Specials And CSO Recruitment Event At Ludlow Police Station

Could you be a Special Constable or Community Support Officer?People in South Shropshire interested in a career in the police as either a community support officer or a volunteer constable will be able to find out more at a special event in Ludlow next week.

With a vacancy for a community support officer in the town and fewer members of the West Mercia Special Constabulary than elsewhere in the county, despite a recruitment drive over the past 12 months, Ludlow Police Station will host an open evening for people to find out more about the two roles.

The event will be held on Tuesday 16 March and is due to begin at 7pm.

Sergeant Graham Preece, who has helped organise the event, said members of the Special Constabulary, the Local Policing Support Team and officers from the area, including Inspector Ken Mackaill, who is in charge of the section, will all be present to talk to people and tell them more about being part of West Mercia Police.

He said: "There has been a fantastic uptake across Shropshire as far as West Mercia Special Constabulary goes but Ludlow still doesn't have as many of the volunteer police officers as elsewhere in the county.

"One of the things which became apparent during our recent recruitment campaign for ‘specials' is that a lot of people were not even aware the role existed. It can prove to be valuable experience for those who might wish to join the regular police force.

"However, many of our current special constables did not sign up for this reason, they are happy volunteering to help their community and a large number have full or part-time jobs outside their work for us."

Special constables are highly trained volunteers who carry out a variety of roles alongside regular officers in their communities. They are asked to put in a minimum of four hours a week, usually at weekends or evenings. They wear the same uniform and have the same powers as regular police officers, including being able to make arrests.

Volunteers come from all walks of life and from a wide cross-section of ages, helping to make the police service representative of local communities. All who wish to are welcome to attend on Tuesday.

Sergeant Preece added that people were also welcome to attend the recruitment event if they were interested in applying for the current community support officer vacancy in the town.

"There will be lots of us down there to talk to people about what both of these roles entail, how the application process works and what it is like to work in South Shropshire," he added.

"Historically, Ludlow and South Shropshire as a whole has seen a lower level of interest for the West Mercia Special Constabulary in particular and we are keen for more people to become involved in helping shape the policing of their local community."

For more information about the West Mercia Special Constabulary, visit our specials pages or contact the Local Policing Support Team at Shrewsbury Police Station or Ludlow Police Station on 0300 333 3000.

Issued: Wednesday 10 March 2010