Special constables (volunteer police officers)

We'll train you for one of the most varied and fascinating volunteer roles around. You'll gain an incredible wealth of skills, confidence and experience. Alongside these skills and the tremendous sense of achievement you will get for doing something for the community, we pay expenses for giving up your valuable time. You will also receive a number of other benefits:

• Develop transferable skills that will improve your future career prospects, such as problem-solving, decision-making, leadership, team-working and communication.
• All Met special constables are entitled to free travel on London’s Tube, buses, DLR, Tramlink, Emirates Airline Cablecar, TfL operated River Bus services and TfL-operated London Overground services. Free travel is available on and off duty, and it is open to all Met special constables who perform at least 200 hours duty a year, subject to MSC policies, which are available on request. Your daily commute to and from your day job could become free.
• Have access to a range of Met staff discounts on goods and services.
• Be eligible to join the Metfriendly Society, offering a range of financial services such as savings, investments and protection products.

Specials living within one of the London Boroughs or the City of London can receive a 50% rebate to the Greater London Authority (GLA) element of their Council Tax payment. This only applies to serving specials who have completed 200 hours of operational service within 12 months at the required standard, and who aren't subject to any kind of disciplinary process.

Special constables who have completed 200 hours of operational service and have gained their Independent Patrol Status (IPS) can apply to become a new police constable. Due to their policing experience, specials are not required to have the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP).

Training

Some of the skills you will gain include:

• conducting a stop and search
• conducting an arrest
• use of verbal communication
• how to keep yourself and others safe

During your training you will be coached on how to risk-assess situations that you may encounter as a special constable.

The Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) Foundation Course

This will teach you about the various aspects of police work, including basic law, police procedures, officer safety, people skills and emergency life saving techniques.

Your initial training course runs for 23 days across 13 weekends, or can be completed as an intensive Monday to Friday course over four and a half weeks. Throughout your training, you will develop a number of core skills including:

• decision-making
• self-motivation
• communication
• professional standards
• integrity

Training structure

If you’re successful in your application, we’ll offer you a selection of training course options. You must only choose a course if you can attend every day. However, if there is a genuine emergency or if you are ill during the course, then please speak to the people training you.

There are three main options:

• Saturday course: 13 weeks of training, with 10 weeks taking place on both Saturdays and Sundays, and three weeks taking place on Saturdays only.
• Sunday course: 13 weeks of training, with 10 weeks taking place on both Saturdays and Sundays, and three weeks taking place on Sundays only.
• Intensive course: 23 consecutive weekdays. You will be required to attend early and late shifts.

All courses are 23 days long and non-residential. They start and finish a little earlier than normal working hours. Exact timings will be given to you before you start. If you are successful in your application, we will offer you a selection of training course options. The options will include details of start and finish dates plus when the breaks are, if applicable.

Please note that the course types and structure can change, so the above should be taken as a guide.

There are two locations across London where your core training will take place:

• Hendon
• Marlowe House, Sidcup

Some training might take place across other sites but these are all accessible from your main training site.

Wherever you train, the first day will take place at the Hendon police training centre, where you will be attested as a constable and provided with an input around professional standards.

Personal support and advice

We pride ourselves on being a police service that cares about its staff. We provide a whole range of support initiatives to help with both you and your family's welfare. These include:

• occupational health and welfare counselling (from psychotherapy to financial guidance)
• a network of 'first contacts' who you can talk to about anything on a one-to-one basis
• development and mentoring schemes
• staff support associations (SSA) to support and represent your needs, beliefs and values

Email to find out more about the available staff associations