Special Constable

Contract: Voluntary

Working hours: 16 hours per month

Location: Force wide

Course starting: September 2025

North Yorkshire Police are currently working on some exciting policing pathways for Special Constables, and we want YOU to be part of it!

Ask yourself these questions...

Do you want to start your policing career?
Are you someone who wants to change lives?
Do you want to support your local community?
Do you have the skills and passion to take on the most rewarding voluntary opportunity?
Do you have a passion to start your policing journey with a role that will give you fantastic opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent?

Special Constables come from all walks of life and join for a variety of reasons. They are a vital part of all police forces across the country, supporting and enhancing the work of regular police officers. North Yorkshire Police have a well-established Special Constabulary of dedicated volunteers, and we are committed to recruiting hard-working individuals with a genuine interest in policing.

Our Special Constables need huge amounts of enthusiasm and determination to succeed. With the same powers, uniform and equipment (not including tasers) as police officers, you’ll play a key role in maintaining our extremely high standards. This is not an easy role and is only suitable for driven individuals with a real passion for serving the public, with proven life experience and customer service skills. You will need to be markedly resilient to deal with the confrontational and potentially harrowing situations that you’ll come across. If you are to succeed in this role you must have effective communication skills and strong team working ethics.

Joining the Specials opens up a world of opportunities for personal and professional advancement. Undergoing the training and then going out on patrol makes a welcome break from day-to-day life and challenges every day. You’ll benefit from unrivalled training and investment in your development. We’ll help you develop skills - from leadership to responsiveness - that will enhance every aspect of your life. After all, we need you to be the best there is. Whatever your background, you’ll be truly valued as an integral member of our force.

You will need to be able to commit to volunteering a minimum of 16 hours per month, though during your initial training and probation it is likely you would need to complete significantly more hours and commit to ongoing training.

Please note there is certain employments that would be a conflict of interest and would stop you joining as a special. Please view the document here to check your current employment before applying.

Becoming a Special Constable really is one of the most exciting and rewarding voluntary opportunities available!

Do you have what it takes to help make North Yorkshire a better place to live, work and visit?

Familiarisation sessions and events

These sessions will give a fantastic insight into the role from existing Special Constables. We have planned for these to take place on the following dates and locations, commencing at 6:30pm. These sessions are not mandatory, however we would advise you to attend one, if possible, to gain a further insight and meet the team. Please register using the link below to receive the event details closer to the time.

Tuesday 18th February at Knaresborough – register here.
Wednesday 19th February at Scarborough – register here.
Monday 24th February at Northallerton – register here.
Wednesday 26th February at Malton – register here.
Thursday 27th February at York – register here.

As part of our continual drive for a more inclusive organisation, North Yorkshire Police are committed to identifying and removing barriers for our people. We are trialling an initiative to support our Special Constabulary female candidates in breaking down any barriers they face when applying to be part of North Yorkshire Police. This will involve a female only trial fitness test (known as the Job Related Fitness Test or JRFT). We want to be able to ensure that we maximise the potential of all candidates and by removing this identified barrier, we hope to make it a more accessible and fair process for everyone.

Female only fitness test event - register here.

Interview dates

In force interviews are scheduled to take place across Week Commencing 14th April and 21st April. We will be holding these in person, across multiple central locations, and confirm these closer to the time.

Training dates

If you are successful through the recruitment process, we have training courses for Special Constables starting in September 2025. All applicants should note that this training will take place on weekends and evenings, with a blend of in person and online training in conjunction with the Open University. There will also be a requirement for you to attend a full week of Officer Safety Training.

Serving Special Constables

If you are a serving Special Constable with another UK Home Office Police Force, we are also accepting applications to transfer to North Yorkshire. Please contact us via email for further information talent&development@northyorkshire.police.uk

Further information:

It is our aim to keep you updated throughout each stage of the recruitment process via the online recruitment portal, so please ensure you keep checking this on a regular basis.

For any additional information we would encourage you to read the information in the recruitment pack, and attend one of our familiarisation events, but if you are unable to attend then please do not hesitate to contact talent&development@northyorkshire.police.uk with any questions.

North Yorkshire Police value difference. We have a positive action team who are dedicated to supporting you through your application and beyond. If you feel you need any reasonable adjustments to help reach your potential, please contact our Positive Action Team, positiveaction@northyorkshire.police.uk.

Closing date: Tuesday 25th March 2025 @ 0900am