Metropolitan Special Constabulary
Encyclopedia
The Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) is the part-time volunteer police force
of Greater London
's Metropolitan Police Service
. Created nearly 180 years ago under the Special Constables Act of 1831, it currently consists of nearly 5,000 volunteer police officers. The target strength is 6,667 by 1st April, 2012.
Prior to 1 April 2007, officers of the MSC only had jurisdiction
within the Metropolitan Police District
and adjacent force areas, being Kent
, Surrey
, Essex
, Thames Valley
, the City of London
and Hertfordshire
. However they now have the full powers of a Constable throughout England and Wales.
Specials are required to undertake a minimum of 200 hours of operational duties every year, which equates to four hours each week. However, many specials do more than the basic requirement.
(BOCU) which provides policing for each of the 32 London borough
s has a contingent of Special Constables, usually supervised by a number of Special Sergeants and a Special Inspector. Some BOCUs may have as many as 150 MSC officers, Westminster has almost 300, the vast majority have closer to 50 officers.
A number of Specials are sponsored by their employers as part of the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, in which employers release their employees for a specific amount of time every fortnight to perform MSC duties.
Special Constables have the freedom to choose what borough they work in, their duties and their hours. The teams in which specials work depends on BOCU - some prefer to task their specials to safer neighbourhood teams (SNT), whilst others work alongside regular colleagues on a variety of teams and operations. There are three MSC Operational Support Units (OSU), which are tasked with providing high-visibility policing and public order patrols across the Metropolitan Police District
, normally on Friday and Saturday nights. The OSUs are the main units on which Specials are routinely trained in Level 2 Public Order tactics, which include shield tactics and various public order scenarios at Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre Gravesend (MPSTC). The OSU regularly carry out operations with the TSG and other specialist branches of the Met and provide different size PSUs, Police Support Unit (UK)
, for various protests and football matches. There are also a small number of Special Constables who are part of Central Operations (CO) specialist units such as the Marine Support Unit, Heathrow Airport OCU (ID), the MSC Traffic OCU (TD) and now Safer Transport Command (STC).
.
Day One: This involves an interview which lasts 40–45 minutes and a written assessment. Throughout Day One, the following qualities competencies are assessed: decision making, communication, personal responsibility, resilience, respect for diversity, customer focus and teamwork.
Day Two: Candidates who are successful at Day One are invited back to the Selection Centre to undertake Day Two. This involves a Job Related Fitness Test including a beep test and Strength Test. Candidates also have a Full Medical examination which is conducted by a registered Nurse who checks various aspects of a candidate’s health, including eyesight and hearing.
Security and Vetting: If a candidate is successful at both stages of selection, they have to pass security and vetting which can take anything from a few weeks to up to a year. If security and vetting checks prove satisfactory, a candidate is offered a place on an MSC training course. The candidate pass rate for the assessments is around 1 in 5.
at an attestation ceremony at New Scotland Yard. At this event, they are issued with their Warrant Card
and then they enjoy the full powers and privileges of a Constable throughout England and Wales
and adjacent Waters.
The MSC Foundation Training course consists of twenty-three days of training (now including counter terrorism, and "Every Child Matters" child protection training), incorporating twelve classroom days, four days of officer safety training, and two days of first aid training, tending to take place on one Sunday per week over the course of four months at Hendon Police College. In addition to the Training School at Hendon, MSC Foundation Training is now conducted at local training sites throughout London including Bethnal Green, Orpington and Barkingside. It's worth noting that the training consists of three main assessments to ensure knowledge and assessments for Officer Safety Training and Emergency Life Support.
Alternatively, an intensive course can be taken over three weeks and three days (now four weeks and three days) at Hendon Police College. During the course of their training special constables are issued with an identical uniform and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as their regular colleagues (Baton
s, Handcuffs
and CS spray). When the uniform is issued, Special Constables can wear it at their training. Special Constables are required to wear a small SC and a crown on their epaulettes. After completing their initial training further training is provided at their local Borough and units, which continues throughout their career. Resources permitting, some experienced officers are also trained as Response police drivers whilst others can be trained to deal with public order events.
MSC officers receive no payment for duties they perform. However, they can claim travelling and subsistence expenses as well as an allowance for footwear. They are also afforded free travel both on/off duty on the London Underground
, Docklands Light Railway
, London Buses
the Croydon Tramlink and London Overground
on production of their Warrant Card.
Share the same epaulette insignia*
The MSC is currently headed by Chief Officer Lorraine Woolley who previously was the Deputy Chief Officer of the MSC. Her predecessor was John Barradell who resigned on 16th April 2007.
Auxiliary police
Auxiliary police or special constables in England) are usually the part-time reserves of a regular police force. They may be armed or unarmed. They may be unpaid volunteers or paid members of the police service with which they are affiliated...
of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
's Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. Created nearly 180 years ago under the Special Constables Act of 1831, it currently consists of nearly 5,000 volunteer police officers. The target strength is 6,667 by 1st April, 2012.
Prior to 1 April 2007, officers of the MSC only had jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
within the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police District
The Metropolitan Police District is the police area which is policed by London's Metropolitan Police Service. It currently consists of Greater London, excluding the City of London.-History:...
and adjacent force areas, being Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
, the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. However they now have the full powers of a Constable throughout England and Wales.
Specials are required to undertake a minimum of 200 hours of operational duties every year, which equates to four hours each week. However, many specials do more than the basic requirement.
Numbers and distribution
Each Borough Operational Command UnitBasic Command Unit
A Basic Command Unit is the largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided. This may actually be called a BCU or may have another designation, such as Division or Area. There are 228 BCUs in England and Wales.Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have...
(BOCU) which provides policing for each of the 32 London borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s has a contingent of Special Constables, usually supervised by a number of Special Sergeants and a Special Inspector. Some BOCUs may have as many as 150 MSC officers, Westminster has almost 300, the vast majority have closer to 50 officers.
A number of Specials are sponsored by their employers as part of the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, in which employers release their employees for a specific amount of time every fortnight to perform MSC duties.
Special Constables have the freedom to choose what borough they work in, their duties and their hours. The teams in which specials work depends on BOCU - some prefer to task their specials to safer neighbourhood teams (SNT), whilst others work alongside regular colleagues on a variety of teams and operations. There are three MSC Operational Support Units (OSU), which are tasked with providing high-visibility policing and public order patrols across the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police District
The Metropolitan Police District is the police area which is policed by London's Metropolitan Police Service. It currently consists of Greater London, excluding the City of London.-History:...
, normally on Friday and Saturday nights. The OSUs are the main units on which Specials are routinely trained in Level 2 Public Order tactics, which include shield tactics and various public order scenarios at Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre Gravesend (MPSTC). The OSU regularly carry out operations with the TSG and other specialist branches of the Met and provide different size PSUs, Police Support Unit (UK)
Police Support Unit (UK)
A Police Support Unit or PSU is a unit of police officers who have undergone specialist training in public order policing.Police Support Unit training in the United Kingdom is voluntary tactical training undertaken by selected candidates that provides students with the skills required to safely and...
, for various protests and football matches. There are also a small number of Special Constables who are part of Central Operations (CO) specialist units such as the Marine Support Unit, Heathrow Airport OCU (ID), the MSC Traffic OCU (TD) and now Safer Transport Command (STC).
Recruitment
Special constables undergo a structured recruitment process from application to the offer of an appointment. There are two main stages in the selection of Special Constables called Day One and Day Two. After an initial assessment of a Specials application, suitable candidates are invited to attend the Selection Centre at Hendon Police CollegeHendon Police College
Hendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police Service. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently...
.
Day One: This involves an interview which lasts 40–45 minutes and a written assessment. Throughout Day One, the following qualities competencies are assessed: decision making, communication, personal responsibility, resilience, respect for diversity, customer focus and teamwork.
Day Two: Candidates who are successful at Day One are invited back to the Selection Centre to undertake Day Two. This involves a Job Related Fitness Test including a beep test and Strength Test. Candidates also have a Full Medical examination which is conducted by a registered Nurse who checks various aspects of a candidate’s health, including eyesight and hearing.
Security and Vetting: If a candidate is successful at both stages of selection, they have to pass security and vetting which can take anything from a few weeks to up to a year. If security and vetting checks prove satisfactory, a candidate is offered a place on an MSC training course. The candidate pass rate for the assessments is around 1 in 5.
Training and equipment
Once Special Constables have finished their foundation training, they take the Police OathPolice Oath
It is usual for Police officers take an oath to uphold the law. The following is a selection from different countries.- Hong Kong :English version according to Chapter 232, schedule 1, Laws of Hong KongI, .. ....
at an attestation ceremony at New Scotland Yard. At this event, they are issued with their Warrant Card
Warrant card
A warrant card is proof of identification and authority carried by police officers. The term is normally used only within the United Kingdom and in current and former Commonwealth countries...
and then they enjoy the full powers and privileges of a Constable throughout England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
and adjacent Waters.
The MSC Foundation Training course consists of twenty-three days of training (now including counter terrorism, and "Every Child Matters" child protection training), incorporating twelve classroom days, four days of officer safety training, and two days of first aid training, tending to take place on one Sunday per week over the course of four months at Hendon Police College. In addition to the Training School at Hendon, MSC Foundation Training is now conducted at local training sites throughout London including Bethnal Green, Orpington and Barkingside. It's worth noting that the training consists of three main assessments to ensure knowledge and assessments for Officer Safety Training and Emergency Life Support.
Alternatively, an intensive course can be taken over three weeks and three days (now four weeks and three days) at Hendon Police College. During the course of their training special constables are issued with an identical uniform and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as their regular colleagues (Baton
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
s, Handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
and CS spray). When the uniform is issued, Special Constables can wear it at their training. Special Constables are required to wear a small SC and a crown on their epaulettes. After completing their initial training further training is provided at their local Borough and units, which continues throughout their career. Resources permitting, some experienced officers are also trained as Response police drivers whilst others can be trained to deal with public order events.
MSC officers receive no payment for duties they perform. However, they can claim travelling and subsistence expenses as well as an allowance for footwear. They are also afforded free travel both on/off duty on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
, London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
the Croydon Tramlink and London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
on production of their Warrant Card.
Leadership
The MSC is managed from within by a number of administratively graded special constables, with gradings as follows:- Special Constable
- Special Sergeant (previously Sub Divisional Officer (SDO))
- Special Inspector (previously Divisional Officer (DO) or Borough Divisional Officer (BDO))
- Assistant Chief Officer*
- Deputy Chief Officer*
- Chief Officer
Share the same epaulette insignia*
The MSC is currently headed by Chief Officer Lorraine Woolley who previously was the Deputy Chief Officer of the MSC. Her predecessor was John Barradell who resigned on 16th April 2007.