General Policing Discussions

(I apologise if this is posted in the wrong place. I had considered putting it in my force specific section, but there is little/no activity there, and I am interested in hearing about people's experiences from across the various forces.) Based upon your own experiences, how would each of you say special constables are viewed? Not just by the public - who, I'm given to understand, rarely know the difference between a regular and special - but also by their regular colleagues? I ask because of a (very minor) concern about what to expect if I am successful in applying. As a former reservist I experienced both professional respect and ridicule from the regulars; whilst it …

Found an old copy of the course as a Freedom of Information request response. Surprises me how little Specials (and regulars) can actually do. Run!

Hello all I'm currently a serving SC, with a deafness in my right ear since birth. I currently don't wear a hearing aid (the ear was born deaf and nothing works for it) but would very much like to hear from any serving officers (PC or SC) who have similar deafness issues please, as I could do with some advice please. Many thanks in advance.

Let's say you're a PC or SC and you're in the back of a taxi and your driver starts speeding, do you let him know your a Police Officer and report him for the offence or do you just let it go?

Where does everyone keep their warrant cards? I seen it range from pocket, to a specilly made wallet.

Hello all, I was looking at the changes due to Windor's report and eventually came across this: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-officer-remuneration-and-condition Scroll down a bit and at Recommendation 2, is mentions an allowance of an extra 10% pay when Officers work between 8PM and 6AM. Excuse if it's a silly question, but surely this additional pay is on top of the standard starting point of 22k? Potentially makes starting pay around 23.5k which is not bad tbh.

Hi guys, So I have a bit of a strange topic of convo here. However, an enjoyable one to say the least. I am currently in the process of writing a concept for a new TV show focussing on 'the boots on the ground' so to speak, rather than the detectives (Although there will be an element of this). To get to the point, i'm looking for a sharing of some stories about situations that you have found yourself in that have been funny, weird, a waste of time and scary. I have trawled and trawled and trawled the 'What I did on duty' thread and will be using some situations and so on. But if you have any stories or experiences that you haven't shared on the afore mentioned thread…

Hello all I'm currently a serving SC, with a deafness in my right ear since birth. I currently don't wear a hearing aid (the ear was born deaf and nothing works for it) but would very much like to hear from any serving officers (PC or SC) who have similar deafness issues please, as I could do with some advice please. Many thanks in advance

Just wanted to let everyone on here know that the PVH (Police Visual Handbook) Android App is now available on Google Play Store to download and use. Your Force must be a subscribing Force (2/3s are) or you will need to take out a personal subscription first, if your Force isn't). It will use some of your data allowance (initially 78MB to download the App and it's contents, but thereafter should only update the App occasionally, and the very new content from time to time. You can use it off line, so you don't have to have a signal to use it. The Windows and iOS Apps follow shortly.

So I am a trainee special with Kent police. I have looked around some other forces and their recruitment guides state a number of entry methods, one being :- Be a serving special constable and gained IPS and the certificate in knowledge of policing. So my question is, as a serving special do you work towards a CKP or is this something you need to do separately? If it is something done separately, what's the best method to go about starting this? With Kent Police I am lucky as their guide lines state you only need to be a serving special, PCSO or staff member with nothing else but obviously this may change in the future. Thanks in advance!

Hampshire's PCC has been publicising the consultation for the changing in the funding formula across the UK. This could potentially have significant impacts to the cuts in your force, so I suggest completing the survey. In particular, I strongly agree with the PCC that the funding arrangements need to be decided soon so that forces have certainty in their restructuring over the next 5 years. You can't have a well planned transition of how you police without knowing what the cuts are for each year. The goal posts are simply floating away they're fluid at the moment. Details from Hants PCC here: http://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/Get-Involved/Funding-formula-consultation.…

It is not unusual for Police Staff to also be Special Constables. I am considering applying to become a call handler for my force but with 365/24/7 shift rota I am wondering if it may be challenging to manage both roles and perhaps even tiring, as I understand both roles may require some extra hours put in! If anyone here has experience of managing both roles at the same time, particularly a full time role, I'd be interested to hear from you Thanks

Hey everyone, I find myself in a little bit of a quandary. I live slap bang on the boundry of two forces and 15 mins or less from another. Talking technically, one half of my house is covered by the Met and the other by Surrey and 15 or less minutes down the road is Sussex. After having read through a majority of the threads, I don't think that I would enjoy being part of the Met because of the stories seen about lack of care or respect for officers within the force itself. Not only that, but it means I would probably be stationed in Croydon and I would prefer not to be. The most favourable for me is Surrey because that covers a few areas that I would like to work (Red…