Do Part-Time Volunteer Police Officers Aspire to Be Regular Police Officers?

Abstract

The freeze and now gradual thaw on regular police officer recruitment has meant that the role of the volunteer police officer (or special constable), has become increasingly important to the police service. This pool of over 19,000 part-time volunteer police officers is viewed by many within the police service as a potential recruiting ground for new regular officers. A research study was conducted over six months following a group of new part-time volunteer police officers as they were first exposed to operational policing. The research utilised a range of methods to gather data on their initial and changing motivations and career aspirations. The research confirmed that the role is viewed by many of the volunteer police officers sampled as a means through which they may gain employment as regular police officers and generally their motivations to achieve this policing role are high. The part-time volunteers also reported using this experience to help them decide if a full-time policing career is for them.

Exploring the police support volunteer experience: findings from a national survey

“…If the future police workforce is going to involve volunteers -as legislative direction certainly seems to suggest -there is an even stronger imperative to focus on understanding and improving volunteer experience to ensure that both PSVs and policing organisations are getting the best out of all that volunteering can offer (Pepper 2014). Even if an upward trajectory of PSVs does not prevail, the 'here and now'namely the 8,000 individuals already undertaking a wide range of roles across policingalone merits much greater attention to understanding and improving their experiences than has been received to date.…”

Citizens in policing: the lived reality of being a Police Support Volunteer

“…These are instrumental career-driven motivations for those interested in future paid employment with the police (or elsewhere), self-oriented motivations relating to personal development, and other-oriented altruistic motivations characterised by wanting to give something back or to help the community. A dominant instrumental motivation for special constables is to improve their CV before applying to become a regular officer (Pepper, 2014;Pepper and Wolf, 2015;Britton and Callender, 2018;Hieke, 2018;. Research into the unique VPCSO development in Lincolnshire found similar careerdriven motivations, with volunteering seen as a "foot in the door" of policing (Strudwick et al, 2017: 6).…”

What is known and not known about volunteer policing in the United States

“…There has been limited information collected on who volunteers to serve as a law enforcement officer in the USA. Research has noted that many volunteer because the training they receive as volunteers might enable them to secure employment as a full-time officer, and some agencies allow volunteer law enforcement service to be counted toward time-in-grade necessary for promotion if they were to move to a full-time position (Pepper, 2014). In some areas of the country, full-time law enforcement officers who leave employment in good standing are also encouraged to serve as volunteer officers.…”