The role of a Special Constable

General Overview

The Special Constabulary consists of volunteer Police Officers who give up some of their spare time to assist with the policing of their community and increase the effectiveness of local police initiatives.

Special Constables are a vital part of the UK police service, helping to divert crime and interacting with the diverse communities that they serve.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believe that ‘Specials’ are an integral part of our police family, and by working alongside regular Police Officers and Teams, they provide a flexible, visible, responsive, and committed resource.

As a Special Constable, you’ll be provided with full training, uniform, and equipment, and have all the powers and authorities of a regular Police Officer.  You will also receive out of pocket expenses.

GMP are looking for long-term Special Constables to join our current establishment, who are committed, motivated, flexible, have good interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to think on their feet in challenging situations.

We welcome individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds.  Being a Special Constable allows you to bring along and transfer relevant skills, experience, and knowledge from your day job and/or previous life experience and give something back to the communities of Greater Manchester.

The Expectation

We ask our Specials to volunteer a minimum 16 hours of their time per month.  As policing is a 24-hours a day, 7 days per week service, you can volunteer on dates/times that fit into your life and your own personal circumstances.

We do expect that if you schedule a duty, that you attend and undertake the tasks that are assigned to you, as policing events and operations are often planned and resourced in advance.

Training to be a Special Constable takes place over 10-12 weekends (Sat or Sun) over a 3-month period, and Personal Safety Training over 8 consecutive weekdays (Mon-Fri and Mon-Wed).  So, you must be able to commit to the full initial training.

Please consider the commitment necessary for the role before applying for this role.

Duties of a Special Constable

Special Constables offer additional and much valued support to their regular Police Officer colleagues.

Specials are not substitutes for regular Police Officers, but are an important complement to the existing force resources and to the local community.

The initial training provided prepares Specials for all eventualities, after which they will patrol with an experienced Special or regular Police Officer until they gain confidence/competence and can prove that they can handle different situations.

Duties that you could get involved with, but not limited to, are:

• Making our communities and its people safer by supporting the regular force
• Improving public confidence and support victims by detecting and investigating crime
• Improving communication with communities by providing an important link between them
• Assisting the force with many aspects of policing, from high-visibility patrols to traffic operations, counter-terrorism and community safety
• Working with colleagues to bring those responsible for crime to justice, from arrest through to conviction
• Assisting at the scene of accidents, fights or fires
• Enforcing road safety initiatives
• Conducting house-to-house enquiries
• Providing security at major events, such as Parklife, Pride, Football
• Tackling anti-social behaviour and alcohol related incidents

Responsibilities of the role

Even though they’re volunteers, Specials have the same powers as regular Police Officers, the same uniform, the same equipment, and the same training.

With all the powers and responsibilities of a warranted Police Officer, Special Constables must also apply the same rules of conduct, adhere to the same professional standards and are subject to the same disciplinary procedures (in accordance with the Police Performance Regulations 2020 and the Police Conduct Regulations 2020).

The Code of Ethics also provides the guiding principles for all those who work and volunteer in policing in England and Wales, ensuring that by acting fairly, ethically and in the public’s best interests, the police can help increase public confidence and engagement.

Further Information

Further information regarding the role of a Special Constable can be found in the attachment below.

If you have any general queries about becoming a Special Constable, please email us.