Metropolitan Special Constabulary

Law enforcement agency

Metropolitan Special Constabulary

Flag

Abbreviation| MSC
Agency overview
Formed| 15 October 1831; 193 years ago (1831-10-15)
Volunteers| 1,450 special officers[1]
Legal personality| Police force
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction| Greater London (minus City of London), England, United Kingdom
Map of police area
Size| 1,578 km2 (609 sq mi)
Population| More than 8 million[2]
Legal jurisdiction| England and Wales
Primary governing body| Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
Secondary governing body| Home Office
Constituting instrument|

* Special Constables Act 1831

General nature|

* Local civilian police

Operational structure
Overseen by| Home Office
HMIC
IOPC
Headquarters| New Scotland Yard
Victoria Embankment
London
SW1A 2JL[3]
Police officers| 1,450 special officers
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime responsible|

* Sophie Linden

Agency executives|

* Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner
* James W Deller, Special Chief Officer

Parent agency| Metropolitan Police Service
Website
Metropolitan Police Special Constables
Law enforcement
in the United Kingdom

* Law
* Courts
* Prisons

Topics

* Agencies
* police forces
* defunct
* Firearms use
* History
* Ranks

Equipment

* Aviation
* Firearms
* Uniform and equipment
* Vehicles

Types of agency

* Territorial police forces
* Special police forces
* Port police
* Park police
* Service police
* Non-police
* Other

Types of agent

* Accredited person
* Bailiff
* Certified enforcement agent
* Civil enforcement officer
* Civilian enforcement officer (magistrates' bailiffs)
* Civilian security officer
* Special Constabulary
* Constable
* Chief constable
* Court security officer
* County court bailiff
* Custody officer
* Customs officer
* High Court enforcement officer (High Court sheriff)
* Traffic officer
* Immigration officer
* National Crime Agency (officer)
* National Highways traffic officer
* Police community support officer
* Police custody and security officer
* Prison officer
* Tipstaff
* Traffic warden
* Water bailiff
* Wildlife inspector

Concepts

* Chief police officer
* Police and crime commissioner
* Emergency control centre
* Home Office
* Neighbourhood policing teams
* Police area
* Police authority
* Initial Police Learning and Development Programme
* Police cadets
* Police Federation of England and Wales
* Police Federation for Northern Ireland
* Scottish Police Federation
* Police Information Point
* Police Oath
* Police powers in: England and Wales \- Scotland
* Police Support Volunteer
* Scotland Yard
* Police 101 number
* Policing by consent
* Warrant card

Acts

* Highway Act 1835
* Police Act 1964
* Police (Scotland) Act 1967
* The Functions of Traffic Wardens Order 1970
* Immigration Act 1971
* Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
* Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975
* Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
* Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
* Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986
* Road Traffic Act 1988
* Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988
* Protection of Children Act 1989
* Environmental Protection Act 1990
* Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
* Police Act 1996
* Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997
* Terrorism Act 2000
* Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
* Police Reform Act 2002
* Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003
* Crime and Courts Act 2013
* Licensing Act 2003
* Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
* Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
* Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
* Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011
* Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
* Policing and Crime Act 2017

Statutory instruments

* Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

* Crime
* Terrorism

* v
* t
* e

The Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) is the volunteer police force of the Metropolitan Police Service.[4] It is one of three Special Constabularies operating within London, the others being part of the City of London Police and British Transport Police. The service was created over 190 years ago under the Special Constables Act 1831. As of November 2021[update] it consists of 1,450 officers, making it the largest in the UK.[1]

Special Constables are warranted Police Officers who hold the Office of Constable and have the same powers and privileges of a regular Police Officer throughout England and Wales and are subject to the same standards of professional behaviour as any Police Officer would under The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012. They wear the same uniform and engage in the same work as regular Police Officers, including foot and vehicle patrols (whether alone, with another Special Constable or with a regular Police Officer), attending incidents, specific operations and the policing of major events.

Special Constables are required to undertake a minimum of 200 hours of operational duties every year, spread over a minimum of 16 hours per month. However, many do more than the basic requirement.

## Numbers and distribution

[edit]

Each Basic Command Unit (BCU) that provides policing for 2-4 London boroughs has a contingent of Special Constables supervised by a number of Special Sergeants, Special Inspectors and a Special Chief Inspector, who work in partnership with a number of regular officers. Most Command Units have more than 100 MSC officers and Westminster, the biggest, has over 300.

Several Special Constables are sponsored by their employers' as part of the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) programme, in which employers release their employees for a specific amount of time frequently to perform policing duties.[5]

Special Constables have the freedom, to some degree, in the choice of Borough they work in, their duties and hours. The teams in which Specials work depends on their BCU - some choosing to task their Specials to Safer Neighbourhoods Teams (known in other constabularies as Neighbourhood Policing Teams), others to their Emergency Response and Patrol Teams (known colloquially as Response Teams), whilst others work on a variety of other local portfolios such as the Criminal Investigation Department, Safeguarding or with schools. Additionally, there are Special Constables who work for more specialist and non-local policing units such as the Marine Policing Unit, Heathrow Airport OCU (ID), Organised Crime, Roads & Transport Policing Command.

## Recruitment

[edit]

Special Constables undergo a structured recruitment process[6] from application to the offer of an appointment. After an initial assessment of a Specials application, suitable candidates are invited to attend the Selection Centre, held at Empress State Building or another Met site.

In 2014 the assessment process was combined into a single day (compared to the separate Day One, Day Two process). The one-day event allows the timely release of candidates that have failed any of the assessments. Throughout the day, the following qualities and competencies are assessed: decision making, communication, personal responsibility, resilience, respect for diversity, customer focus and teamwork.

The assessment day comprises:

1. A 30-minute written assessment based on a given scenario (Unless the applicant has provided evidence of GCSE English Language at C or above);
2. A 20-minute competency-based interview with two serving officers or lay interviewers;
3. A Full Medical examination which is conducted by a registered Nurse who checks various aspects of a candidate's health, including eyesight and hearing;
4. A check of paperwork and copying of required documents;
5. Job Related Fitness Test (a bleep test).

The pass rate is 65%.[7] If a candidate is successful on assessment day, they have to pass national security 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 Foundation Training Course.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the recruitment process was again split into two events known as Day One and Day Two respectively. On Day One, which is held virtually, candidates undergo the 20-minute competency-based interview with two serving officers or lay interviewers, whilst all other aspects of the recruitment process take place on Day Two.

## Training and equipment

[edit]

The MSC Foundation Training Course[6] consists of twenty-three days of training, incorporating eight days of Personal and Public Safety Training (previously Officer Safety Training) and two days of Emergency Life Support (first aid) training, with the remainder being classroom-based learning covering the necessary knowledge and skills needed by officers for the execution of their duties as Special Constables. The training consists of two main exam-based assessments to ensure knowledge, and additional practical assessments in Personal and Public Safety Training and Emergency Life Support.

Delivery of the course is offered in three forms, which recruits choose according to their convenience, as an intensive course taken over four weeks, a weekend course taking place over 12 weeks with 8 weeks of both Saturday and Sunday and 4 weeks with either Saturday or Sunday. In addition to the Training School at Hendon, MSC Foundation Training is also conducted at Marlowe House in Sidcup. Following completion of the initial training, there are two continuous training weekends to be completed within the first year after attestation.

After completing their initial training, further training is provided at their local Borough and units, which continues throughout their career. MSC Officers are trained to police public order events, and resources permitting, officers can also be trained as response drivers, cyclists and other skilled roles.

During the course of their training, MSC Student Officers must wear business attire for classroom-based learning, and white t-shirts and black shorts for Personal and Public Safety Training and Emergency Life Support. Upon completion of training, Special Constables are issued with the same uniform and Officer Safety Equipment (OSE), sometimes known also as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as their regular colleagues, including handcuffs, baton, and PAVA spray.

Special Constables take the Police Oath before a Justice of the Peace at an Attestation Ceremony held on the first day of foundation training at The Peel Centre (Metropolitan Police Training College), from which point they hold the Office of Constable. However, Special Constables do not receive their Warrant Card until the culmination of their foundation training, at which point they then enjoy the powers and privileges of a Constable throughout England and Wales.[8]

MSC officers receive no payment for duties they perform. However, they receive a subsistence allowance throughout their service, and during training can claim back costs for travel expenses, as well as additional expenses such as the cost of purchasing boots and a torch, which are not issued with uniform in the Metropolitan Police. Once they pass out of training and receive their Warrant Card, Special Constables are afforded free travel both on and off duty on the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Buses the Croydon Tramlink, London Overground and TfL Rail with a Police Oyster Card by virtue of arrangements with Transport for London.[6]

## Grades

[edit]

The MSC grade structure is as follows:

* Special Constable - (SC)
* Special Sergeant - (S/Sgt)
* Special Inspector - (S/Insp)
* Special Chief Inspector - (S/CI)
* Assistant Chief Officer - (SACO)
* Specials Deputy Chief Officer - (SDCO)
* Specials Chief Officer MSC - (SCO)

Special Chief Inspector (S/CI) and Deputy Chief Officer (DCO) ranks were removed in 2016,[9] but following the change to 12 BCUs the role of Special Chief Inspector was reinstated and in February 2022 the role of Special Deputy Chief Officer was reinstated.

MSC ranks are not like-for-like equivalents to those of regular police ranks and are simply administrative grades. This means that for example, a Special Sergeant or Inspector does not have the same legal authority as a Police Sergeant or Inspector under various Acts that make reference to the ranks. MPS policy states that regular officers take primacy at operational incidents regardless of the grade of any MSC officers present.

As with regular ranks, MSC grades can be held on an 'acting', 'temporary' or 'substantive' basis.

## Supervision & leadership

[edit]

Within the Metropolitan Police Service, the MSC falls within Frontline Policing (FP) with the Special Chief Officer being a member of the 'Frontline Policing Chief Officers Group' (FLPCOG).[10] The current Chief Officer is James W Deller.[11][12]

### List of Chief Commandants and Chief Officers

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (March 2024)

|

* 1988-? Edgar Maybanks (former Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the regular MPS)[13]

## Insignia

[edit]

See also: Metropolitan Police § Ranks, and Police ranks of the United Kingdom § Special Constabularies insignia

Metropolitan Police Service Special Constabulary ranks and insignia

Rank  | Special constable  | Special sergeant  | Special inspector  | Special chief inspector  | Assistant chief officer  | Chief officer
Epaulette Insignia  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes:  |

* Some of these ranks and epaulettes are not the same as other Special Constabulary ranks and insignia and only apply to the Metropolitan Police.
* Reference[14]

The main insignia which separates MSC from regular officers is the "SC & Crown" which is worn at the top of the epaulette by MSC officers of all ranks. Special Constables wear their "Borough Code", usually a two-letter code, which signifies which BCU or specialist unit they are attached to. Below this, at the bottom of their epaulette, is their Collar number, a four digit number beginning with a 5 or 8 if attached to Roads and Transport Policing Command or 9 if attached to Organised Crime. A Special Sergeant's insignia is similar to a Special Constable's except they have a 4-digit shoulder number beginning with 50 (or 80 for RTPC, 90 for Organised Crime). Officers ranked above sergeant do not wear borough codes or shoulder numbers.

Unlike epaulette insignia, the Metropolitan Special Constabulary have the same Uniform Insignia as the Metropolitan Police where the Special ranks have equivalent designs as well as the Assistant Chief Officer wears equivalent uniform to a Commander/Assistant Chief Constable and the Chief Officer wears equivalent uniform to the Commissioner/Chief Constable.

## See also

[edit]

* Special Constabulary

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "The Structure of the Met". Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
2. ^ "About the Met Police: Jurisdiction". Retrieved 11 October 2017.
3. ^ "New Scotland Yard". Open House London. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
4. ^ "Metropolitan Police Careers - Special Constables". Archived from the original on 29 November 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
5. ^ "MSC Employer Supported Policing". Met.police.uk. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
6. ^ a b c https://web.archive.org/web/20090418114810/http://www.met.police.uk/careers/media/pdf/special_constable_guidance_notes_feb09.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2009. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
7. ^ "attachment.docx". www.whatdotheyknow.com.
8. ^ Specials Extended Jurisdiction Archived 6 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ Commander Lucy D'Orsi "Metropolitan Special Constabulary Strategic Review", Metropolitan Police FIO Request, Page 51, February 2016
10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. ^ "Met police bid to double special constables to help fight against violent crime". www.telegraph.co.uk. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
12. ^ "Met police bid to double special constables to help fight against violent crime". www.telegraph.co.uk. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
13. ^ 'Specials to get attention', Stanmore Observer, 18 February 1988, page 10
14. ^ Metropolitan Police "Special Constabulary Ranks FOI Request 2019", January 2019

## External links

[edit]

* Official Metropolitan Police Website Archived 8 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine
* Metropolitan Police Specials info
* Special Constabulary info on Metropolitan Police website

* v
* t
* e

Metropolitan Police

History|

* Bow Street Runners
* Thames River Police

Governance|

* Commissioner (Sir Mark Rowley)
* Deputy Commissioner (Matt Jukes)
* Assistant Commissioners
* Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
* Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan)
* Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime (Kaya Comer-Schwartz)

Organisation and structure|

| Met Operations|

* Dog Support Unit
* Marine Policing Unit
* Mounted Branch
* Specialist Firearms Command
* Roads & Transport Policing Command
* Territorial Support Group
* Specialist, Organised & Economic Crime Command
* Contact Centre
* Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command
* Operation Trident

|

Specialist Operations|

* Counter Terrorism Command
* Protection & Security Command
* Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection
* Royalty and Specialist Protection
* Aviation Policing

Frontline Policing|

* Homicide and Major Crime Command
* Royal Parks Operational Command Unit
* Violence Suppression Unit

Buildings|

* Empress State Building
* Marlowe House
* New Scotland Yard

Stations (notable)|

| Current|

* Charing Cross
* Hammersmith
* Lewisham

|

Former|

* Arbour Square
* Canon Row
* Paddington Green
* West End Central

Training|

* Hendon Police College
* Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre

Other|

* Metropolitan Police District
* Metropolitan Police F.C.
* Metropolitan Special Constabulary
* Scotland Yard
* The Job

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template