Special Constable
You already have a career you love - now you want a different challenge in your spare time. As a special constable officer you'll have the same uniform and powers as regular officers. From being first on the scene and taking knives off the streets to educating young people, you'll be working alongside regular police officers and PCSOs to make Sussex safer.
Our 'Specials', as the special constables are known, come from all walks of life. Specials are men and women of all races and faiths. They're teachers, taxi drivers, chefs, accountants and secretaries and they all volunteer a minimum of 16 hours a month. When you join Sussex Police, you become part of our policing family - we are with you each step of the way.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the role, you will:
- Be aged 18 years or over when applying. There is no upper age limit.
- Hold a GCSE or equivalent (A*-C) in Maths and English or a Bachelors Degree. If you do not have this you can undertake a skills test which will assess your Maths and English level – if you meet the level 2 standard your application will be allowed to continue.
- Have lived in the UK for three continuous years, immediately prior to application.
- Have leave to enter or leave to remain and work in the UK for an indefinite period.
- Not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) or other relevant organisations, such as Combat 18 or The National Front.
- Be able to volunteer at least 16 hours a month.
- Not have tattoos which can be seen as discriminatory, violent or intimidating or could be offensive.
- Not have 6 or more penalty points on your driving license within three years prior to the application date. (You do not need a driving license to apply)
- There are a number of jobs that are considered incompatible with the role of special constable. To be sure that your current employment will not prevent your application from proceeding please see below or contact us at recruitment@sussex.police.uk
Training to become a Special Constable consists of 15 alternate weekends and 13 evenings of training. These are mix of face to face and virtual sessions. Unfortunately due to the amount of learning required there is no flexibility to miss a day so please bear this in mind.
The dates for our 2025 & 2026 intakes will be confirmed in due course.
Recruitment Process
Eligibility checks
Online Tests (Behavioural Styles Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test)
Level 2 Assessments (for those without GCSE Maths and English)
In force Assessment
Course Start - October 2025
Why Work With Us?
We take pride in looking after our volunteers, through volunteering you will have the opportunity to:
- Experience policing first-hand
- Meet new people and teams
- Learn and develop your skills
- Support your local community
We have recognition schemes in place for us to formally show our appreciation for your service.
As a Special Constable you will have access to financial and mental well-being guidance and support, discounts for everyday spend, our on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs. Volunteering with us will also allow you to apply for other voluntary and paid positions within the Force.
Diversity StatementWe are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.
We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.
Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police
Additional InformationFollowing submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.
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