Volunteers
We’re incredibly appreciative of the more than 1,200 people who volunteer with Essex Police. We’re proud of them and the difference they make in helping to keep our communities safe.
There are many police volunteering roles you can get involved in. You could serve your community as a Special Constable, give helpful crime prevention advice as an Active Citizen, or support young people as a Police Cadet Leader. Whatever your skills or interests, we have a volunteering opportunity to suit you.
To volunteer with Essex Police, you must be over 18, have lived in the UK for at least three years, and pass our vetting checks.
If you’re interested in volunteering in Essex and want to join our team, register your interest. We’d love to hear from you.
Our volunteer opportunities
Special Constables are volunteer police officers. They wear the same uniform, have the same legal powers and are part of the same team as full-time police officers.
Special constables help keep Essex safe. They respond to emergencies. They investigate crime. They support local communities. They help keep our roads safe. They work with our specialist teams at our airports, along our coastlines and rivers, in our rural communities.
Working with our full-time police officers, special constables help people and catch criminals.
Police Support Volunteers (PSVs) work alongside our volunteer police officers and volunteer Police Cadets. Their help is invaluable, both to our communities and to the police officers and staff they support. We’re proud of them and the difference they make.
PSVs are recruited directly by Essex Police, and most roles require vetting. Volunteers are supported and managed by police officers or staff, and they are responsible for the tasks they carry out for us.
There are many different PSV roles available, including opportunities with our specialist teams such as the Fraud Prevention Team, Hate Crime Team, MOSOVO Team (Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders), and our Cyber and Digital Forensic Team. There are also role supporting the Essex Police Museum.
One of our most popular PSV roles is becoming an Active Citizen, where volunteers help share crime prevention advice and support local communities.
Essex Police Museum volunteers
There are currently 12 volunteers who support the curator in the day to day running of our Essex Police museum. There are three teams: Public Openings, Collections and Groups. Volunteers can stay in one team or work across multiple teams.
The Public Openings team assist our visitors when we open to the public, doing tasks such as operating the till, answering questions and welcoming visitors. Their shifts are either morning, afternoon or the whole day, depending on their preference and availability. We ask for a minimum of one shift a month but you are welcome to do more than this. The Public Openings team may also help us at external events, like fetes and fun days.
The Collections team help catalogue and maintain our collection. Typically they will focus on one area, such photographs, objects or archives, but can work across the whole collection. Tasks for the Collections volunteers include labelling items, keeping databases up to date, digitising items and responding to research enquiries from the public. A shift is usually between 3 hours and a full day, depending on their preference and availability. All our Collections volunteers come in once a week.
The Groups team facilitate all of our group bookings, except schools. These groups are varied, ranging from scouts and brownies through to U3A. Visits can be during the day or in the evenings but only on weekdays and typically last a couple of hours. Our Groups volunteers may operate the till, serve refreshments, answer questions and give a short talk on the history of Essex Police or a buildings tour.
Find out more about volunteering with our museum on the Essex Police Museum Volunteer page
Our Active Citizens play a vital role in making our communities safer and less at risk of crime or antisocial behaviour.
They do this by working closely with local people and supporting our community policing teams. Active Citizens share clear crime prevention advice, helping residents secure their homes, protect their belongings, and reduce the chance of becoming a victim of crime.
Some of our Active Citizens support some of our specialist teams too. These include the Fraud Prevention Team, Hate Crime Team, MOSOVO Team (Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders), and our Cyber and Digital Forensic Team.
Our Volunteer Police Cadet (VPC) programme helps young people aged 13 to 18 build skills for their future. It gives teenagers across Essex the chance to gain qualifications, grow their confidence, develop teamwork and communication skills, and feel proud of supporting their community through fun and meaningful activities.
We have Cadet Units across Essex, including Basildon, Braintree, Castle Point and Rochford, Chelmsford and Maldon, Clacton, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Harwich, Southend, Thurrock and Uttlesford.
You can find out more about how to join on our Volunteer Police Cadet page.
Independent custody visitors (ICV)
Independent custody visitors monitor the standards of police custody suites and safeguard the welfare of detainees. The scheme is run by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office and appointed volunteers visit custody suites at any time of day or night, to check on the treatment of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed.
Find out more about volunteering as an Independent Custody Visitor.
Dog Welfare Scheme
The scheme is run by the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's office. Their team of Dog Welfare Visitors inspect the working conditions of the dogs and provide reports to the office. Their visits are unannounced on random days and times to ensure impartiality.
Find out more about volunteering for the dog welfare scheme.
Restorative Justice Facilitators
Restorative Justice facilitators are volunteers based at the Essex Restorative and Mediation Service, funded by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Office.
The team helps to facilitate communication between those involved in a crime or a conflict, such as neighbour disputes, allowing victims to ask questions and receive meaningful reparation for harm caused.
Find out more about volunteering with the Essex Restorative and Mediation Service.
Essex Search and Rescue
Volunteers are called out 24/7 by our police search advisors (PolSAs) when the need arises.
There are Aerial, Ground Search, K9, Mountain Bike and Water units.
Find out more about volunteering for Essex Search and Rescue.
Community Speed Watch
There are over 100 Community Speed Watch (CSW) groups in Essex who support our efforts to change driver behaviour and to make the roads of Essex a safer place.
Volunteers use handheld speed detection devices to capture the speeds of oncoming vehicles. Details are collated and sent to Essex Police.
The force sends out around 13,000 letters annually to the registered keepers of these vehicles, warning them of the dangers of speeding.
Find out more about becoming a community speed watch volunteer.
Street Pastors
Street pastors operate on Friday and Saturday nights, offering a non-judgemental service and trying to assist anyone who needs help or someone to talk to. They also provide basic first aid.
Find out more about volunteering as a Street Pastor.
Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch Essex works to reduce crime and the fear of crime throughout Essex.
Find out more about Neighbourhood Watch Essex.
Have you worked in policing before?
If you have worked in policing either as an officer, member of staff or volunteer, and are interested in volunteering with us - we want to hear from you.
Please contact us if you'd like to volunteer your valuable skills and experience to help people across Essex.