Staffordshire Police launches Special Constable recruitment drive

Do you have an interest in policing but already work a full-time job? Do you feel a sense of duty to protect your local community? Do you want to develop a range of skills that will stay with you for life?

If the answer to all of those questions is ‘yes’, then you might be in luck, as we are currently recruiting for our Special Constabulary.

Special constables, often referred to as specials, are volunteer officers, who have all of the training and powers of a regular police officer with the added flexibility of fitting it in around a full-time job and other commitments.

On Sunday 7 April, we were delighted to celebrate the very first specials passing out parade with our latest cohort. Seven newly-trained special constables were formally inducted into the force by Chief Constable Chris Noble at a ceremony at our HQ.

Fares Seleem, 39, left behind his life as a lawyer in Egypt to move to Staffordshire, where he works as a welder. Hana Bradbury, 31, works as an operations manager for a local tourist attraction. Glenn Williams, 54, combines his operational responsibilities with the duties of running his own golf company.

Fares said: "I have a natural passion to help others and have done throughout my entire life. I was raised to respect the needs of others and to do my best to help them as much as I can, and there's no better job to do that than as a special constable.

"I also feel a strong sense of duty towards the United Kingdom, as though I want to offer something back to it. I've been accepted into the country, had a decent life and I'm looking forward to a secure future. This is all going to be passed to my family, so this is the least I can do to show gratitude to this country."

Hana said: "A career in the police is something that had always interested me, but, ultimately, I ended up pursuing a different path. After years of wondering whether I should have applied for the police, I discovered the specials.”

Glenn said: "I have always wanted a job where every day is different. Doing the same thing day in, day out can get very boring very quickly, so I was keen to have a change in career.

"I'm a people person and I can talk to anyone with ease, so finding a role where I will be dealing with the public is ideal."

The training process for all of our specials takes place over nine weekends. Beyond giving the budding officers all of the skills that they need to take to the streets, it also reinforces the seriousness and demands of the role. It's a process that can make or break a candidate's decision to go all the way.

Hana said: "The training was intense, but also informative and exciting. You have to learn so much in such a short space of time, but I was never left bored or wondering 'what's the point in all of this?'.

"The mixture of theoretical and practical aspects was just right. The case studies were also vital in helping us to understand the law and when to implement it.

"I enjoyed the practical elements the most - the public and personal safety training, radio training and the custody visit were very informative - but I also ended up enjoying the theory side much more than I anticipated."

Glenn, Fares and Hana all represent minority demographics within our Special Constabulary. Glenn is the oldest of our new recruits, whilst Fares is the only non-British-born special and Hana is the only female. All three feel that their presence within the team will help to encourage others sign up.

Glenn said: "It's important to have all ages within the specials. It brings different outlooks onto situations, which is good, because older people may not think the same way as a younger person, so it adds a broader range of understanding and knowledge to the job.

Fares said: "Diversity of all types within the specials, and also the police force, carries great importance, because we’re reflecting the diversity of our communities.

Hana added: "It's good to have a mixture of genders in an organisation like the police and as a woman, I believe I bring many qualities to the force and can relate to other females in our communities because we can identify and relate to certain situations and ultimately, how we get better outcomes."

Juggling force duties with an already-busy professional and private life is not something that our special constables enter into lightly. They find the time to fit in their police role around a full-time job and friends and family because they want to and that is the key to a successful Special Constabulary.

Hana said: "I'm really lucky that I work for a company that supports my position as a special. My job can be tough, but only working nine to five, Monday to Friday, I will be able to carry out my duties as a special at weekends or in the evening.

"My personal life is filled with hobbies, including netball, amateur dramatics, being part of a band and spending time with my friends and family. Thankfully, I'm a highly organised person and I feel that that is key to balancing my time between each activity and job."

Something that we are keen to stress is that no prior experience or contacts within the police is required to become a special. Hana had neither, but she says that entering into the unknown made the training process both daunting and exciting and she never felt at a disadvantage compared to those who had. Glenn also had no prior experience, but with his partner serving in West Midlands Police, he had some knowledge of what the job entailed. Fares, on the other hand, spent a decade working as a criminal defence lawyer in Egypt, which gave him great experience in dealing with police forces, law enforcement, investigating and counter-fraud among others.

As for the future, our new batch of specials are looking forward to fulfilling their many ambitions within the force.

Glenn said: "Taking on this new role is already an ambition fulfilled. I'm really keen to get stuck into whatever comes my way and stay true to my pledge to serve the people of Staffordshire."

Fares said: "I just want to gain as much experience and knowledge as I can. I know that I am going to meet such a variety of people, both within the specials and the wider public, and I think I am going to find learning from each and every one of them really rewarding."

Hana said: "I am excited to start engaging with the community and making connections and also to tackle challenging situations with like-minded colleagues.

"In the words of Judy Hopps in Zootropolis, I am ready to 'make the world a better place'."

If their stories have inspired you to join us as a special constable and you want to find out more, please visit: Special Constable | Staffordshire Police