outside of my role as a Special I am studying for a degree in Sociology.
What do you enjoy most about your role
There are so many benefits of being a Special. You gain a huge amount of experience in dealing with all kinds of situations, it can be anything from dealing with a drink driver to a theft.
I love being able to help people and leave knowing that I have made a huge difference to others. I couldn’t be prouder to be a Special Constable, it’s a volunteering experience that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.
Were there any barriers to joining Essex Police
I used to think that being a short female would impact my application and mean that I would be treated differently, however this made absolutely no difference.
My application process went smoothly and I have never had any issues of sexism when being allocated jobs on the frontline. I love going in and representing female officers in the hopes of inspiring others that there is no reason to feel as though we aren’t capable of doing what once was a heavily male-dominated occupation.
Why do you think it’s so important that our force values difference
It is paramount to understand that with policing comes the need to adopt a different range of views and perspectives. Something you view as minor means the whole world to someone.
Essex is a hugely diverse community and it is important for us to recognise this to help every single member of our community when they need us most.
How has Essex Police as an organisation supported you in your career
Essex Police has provided me with so many transferrable skills. I have obtained conflict management skills, improved hugely upon my communication skills and I have also had the opportunity to be recruitment interview skill trained meaning I can interview future Specials for Essex Police.
My confidence and awareness skills have increased massively.
Tell us something interesting about your role
Specials get the opportunity to take part in all kinds of operations and events across all areas of policing. It can be anything from traffic operations responding to wanted persons in cars or stolen cars to Specials coming together and taking over the entire shift for the night to allow our regular PC colleagues time to complete paperwork.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining Essex Police
Do it! You never know what you are capable of until you try, and you really won’t regret it.
Support is given to you every step of the way and the benefits of this unique volunteering experience is never-ending.
Tell us about yourself
I am a retired regular officer having served 30 years in The Metropolitan Police. I retired in 2016 but in 2020 came back to policing as a Community Special Constable.
I live in a rural area and had seen the policing presence reduced over several years. I decided that I still had experience and skills to offer and I could still make a difference. To put it in other words, I Could “put up or shut up”.
I wasn’t after another policing career but could offer reassurance and visibility to the community where I live. I run my own Security Consultancy business and also do part time Pet Transport driving.
What do you enjoy most about your role
Being able to provide a visible policing presence and engaging with my community. The feedback from my community has been very positive and having a cop walking the streets, talking with them and helping solve some of the issues that concerns them.
Where there any barriers to joining Essex Police
For me no as I was considered a rejoiner given my previous policing experience.
Why do you think it is important that our force values difference
The Policing in this country is one of consent. We should be reflective of the communities we serve. Difference adds a wider perspective to experience, culture and values and allows solutions to issues to be better and more fully explored.
At the end of the day we are all human.
How has Essex Police as an organisation supported your career
I do not personally see my role as a career but as an opportunity to give back. Essex police are very supportive of their Specials. The Uniforms and equipment are identical to regular officers and there is an extensive training and development program.
Community police teams love to involve Specials and support policing solutions suggested by me based on my policing and other world experiences.
Tell us something interesting about your role
I know who bakes the best cakes in my villages!
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining Essex Police
Be certain about why you want to go into policing and then embrace it. If this is something you have often thought about but something else got in the way then take the opportunity, don’t let barriers stop you – again “put up or ...”
Tell us about yourself
I have been a Special with Essex Police for three years; I spent two years working as a Community Special Constable in Saffron Walden and the last year as an acting tutor Sergeant, having recently moved to Stansted Airport.
Outside of my role as a Special I work full time as a first-aid trainer and medical assessor and I’m also studying a for a degree in Policing and Criminology.
What do you enjoy most about your role
I love lots of things about being a Special, so picking just one is hard. However, I think it would have to be the public engagement side of things.
I love talking to people, understanding their problems and then getting to help resolve them. Not just in the short term but also for the long term as well.
Being a Special is not all about racing around on blue lights chasing cars, it’s about making a difference and helping those who can’t always help themselves.
Talking to people through different situations such as domestic incidents, fraud and animal cruelty, are the kind of jobs that make me proud to be a Special Constable.
Where there any barriers to joining Essex Police
I am dyslexic and struggle with spelling and mathematics and when I first read the information on the Specials recruitment page it was not very clear if there would be any support available.
However, after a phone call to the Recruitment Team, I was much more confident in applying for the role.
They provided me with steps I could take and information about all the support and help I could receive.
Why do you think it is important that our force values difference
In my role as a Special it’s important to take each situation as it comes as not all victims and suspects are the same and nor are their needs.
This approach is something that is actively encouraged by Essex Police, and it has helped me to improve my own understanding of diversity and inclusion.
How has Essex Police as an organisation supported your career
Essex Police has provided me with many extra skills that I can use outside of my role as a Special such as conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
It has help to increase my confidence and I have found it quite helpful to have co-workers and friends with first-hand experience and knowledge to ask when I get stuck with the legal aspect of my studies.
Tell us something interesting about your role
Being a Special at Stansted Airport is an exciting and varied role, where I get to make a real difference to people.
I have been able to get to be involved in operations and develop my skills all the time.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining Essex Police
Go for it, don’t let the recruitment process put you off.
There is help available every step of the way and the end result is definitely worth the effort.
I love knowing that I can now make a real difference to people’s lives. Don’t sit behind a desk looking at Excel spreadsheets all day, give yourself a challenge and achieve your true potential.
Not sure yet?
Interested? Leave your details and our Team will get back to you
Ready? Begin your application
Special Constables are subject to the same Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour as regular officers, whether on or off duty.
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 expectations in terms of standards and public service.
If you believe that you have the skills, ability and professionalism to police your communities fairly, impartially and with the necessary commitment then we’d welcome your application.
The process and what happens next
Once you have carefully read all the information on this page you can complete an application to join the Essex Police Special Constabulary.
Medical standards
Please read our medical FAQs for more information about the medical standards required for this role. Each case is always reviewed individually and candidates will never be excluded automatically on the basis of a medical condition or disability.
The HM Government website also has detailed information on medical standards including which illnesses, injuries and disorders will affect your ability to perform the role of a police officer - these also apply to Specials.
If you are eligible you need to complete the initial application so we can invite you to the next stages.
You will be invited to an assessment centre where you will need to complete a fitness test (level 5.4 on a 15m bleep test), competency based interview (based on the Policing Professional Framework) and four written exams. You will find out your results within two weeks from the date of attendance.
To become a Special Constable, you must undertake 20 days of classroom based training before you can be attested. We currently offer two types of training sessions:
Intensive - Monday to Friday for four weeks
Alternate Weekends - Every other Saturday and Sunday for 20 weeks
Please note that availability for each course may vary depending on the number of applicants.
We’re giving you an exclusive insight into the training course our Special Constables embark on to equip them with full policing powers.
After your 20 days of training, you will be attested in front of a Magistrate and receive not only your warrant card, but also your full policing powers and the start of your adventure as a Special Constable.
Have a question? Please contact us.
In your area
You probably care most about the places where you walk, cycle or drive; where you exercise the dog, go for a jog, let your kids out to play or where you pop to the shops. You might have thought that you don’t see enough “Bobbies on the Beat” in these places? Well, why don’t you volunteer as a Community Special Constable and be that bobby?
We want a Special Constable in every community in Essex. We already have Specials working on local policing and community policing teams and across a number of specialist areas, but Community Special Constables are something new, something different, something that delivers visible policing at a really local level.
