Help with police interview

[PandaMark]

10 months 8 days after I applied I am now a Police Constable!

First duty is on Tuesday, cannot wait!

Well Done! I am always impressed by the Specials that I meet, even more so than some of the regulars! Hope that it all goes well for you

Good Luck with your first duty

 

[angel]

So, next time I visit Poole for a couple of weeks I know who to speak to about parking in the town centre. Nudge, nudge; wink, wink.

We're down in a couple of weeks, so i'll look out for a friendly SC

Congrats, you've done really well!

 

[Kier]

Congratulations. Really well done. Now, they won't be secconding you onto the MIT any time soon, but don't forget to get on any job you can that will give you as wide a range of experience as possible. Whether it's helping with the Rememberance Day parade with all the old soldiers or a Gay Pride parade; schools or old folks homes; Pubwatch or Baywatch. Get involved. I know Dorset isn't exactly overrun with International Airports, but Manchester Airport used to be the place where Police careers went to die - until Al Qaeda. Now every Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector or Superintendant who fancies getting on wants to go there for 12 months or so.

Tick as many boxes as possible, you never know when they will come in handy.

So, next time I visit Poole for a couple of weeks I know who to speak to about parking in the town centre. Nudge, nudge; wink, wink.

I plan on doing as much as possible, first duty is just over 36 hours away .

We're down in a couple of weeks, so i'll look out for a friendly SC

Congrats, you've done really well!

Thanks

Where abouts in Poole are you going? I wont be based in Poole, going to be in Verwood, but live in Poole, so keep an eye out for you .

 

[stephen01]

it is, except he is not paid for it, hence the term "specials"

Now before I start let me say congrats, i have often thought about joining the police, good salary, good pension, great job, always something new on the cards no two days ever the same, career progression. However i think they are taking the mick a little with the specials and lack of pay, from what i have read about it you do all the same things as a ‘normal’ ie paid officer but with out the pay? its not as though its a fast track into the force, its taken you nearly 9 monthsto get this far and if you join the force as a paid office you have to start all over again. . I know if you do ever plan on joining the police force it will look favourable on your CV, howeve don’t you feel like they are taking advantage of peoples good nature?
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[Kier]

Now before I start let me say congrats, i have often thought about joining the police, good salary, good pension, great job, always something new on the cards no two days ever the same, career progression. However i think they are taking the mick a little with the specials and lack of pay, from what i have read about it you do all the same things as a ‘normal’ ie paid officer but with out the pay? its not as though its a fast track into the force, its taken you nearly 9 monthsto get this far and if you join the force as a paid office you have to start all over again. . I know if you do ever plan on joining the police force it will look favourable on your CV, howeve don’t you feel like they are taking advantage of peoples good nature?

Thanks

And not at all, I do the same things as a regular (well, nearly, there are a few things that I can't do, but thats due to not having the time, and waiting lists etc), although its not a direct fast-track into the Police, it will help loads with the application, and there is talk of once you've been a Special for 2 years, having a fast track option into the Police.

As with a lot of people on my intake (16 of us), 13/14 of us wanted to join the regulars, and this gives us the chance to try it out before we decide to go for it.

Tutors where saying that if someone joins the Police for the first time, around 30%-50% (I think) leave within the first year, however, if they've been a Special (Or PCSO) to start with, 90% of them stay. How true that is, I don't know yet.

When I do apply to the Regulars, it can take months, if not years, friend who was training passed his interview and PIRT, but won't start training until 2012. But he can continue to be a Special up to the day before he starts training.

Gone of on a tagent a bit...sorry.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

How many hours a week do you have to do as a Special then?

So you still working at Tesco?

 

[P100 GRR]

Thanks

And not at all, I do the same things as a regular (well, nearly, there are a few things that I can't do, but thats due to not having the time, and waiting lists etc), although its not a direct fast-track into the Police, it will help loads with the application, and there is talk of once you've been a Special for 2 years, having a fast track option into the Police.

As with a lot of people on my intake (16 of us), 13/14 of us wanted to join the regulars, and this gives us the chance to try it out before we decide to go for it.

Tutors where saying that if someone joins the Police for the first time, around 30%-50% (I think) leave within the first year, however, if they've been a Special (Or PCSO) to start with, 90% of them stay. How true that is, I don't know yet.

I work for Surrey Police as a RPCSO (Roads Policing Community Support Officer) and they have now changed the contracts for new PCSO's starting, stating they cannot apply for another role within their first 2 years. We were getting alot of PCSO's wanting to join as regulars and therefore the turnover of staff was getting high.

Good luck with being a special, I work alongside some good specials on Traffic who do seem to be more experienced. Some specials i've worked with on borough areas have been a bit of hard work

It always frustrates me a little that you have more powers than we do and have probably had less training, but then again I do get paid for it

 

[Kier]

How many hours a week do you have to do as a Special then?

So you still working at Tesco?

Have to do at least 4 hours a week, although can do 16 hours one week, and then not go again for 3 weeks for example. Though I plan on doing a shift a week, maybe 2. Need to complete my PDP as soon as possible to get signed off.

Also heard that its not really worth going in for 4 hours, by the time you've got yourself ready, it will be time to leave. And will most likely end up staying longer, as you can't leave if you've started something.

Will still be at Tescos sadly .

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I work for Surrey Police as a RPCSO (Roads Policing Community Support Officer)

So is that like being a volentry traffic officer?

 

[porlus]

Police Community Support Officers get paid. Its the Special Constables who are voluntary.

 

[P100 GRR]

So is that like being a volentry traffic officer?

Not voluntary, I get paid

I'm a PCSO who works on the Roads Policing Unit so very different from a normal PCSO.

It's like a civilian Traffic Officer.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Not voluntary, I get paid

I'm a PCSO who works on the Roads Policing Unit so very different from a normal PCSO.

It's like a civilian Traffic Officer.

How did you get into that then? Did you have to be a normal PCSO first?

 

[P100 GRR]

How did you get into that then? Did you have to be a normal PCSO first?

It was advertised and I applied. I didn't have to be normal PCSO, and to be honest don't want to be.

I had been working for Surrey Police for about 9 years anyway in various control rooms so I knew what the role entailed.