Nottinghamshire residents asked to consider becoming a special constable as part of volunteers' week

A volunteer who has dedicated his free time to helping communities in Nottinghamshire for more than a decade has encouraged others to consider exploring becoming a special constable.
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Special Chief Inspector Grant White spends his working life as a Communities Manager supporting services such as green spaces, funding grants and CCTV at West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire but for the last 17 years he has been a special constable at Nottinghamshire Police.

Working as little as 16 hours of a month, special constables are essentially volunteer police officers.

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Special Chief Inspector Grant WhiteSpecial Chief Inspector Grant White
Special Chief Inspector Grant White
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They have the same powers of arrest, respond to incidents and help make a real difference in communities.

Sp Ch Insp White explained how he feels that the role is a fantastic opportunity for people to gain experience across a broad range of situations.

He said: “When I joined in 2004 I was exploring becoming a police officer and felt like being a special constable was a way of understanding what the role is like before applying.

“While it certainly is a way for people to experience policing before applying to be an officer, there is much more to it than that.

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“For people looking to build their CV or confidence, being a special constable is a fantastic opportunity.

“You deal with a wide variety of incidents and different people in some incredibly challenging circumstances.

“These experiences not only bolster your skill set professionally but also in your life.”

Sp Ch Insp White also explained that while you are a volunteer, you are treated and respected like any other member of staff at Nottinghamshire Police.

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He explained: “You get a genuine sense of helping others and help build trust and confidence in local communities.

“I know that some people may be worried about the time commitment but it really is manageable, with just 16 hours needed a month which equates to around two to three shifts.

“The shifts aren’t set in stone and the force is very flexible with when you complete the hours.

“You also get the chance to specialise in different areas of the force such as the child sexual exploitation team, roads policing and rural crime – so it’s not your everyday volunteer role.

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“I would absolutely recommend anyone is interested in becoming a special constable to give it a try.

“You get the chance to help people when they are often at their most vulnerable and it is an incredibly rewarding opportunity where no two shifts will be the same.”

As part of volunteers week, the force is thanking those who give their time to help communities in Nottinghamshire by volunteering as special constables.

Chief inspector Emma Spencer, who leads the force’s Citizens in Policing Department, said: “Special constables do an incredible job and are part of the operational teams across the force.

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“Their work is appreciated and without them, our jobs would certainly be far more difficult”

If you are interested in becoming a special constable with Nottinghamshire Police, send an email expressing your interest to [email protected].

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