By Jason Colmer
It was released on Tuesday, March 27, that the Devon and Cornwall police will be taking applications for ‘Special Constables’.
A ‘special’ is effectively a volunteer police officer. Shadowing an experienced officer and attending menial jobs, the aim of a Special Constable is to provide community support whilst maintaining the professionalism of the Police, all the while gaining all the experience needed in order to become a fully fledged officer.
The attraction of a ‘special’ is the opportunities awarded upon completion. Naturally, they are prioritised on the list when openings for regular police officers are available, with more experience and knowledge built up over their voluntary career then standard applicants.
With the rarity of recruitments for standard applicants, the Devon and Cornwall Police use the Special Constable Scheme to get any keen aspiring officer on the right path before their application.
Applicants must be over the age of 18, with no upper age limit- however the compulsory age for retirement remains at 60.
You must be a British Citizen, an EC/EEA national or a Commonwealth citizen.
There are no height restrictions, however every applicant must be in good physical condition and of good general health.
A medical questionnaire must be completed along with a medical assessment and drugs test. Applicants must be free from debilitating vision and not suffer any morbid eye conditions. Tattoos are not necessarily unacceptable, with few exceptions being for facial and neck tattoos and any that may be deemed offensive.
Details of key dates are below:
Closing date for Eligibility - Sunday 8 April 2018 (midnight)
Awareness Event (Middlemoor, Exeter) - Saturday 21 April 2018
Closing date for applications (by post) - Friday 11 May 2018
Assessment Centre and Fitness Test - Sunday June 24 2018
Medical, Vetting, references and Uniform Fitting - Throughout August, September and October
2018
Current anticipated training/appointment date - 5 November 2018
To find out more, or apply, visit: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/your-right-to-information/our-people/recruitment/special-constables/