Special Constable ( Volunteer Police Officer)

Change needs you, volunteer as a police constable today

The Met is working hard to restore Londoners trust and confidence, reduce crime and maintain high standards. To do this we recognise the need to change. Whilst that change takes time, we want people like you to join and help to make a big difference.

We’re looking for people who share our values of integrity, courage, accountability, respect and empathy to join the dedicated, honest, committed, hard-working officers and staff already in our team. Those who are committed to working hard to bring offenders to justice, protect vulnerable people and deliver the change needed for London and it’s communities.

With your determination, we will help you reach your full potential as a volunteer police constable and be the best you can be for yourself, your community and London.

We’re looking for people from all backgrounds to join us, people who can earn trust, respect and build positive relationships with all Londoners and whom share our values. In return you’ll receive the best training possible to prepare you for policing London. In addition you are eligible for a range of benefits including: free travel on TfL services (within London), discount on council tax (within Greater London) as well as a range of other Met friendly benefits and discounts.

There is no other volunteering role quite like it

You will dedicate a minimum of 16 hours each month (at times and days convenient to you), where you bring offenders to justice, support our vulnerable victims and respond to some of the thousands of incidents the Metropolitan Police attends each day.

You will have the same powers and the same uniform as our paid colleagues and give back to your local community to make a real difference to London.

The role is as diverse as it is rewarding, day-to-day you will get involved in a plethora of activities, including:

• Responding to 999 and 101 calls
• Supporting our priority to have the strongest neighbourhood policing ever; delivering for your local community
• Foot and vehicle patrols
• Tackling anti-social behaviour
• Public order policing helping to secure national and international events happening in the capital
• Apprehending and arresting suspects
• Identifying and gathering evidence
• Supporting victims and witnesses of crime
• Engaging with children and young people to improve our impact in communities
• Presenting evidence in court

You will complete extensive training to give you the skills and confidence to be a Metropolitan Police Constable and in the future could go into a diverse range of specialisms in policing or take rank to supervise our future officers.

This is a volunteering opportunity like no other, where you’ll get a tremendous amount of pride from dedicating your free time to giving back to the community. Being a volunteer police constable will provide you with many extra skills that you can use outside of your role, such as conflict resolution, leadership skills and improved communication skills. It’s a brilliant opportunity to upskill.

Eligibility

We’re looking for people from all backgrounds to join us, who share in our values and are committed to protecting Londoners.

See how you measure up against the eligibility criteria below.

Age:

If you are 17 when you submit your application, you will be able to progress through our recruitment process but you will not be able to start your training until you are 18.

Nationality:

If you’re from outside the UK, it’s essential that you have indefinite leave to enter or to remain in the UK.

Physical fitness:

You will need to pass our fitness test.  If you do some form of regular exercise you should have no issue meeting that requirement.   You must also meet the police eyesight standards agreed by the College of Policing.

Tattoos:

Some tattoos will stop you working for the Met depending on what they depict and where on your body they are.

Criminal conviction/caution:

If you do have any criminal convictions or cautions on record you can still apply, eligibility will depend on the age and nature of the offence.

Membership of groups or organisations:

You will not be able to join the Met if you are a member of a group and/or organisation that contradicts our values or ethics and our commitment to inclusion.

Apply now to start your Met career – a career that matters.

Disability Confident Statement 

The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.

As a Disability Confident Leader, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence.

Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about police fitness standards.

Read our full disability confidence statement.