Training

Volunteer Police Officer Initial Training

Members of the public expect a high level of professional knowledge and skill from a police officer whether they are a regular officer or a Volunteer Police Officer. Both look the same and the public expect the same service. Therefore a high level of training is required. It is a large investment of your time but at the end of the course, when you are attested as a Special Constable, you will have the confidence to respond to almost any incident you come across whilst on patrol.

The Initial Learning Programme consists of classroom training over 14 weekends (both days every other weekend from 0900 hours to 1700 hours) and 26 evenings (1830 hrs to 2130 hours) from about September to April each year – these focus on the practical elements of policing and City Police procedures and IT. This is supported by about 100 hours of self-study through which you will learn the law in advance of the classroom sessions.

You will need to attend all these lessons and pass exams in order to successfully complete the course, although we will be as flexible as possible if you have pre-booked holidays.

Police Volunteer Training

Because of the different roles for Policing Volunteers, there is no standard training course and you will receive bespoke training depending on the role. This may be classroom or computer based, practical in-role training or a combination of these.

For some roles, especially those facing the public or with designated police powers, you may need to complete the training and any exams before you can start in the role. This may include personal safety and first aid. The public expect a professional service from all in the City Police, whether regular or volunteer, and so your training has to provide you with an appropriate foundation of skills and knowledge.