Special Constables. What motivates them to do the job?
madlh100
Posts: 9,893 Forum Member
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For anyone who doesn't know what one is, it is basically an unpaid police officer.
I am currently on the security vetting stage/background checks and all that which take months. I passed my assessment.
Pass mark 35/40 and I got 37.
I just wonder what motivates people to do it?
My reasons are that I want to do something I think I will love. I want to give something back to the community, and I want to experience the challenges of a police officer. Not much really phases me and I can see myself dealing with some of the worse situations like skin of a duck's nose.
My dad doesn't understand it. He would rather me get a proper job. :mad: Something that pays. I do have another job, but I only do one day a week.
I went to a open evening for people wanting to become a special, and I was shocked at how many people were doing it just to become a regular officer. They're not recruiting at the minute for regulars so it is a step in the door. Not that this is why I want to do it.
I get so excited when I see police officers.
I just get a buzz from anything to do with the police.
It is not about the money for me. It is a rigorous recruitment process. If you are successful at all the stages you then have to do 6 months training. A lot of work for an unpaid job and a job that you will risk your life in. I'm not sure everyone who applies does it for the right reasons.
Your thoughts on what motivates people, and anything else you think about special constables?
Tom
I am currently on the security vetting stage/background checks and all that which take months. I passed my assessment.
Pass mark 35/40 and I got 37.I just wonder what motivates people to do it?
My reasons are that I want to do something I think I will love. I want to give something back to the community, and I want to experience the challenges of a police officer. Not much really phases me and I can see myself dealing with some of the worse situations like skin of a duck's nose.
My dad doesn't understand it. He would rather me get a proper job. :mad: Something that pays. I do have another job, but I only do one day a week.
I went to a open evening for people wanting to become a special, and I was shocked at how many people were doing it just to become a regular officer. They're not recruiting at the minute for regulars so it is a step in the door. Not that this is why I want to do it.
I get so excited when I see police officers.
I just get a buzz from anything to do with the police.It is not about the money for me. It is a rigorous recruitment process. If you are successful at all the stages you then have to do 6 months training. A lot of work for an unpaid job and a job that you will risk your life in. I'm not sure everyone who applies does it for the right reasons.
Your thoughts on what motivates people, and anything else you think about special constables?
Tom
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Comments
Exactly, and why should they pay him when he was quite happy to mug for them for ten years for nowt?
ACAB
fifi x
happens quite regular tbh, you dont have to be as intelligent to get in the specials but its no guarantee that you will get in the regulars
fifi x
The kids around here take the piss out of them something rotten, why do they humiliate themselves i dont know.
No - "Plastic" Police refers to PCSO's which are something entirely different. Make sure you know what you're talking about when getting involved in a discussion, it avoids embarrassment.
You're talking about PCSO's. You'd find it incredibly hard to differentiate between a Special and a regular PC
I'm not embarassed at all. I can call them whatever I want to.
Special Constables have all of the power of a "proper" one. It's the Community Support officers (who are paid) who have the limited powers.
Of course you can, you only make yourself look silly though. You wouldn't call a Health Care Assistant a Doctor, would you?
Why would they be plastic though? They are no different to regulars, except they do it voluntarily rather than as a paid job.
Not all of them, but it is certainly a reason for quite a few of them. I know of a few locals who are Specials and have been for years but have never had any interest in joining as a regular.
I dunno, if someone used a vague slang term and I had misidentified the exact post to which was being referred I'd mostly be embarrassed for the pedantry of my accusor.
I'm not putting them down if that's what you think. I heard him called it at work and he said he 'gets that a lot' or something like that. I think he even laughed about it.
Wayne. It is very hard to tell the difference between a special and a regular. They do the exact same job. Have the same uniform, or maybe slightly tweaked so you can't see the difference.
The only thing I can think of knowing the difference would be to see their warrant card.
Somner, I agree. Not bothered abotu being a regular. Might feel differently when I get into the special one day, but at the minute I don't. When I went to this specials evening I would say 95% of them wanted to do it to become a regular officer.
I think they all deserve so much respect. Such a hard recruitment process and so much time you have to put into it.
I dont respect people who accept money for robbing and imprisoning sick people, why should I respect those willing to do it for free?
Special constables don't have powers of arrest so they are not like real police officers.
Most of them do seem to go on the same "How to be an arrogant tw*t" course though.
Yes they do have the power of arrest. If you saw a SC in the street you'd find it hard to tell them apart from a regular, and they have the EXACT same powers and responsibilities. Some may have SC on their eppaulettes, and their warrant card will state Specials Constable. There are rarely any other differences.
You're getting them confused with PCSO's.