Volunteering as a Dyfed-Powys Special Constable

As a Special Constable you will undertake the role of a volunteer uniformed officer on foot or in a patrol car. You will not be allowed to patrol independently until you have been awarded Directed Patrol Status.

What will I be doing?

As a Special Constable you’ll be on the front line of policing, you’ll be one of the first faces that people see when they need us most. No two days will be the same, some things you’ll be involved in are:

• responding to incidents and calls for help from the public
• speaking to victims of crime, making sure they get the best possible service
• recording and investigating crime
• making arrests, interviewing suspects, and taking statements from witnesses
• searching for missing people
• giving evidence in court
• policing large public events, concerts and demonstrations
• dealing with road traffic collisions and offences
• carrying out proactive patrols to assist with problem solving

Working hours and conditions

As a Special Constable we ask that you volunteer for a minimum of 16 hours a month which could include weekends, public holidays and evenings. This is a role that can be flexible around you and your life.

You will spend much of your time outdoors on foot or in a patrol car. You will have some duties indoors, for example at the police station, the courts, or at private or business locations. However the priority is visible policing and engaging and responding to public needs.

Training and development

As a Special Constable you will be trained to use the same powers as regular officers.

Your initial training with be provided by our Learning and Development team. We offer an exciting timetable of courses/inputs that will prepare you for your first shift as a Special Constable with Dyfed-Powys Police.

Initial training takes approximately 6 months with one weekend of training each month at Police Headquarters, Carmarthen supported by sessions delivered online and self-study workbooks.

You must be available to attend the training weekends from Friday 2pm - Sunday 5pm. 

In order to join the online sessions and complete the self-study learning you will need access to a computer or device connected to the internet.  There will be a requirement that some learning is done remotely in your own time. When training at headquarters, accommodation can be provided for students whose home address is over 30 miles away. Unfortunately, due to the amount of learning required, there is little to no flexibility to miss a day, so please bear this in mind when applying. 

Once initial training has been completed you will patrol with experienced officers as you start the ‘Accompanied Patrol’ stage to develop you as an officer. You will be issued with an ongoing development programme to ensure that your training is kept up to date.

As a Special Constable you will also have access to the our Development and Assessment Profile which is a system designed to monitor and record the good work that you do.

Skills, interests and qualities

As a Special Constable you will need to have:

• honesty, confidence, social awareness and a responsible attitude
• the ability to assess a situation, react quickly and take positive action
• resilience
• the ability to remain calm in sometimes life-threatening situations
• the ability to work alone and in a team
• strong communication skills
• courage, initiative and common sense
• good fitness levels
• good literacy skills
• a firm but tactful approach
• the ability to show tolerance and courtesy to the public
• self-discipline
• the ability to give and receive instructions

Our supportive training and development programme will help you build on all these skills and qualities throughout your career with us.