North Yorkshire Police to recruit new Special Constables

SC Harriet Raine and Special Sergeant Rod Winter Credit: North Yorkshire Police

North Yorkshire Police is looking to recruit at least 70 new Special Constables starting today (Monday 10 October 2016)

Special Constables are volunteer police officers who have the same uniform and powers as regular (paid) police officers.

They volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month to policing York and North Yorkshire and carry out a full range of operational, front-line duties.

2013 specials in PSU training Credit: North Yorkshire Police

What do you have to do to become a Special?

  • Specials go through a rigorous training programme before they qualify to go out on the beat where they cover a wide range of duties from policing public events, to attending emergency incidents.

  • They can also choose to undertake further training and specialise in a particular area of policing such as public order, (policing protests, football matches etc), roads policing and joining our Rural Task Force.

  • Training as a Special Constable can take up to two years.

  • Initial training takes around 19 weeks and involves weekend training sessions that culminate in a week-long course to consolidate everything the students have learnt.

  • Students who successfully complete this initial training will then be attested – which means they swear an oath in front of a Magistrate - and are issued with their warrant cards and uniform.