Ten questions with Special Constable Tom

Special Constable Tom joined Thames Valley Police at the age of 18 in 2022, volunteering his time alongside studying for a degree in History as well as working a part-time job. We sat down with Tom to ask him a few questions and learn more about his experiences as a Special at TVP.

What inspired you to become a special constable?

I always wanted to be a police officer but I also wanted to go away and do my own degree at the same time. History degrees are notorious for having very little contact time so I’m very flexible on the hours that I can do and it gave me the opportunity to do something I was really interested in.

Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had since joining TVP?

Probably the big events I’ve done. I’ve done Royal Ascot a couple of times – the king waved at me!

How do you balance your studies with being a Special and working part-time?

I work for a supermarket for 12 hours a week and they’re good at giving me time when I need it, and because my degree is relatively research-based I can work quite nicely around it. When there are large scale incidents we all get a message to ask if we can support. If I’m doing some reading – which I can do another time – I’m able to come in within an hour to provide support.

What skills do you think you have gained or improved upon since you joined TVP?

Definitely my public speaking, confidence, talking to people, and being sure of myself when I make decisions. Over the last two years I’ve become comfortable with the decisions I make – which is great for studying history because that’s all about making your point and backing it up.

I’ve also I’ve worked with different departments so I’ve learnt different skills. I’ve worked with the MOSOVO (Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders) unit, and going into offenders’ homes to discuss their offending means I can’t be shocked anymore!

What kind of training did you receive to become a Special?

Ten weekends, every other weekend for 20 weeks – I came in at the tail end of Covid so a lot of my training was online. We had eight in the cohort so were all really close and we still keep in contact. Five weekends were law training, two weekends of officer safety training, a first aid weekend, and a witness and interviewing weekend as well.

How do you feel your work as a Special contributes to the safety of the community?

Naturally by going out and dealing with things you’re helping – but some of the things we can do to assist other departments are also really helpful. For example, with the MOSOVO unit, they would go out single crewed until there was a policy change, so now I can go along as a 2^nd – it’s plain clothes work to accompany those officers or staff that need to go out and do their jobs because I can provide that extra support.

That’s a big thing for us – providing that extra help. But there are jobs sometimes when you’ve taken the witness statement or you’ve been the first on scene and later finding out that someone has been remanded or got a prison sentence. That’s a really nice feeling, knowing that there is a direct result of something you’ve done.

What advice would you give to someone that was thinking of applying to be a Special?

Definitely do it! It’s the best decision I’ve made and I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done. Throw yourself into everything. One of the things I was lucky with was that I made some connections really early on through jobs that I went to, and I was invited to do more things and got more opportunities because people knew my name and my face.

Has your perception of policing changed since you started as a Special?

I’d been in the cadets for a few years before I came here so I had an idea of how things worked, but seeing things first hand and seeing the challenges that officers are facing at the moment has changed my perception.

Also, I didn’t realise how many jobs there were in policing. You could spend your entire career here and not stay in the same place for five years! That was the biggest shock for me – realising how big the scope of the police is.

What do you enjoy most about being a special constable?

The childish answer in me is being in the car and going fast with the blue lights on, but in all seriousness it’s getting that result every now and then, and when you meet people that are legitimately grateful for seeing you. I was recently at the Windsor Christmas lights switch-on with a colleague, and the number of people that just wanted to say it was nice to see us, and kids that wanted to talk to us. That is really good!

Are you planning to join the regulars after finishing your degree?

Possibly – it’s one of my options. I’m debating whether I stay here or go into a different career and remain as a special.  I’m also considering doing a masters as well but I’m keen to stay on in policing in some form.

If you’ve been inspired to consider volunteering to help protect our communities as a special constable, then you can learn more on our Special Constables page, or head over to our vacancies portal and apply today!

Special Constable