Version 7.6

Februar 2009

Freiwilliger Polizeidienst Berlin

Voluntary Policing in England & Wales

The ‘Special Constable’ is the United Kingdom’s Volunteer Police Officer, the name dates back more than 700 years to the time before paid policemen when the preservation of the peace was a common law unpaid duty.

Today there are 11,000 Special Constables in the England & Wales, each a sworn Constable in one of the 43 individual police forces of England & Wales. Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Transport Police have a different police volunteer organisation. A Special Constable (SC) has the same police powers as a Police Constable (PC), on or off duty, except that they are limited to their own and any contiguous force area. The British Transport Police now use SC’s and they have police powers on and near railway property throughout the British Isles.

The uniform of a SC. is almost identical to that of a PC, except for a small SC+Crown insignia, which is worn on the epaulets to identify the SC to other police officers. In August 1996 a Home Office working party report stated that it was more important for SC’s to be recognised as such within the police service than by the public.

Special Constables have their own rank structure, it is different to those which are used in the Regular Force. With some local variations, it is normally as follows:

The rank structure is used for administration purposes and for events policed solely by SC’s. A PC will always be senior whenever they accompany a SC, irrespective of the SC’s rank.

SC’s are recruited between the ages of 18½ and 50, and normally retire at 55, although Special Constables & Section Officers may continue to 60 if medically fit. Area Officers and above normally retire at 60. All grades are currently unpaid volunteers, however some forces have recently decided to start paying their SC’s, this is expected to be approximately EUR 1400 per year.

Uniforms and all equipment are provided free. Out of pocket expenses and travel costs to the police station are reimbursed.

Basic training on acceptance is 120 hours spread over twelve weeks, after which a magistrate swears in the SC and they receive their uniform and warrant card. Once operational, training continues with a rolling training programme of 30 hours a year. For the first two-years, SC’s are on probation, after which authority for independent patrol, driving police vehicles, supervisory ranks etc. may be achieved.

The same as PC’s, SC’s do not carry firearms. All forces issue SC’s with rigid handcuffs, baton, CS spray, personal radio and a bullet and knife protective vest. Self defence and conflict resolution is included in the training.

Deployment of SC’s varies between individual forces, from accompanying PC’s on mobile or foot patrol, independent patrol, special events, pro-active targeting, special operations etc. In many forces SC’s are now being given their own targeted policing objectives such as focusing on dealing with anti-social behaviour by young people. SC’s often attend low priority commitments on their own, or with another SC. All of which releases PC’s to concentrate on more serious incidents.

SC’s work both in uniform and plain clothes and the minimum commitment required is 16 hours operational duty per month.

There is no representative association for SC’s at present. However the Police Federation, which represents PC’s, has recently voted to accept SC’s into it’s membership. A quarterly magazine ‘Special Beat’ is produced by the Home Office and distributed by post to all SC’s.

The Home Office recently recommended a number of changes to the conditions of service for SC’s, such as improved injury on duty compensation, legal representation against complaints, and easier transfers between forces. There is a National Conference of the Special Constabulary, hosted by the Home Office, which takes place every three years, the next conference is planned for 2004.

Thames Valley Police covers 574,850 hectares with a population of 2 million, employs 3,850 Regular Constables, 370 Special Constables and 2,100 Civilian staff

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