What is a Special Officer?
Special Officers (‘Specials’ or ‘Special
Constable’) are volunteer police officers who have the
same powers and wear the same uniforms as full-time ‘regular’
officers. They work in partnership with regular officers and the
wider policing family, such as Police Community Support Officers
(PCSOs) and police staff, to help keep the communities they serve
safe.
Being a Special Officer is a unique
volunteering role in society. It is a challenging role but
with great opportunities to help people and make a real difference
to your community. You will gain excellent skills and a sense
of making a difference.
Special Officers have full police officer
powers and carry a warrant card. As a responsible position within
society, they are subject to police disciplinary procedures and the
codes of conduct and ethics in the same way as any other police
officer.
What do Special Officers do?
As volunteer police officers, Special Officers perform a similar
role to frontline uniformed regular police officers. They
spend most of their time on patrol at stations and
on trains, carrying out patrols to deter crime and
reassure communities, as well as responding to calls for police
assistance from the public and rail staff. Special officers
also help at events and sporting fixtures when large numbers
of people use the rail network. We help regular officers get
the nation’s public home safe, secure and on time every day.
Key tasks include:
- Ensuring public safety through helping rail staff at
events, sporting fixtures and other occasions bringing large
numbers of additional passengers to the rail networks, helping
prevent injuries and disorder;
- Attending attending the scene of accidents or similar
emergency situations;
- Preventing crime through high-visibility patrols to detect and
deter those committing offences;
- Preventing crime and reducing the risk of terrorism through
educating businesses and local communities about common tactics and
strategies to deter and disrupt criminality;
- Tackling crime through confronting criminals and those
committing anti social behaviour and taking appropriate enforcement
action;
- Investigating crime by helping to bring those
suspected of offences to justice, for example through interviews
and collation of evidence, helping with police operations to arrest
offenders or conducting enquiries to help gather evidence for
larger enquiries;
- Bringing offenders to justice through presenting evidence in
court and support the justice system in prosecuting offenders and
securing convictions;
- Reducing disruption on the rail network through conducting
high-visibility patrols of known locations for line of route
offences (such as trespass) and helping enforce laws regarding the
safe use of level crossings;
- Engaging local communities and in particular talking to school
children about safety on the rail network;
- Helping support vulnerable people , and victims of
crime.
The work of Special Officers is varied and whilst it can be
challenging, it is often very rewarding, allowing you to give
something back to your community and make a real difference to
those we serve.
What is the time commitment?
Special Officers commit to working at least 16 hours per month
on duty. We normally monitor this quarterly and expect to see
at least 48 hours of duty performed every three months. This
time commitment is important to ensure you remain operationally
competent as a police officer. Your hours can generally be
arranged when it is convenient for you to work, allowing some
flexibility around your employment and personal life.
Is it dangerous being a Special Officer?
Being a police officer can inevitably involve some level of risk
and confrontation due to the nature of the duties expected of
officers, however you are given a full range of personal protective
equipment and excellent training in dynamic risk assessment,
conflict resolution and personal safety (skills which can help you
off-duty as well as on duty).
Where can I be a Special Officer?
We are a national police force and Special
Officers can work from any of our police posts across England,
Scotland and Wales. See
a map of our posts. Once you are with us, it is easy to
transfer internally between police posts, meaning being a Special
Officer with us can work well if you think you might move around
the country in the future. Please note that occasionally we
may need to restrict recruitment to a particular police post due to
space and supervisory capacity constraints (we like to ensure you
are well looked after wherever you are based).
How does being a Special Officer in BTP compare
with other police forces?
Being a Special Officer with us is similar to serving as a
Special Officer in other police forces in that you are a volunteer
police officer dealing with crime, disorder, victims of crime,
vulnerable people and all the usual demands on the police, but is
differentiated by our geographical spread and specialist
nature.
You receive additional training and perform additional duties in
relation to the environment we police, and our geographical spread
means you can work across a wide variety of locations (particularly
in supporting events and operations).
Our geographical spread also means that the teams at any one police
post tend to be fairly small, and there is a great deal of close
working between Special and regular police officers.
How long does training take?
For new recruits, the basic training involves
an initial 20 days input followed by three further two-day inputs
four, eight and twelve months after the initial input (between
which you will be on patrol). The initial input is either
delivered as a combination of a six-day Monday to Saturday session,
and seven two-day weekend (Saturday and Sunday) sessions, or as
four five day weekday (Monday to Friday) sessions. The one
week/seven weekend format will usually run several courses per year
whilst the four week format will usually run as a summer holiday
course.
For transferee Special Officers, joining us
from another UK police service having gained independent patrol
status, the training takes seven days, delivered as two
weekend inputs (Saturday to Sunday) and one long weekend input
(Friday to Sunday).
What does the training involve?
For new recruits, the training provides a
thorough grounding in police work and the role of BTP as a
specialist police force. The initial training includes input
on criminal law, the justice system, police procedure (including
powers of arrest and evidence gathering), personal safety training,
first aid, railway offences, track safety, police communications /
radios, and force IT systems. It involves a mixture of
reading, classroom presentation and practical exercises.
For those transferring from another UK police
force where they hold independent patrol status, the training
involves inputs on BTP jurisdiction and IT systems, railway
offences and track safety.
Where is the training delivered?
Special Officers joining in England and Wales
(B and C Divisions) are trained at our Spring House training centre
in London. Specials joining in Scotland (D Division) are
trained at our Divisional HQ in Glasgow. In all cases, travel
expenses are paid and accommodation is provided for those officers
who live further than a reasonable commuting distance from our
training venues.
Is there any ongoing training?
Once you have completed your basic training,
you will need to keep up-to-date with your personal safety training
(one day course once a year), first aid (half-day course
once a year) and track safety (online course once every two
years) as well as occasional additional training (for example
around new legislation).
We support the continuous professional
development of the BTP Special Constabulary through running a
weekend (Saturday to Sunday) training course twice a year to
which all force Special Officers are invited.
What opportunities are there for development within the
Special Constabulary?
There are lots of opportunities to get
involved in different tasks and responsibilities throughout your
time as a BTP Special Officer. The initial task involves gaining
independent patrol status, which takes between one and two years
whilst on patrol when you will be tutored to a basic level of
competency in operational policing. After that, there are
other opportunities that can become available to you, for example
some officers take on more specialist roles, for example assisting
our Counter Terrorism, Cyber Crime or Operational Support
Units. Others take on leadership and administrative
responsibilities, helping us get the best from our volunteer police
officers.
Are there promotion opportunities within the Special
Constabulary?
BTP Special Officers work closely with
regular full-time officers, however to ensure they are effectively
managed there is a rank structure within our Special
Constabulary. The structure is Special Constable, Special
Sergeant (responsible for a number of Special Constables at a
police station or in a sector), Special Inspector (responsible for
Special Constables and Special Sergeants in a sub-division),
Special Chief Inspector (responsible for all Special Officers on a
division), and Special Chief Officer (responsible for all Special
Officers in the force). Promotion is on the basis of
police promotion exams (for Special Sergeant and Inspector),
presentation and competency-based interview.
Will being a Special Officer help me become a
full-time regular police officer?
Being a Special Officer will enable you
to experience the role of a frontline police officer and thus gain
a wealth of insight and professional knowledge, helping you meeting
the criteria and gain the skills, knowledge and attributes we look
for from regular police officers. Those who have been a Special
Officer for at least 11 months can apply via our internal
application process and will go straight to assessment centre
without the need for a competency-based application form (since you
will be demonstrating these competencies already as a Special
Officer). We are also currently looking at whether a Special
Officer with Independent Patrol Status can bypass some of the basic
training when they join us a regular officer.
Whilst being a Special Officer is an
excellent route into being a regular police officer with BTP, we
also welcome those not interested in being regular officers: being
a Special Officer is an excellent long-term volunteering
opportunity.
Will I receive expenses?
Special Officers are volunteers and not paid
for performing the role. However equally you should not be
out-of-pocket for performing your duties and we will provide
your uniform and equipment and pay reasonable expenses for your
travel to/from duty and subsistence.
As a BTP Special Officer you will receive free
travel on and off-duty on all Transport for London services and
to/from duty on some other train operating companies.
Can BTP Special Officers drive?
Special Officers with independent patrol
status can drive police vehicles in basic patrol mode. A
small number of experienced Special Officers are also trained
to drive in response mode. You do not, however, need a
driving licence in order to become a Special Officer.
Does BTP engage in Employer Supported
Policing?
Employer Supported Policing is where an
employer gives their staff some time off to perform their Special
Constabulary duties. Many employers engage in this because of the
additional skills being a Special Officer can offer their
staff, because of the wellbeing and motivational benefits of
volunteering, and because it is a chance for the employer to
support giving something back to the local community.
We offer employer supported policing
for our own staff to be Special Officers with the force.
We are also working with a number of train operating companies for
employer supported policing schemes for their own staff to be
Special Officers with us. Our preferred model is where
employers give their staff eight hours a month for Special
Constabulary duties and the employee then volunteers at
least eight hours a month of their own time for Special
Constabulary duties.
We are always keen to hear from employers
interested in working with us to support their staff to be Special
Officers. Further information is available from the Special
Constabulary Chief Officer, Ben Clifford at benjamin.clifford@btp.pnn.police.uk.
Please note, however, that the majority of our
Special Officers are not employee supported; other than for
the rare occasions you have to attend court, your employer is under
no obligation to give you time off for Special Constabulary
duties. Most Special Officers are, however, able to meet
the 16 hour a month commitment around full-time jobs.
Would my job prevent me from applying?
Some jobs would prohibit you from
being a Special Officer due to the potential for a conflict of
interest, because being a Special Officer might give you additional
powers in your full-time employment (as police officers, Special
Officers retain their full powers off-duty), or because there
might be competing obligations to the Crown. Our current ineligible
occupation list is below.
Group A – Ineligible occupations
– (not accepted)
1. The
armed forces
2. Traffic
wardens, civil enforcement officers and school crossing patrols
3.
Neighbourhood and street wardens and other uniformed patrols
wardens, including those under the Rail Safety Accreditation Scheme
(RSAS)
4. Highway
Agency Traffic Officers
5. Police
Community Support Officers
6.
Employers’ police forces and private constabularies (police forces
maintained by government departments and other bodies with powers
that are not maintained under the Police Act 1996)
7.
Magistrates, judges, justices’ clerks, and CPS employees
8. SOCA
staff designated with immigration officer or revenue and customs
officer powers
9. Members
of Police Authorities or Police and Crime Commissioners
10. Immigration Officers
11. Revenue enforcement officers
employed on any UK public transport system
12. Holders of elected political
office or those taking an active role in politics
Group B - Ineligible Occupations at
the discretion of the Chief Officer (accepted on case by case
basis)
1. Armed
force reserves
2. The
Fire Service
3.
Occupations with client privilege
4. Members
of the medical and health professions
5. SOCA
staff including staff designated with constable powers
6.
Journalists
Group C - Other activities
incompatible with the role – (not accepted)
1. Holders
(and their partners) of premises licences and designated premises
supervisors, personal licences and licensees of betting/gaming
premises
2.
Probation officers and youth and social workers involved in the
administration of criminal law
3.
Bailiffs, warrant officers, private detectives and inquiry
agents
4.
Employees of security organisations and security personnel, guards
and door supervisors
5.
Civilian staff employed by police authorities or Police and Crime
Commissioners
Who can be a Special Officer?
The basic requirements are:
- You must either be a national of a country within the European
Economic Area or, if not, have leave to remain in the UK free of
restrictions;
- Have lived in the UK for at least the last three years;
- You must be at least 18 years-old and not older than 57 when
making your application;
- You should be in good health, and of good character;
- You must be able to speak and write English competently.
If I have (or a family member has) a criminal record,
can I serve as a Special Officer?
You will not be eligible to apply to become a
Special Officer if you have ever had any convictions, cautions,
reprimands and penalty notices (other than driving penalty
notices). This includes juvenile convictions.
We will also want to know whether any of your
close family or associates are involved in criminal activity,
including being involved in any criminal investigations, and will
therefore search for any criminal convictions or cautions recorded
against them. You must advise family and associates that these
enquiries will be made. The police service cannot disclose the
results of these enquiries.
What does the application process
involve?
Further details about the application process
are available on our Careers website.
How do I apply?
Applications are accepted via our careers website.
Please note that we do not continually
advertise for Special Officers but rather periodically open a
recruitment window a few months before each training course
starts. When a recruitment window is open, it will be listed
in our
current vacancy list.
If no vacancy is listed when you look at the
website, you can register on the careers site to be notified when
an application is next opened. Please bear with us, we will
be recruiting again soon!
If you have any further questions please email
the recruitment team at recruitmentteam@btp.pnn.police.uk or
phone 0121 634 5670.
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