Folks, below is one of my duties from a year or so ago:



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Force: MPS
Rank: Special Constable
Service: 4 Years
Planned Duty: 17.00 - 03.00

1615-1630 Get home from my full-time job and have a quick shower and get down to the station.

1645Arrive at station (not too much traffic today... thats a result) and I get kit, uniform etc.

1700Briefing - I am partnered with an old mate of mine who is a reg. We are given an IRV - not bad as we'll be doing both S response calls and I response.

1720First incident of the day - a report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival, security have detained the offender who does not appear to be attempting escape, and was apparantly seen putting a can of coke and a mars bar in his bag. Search for Stolen Goods finds nothing. CCTV not covering that area. Suspect denies it. No evidence - NFA; although I suspect he did do it.

1740 -Back on mobile patrol.

1745- Go to follow up claims of a group of youths hanging around suspiciously in a quiet cul-de-sac. Upon arrival, no youths present, no obvious offences committed.

1800 Abandoned 999 call - About 3 minutes away. Child heard screaming down the phone then line went dead. Engaged when operator returned call. Full Blues and Two's to the scene. Other units also attendning. We arrive and a man answers the door. We explain the situation and ask to come in. We cancel back up at this point. The child is sitting next to mother on sofa watching tweenies . The gentlemen is extremely apologetic and explains that the son had a tantrum after not being allowed to speak to grandma on the telephone, and obviously 'tried to ring her back.' We advise on how to prevent this happening again, and satisfied that there's nothing wrong we leave. I should add that the no answer when the call was returned was due to the child leaving the phone of the hook.

1840 Back on patrol, paying careful attention to areas as requested looking for stolen vehicles and Anti-Social Behaviour.

App. 1900Arrest - 5 youths hanging around outside a house (therefore residential area). Appear to be drinking alcohol. We approach and question on what they are doing etc. They are quite evasive and simply say 'waiting.' When we ask what they are waiting for, one replies : "None of your f******g business." Clearly he is drunk. He is warned that he will be arrested if he doesn't calm down immediately. We say that unfortunately, they will have to move on as they can't continue drinking the alcohol in the street. This is when the same man becomes agressive and kicks my colleague hard. I arrest him for assaulting a police officer and being drunk & disorderly. The other 'drinkers' leave and the arrested person is cuffed and put in the back of the car while we wait for a van to transport him (takes 20 mins ). When we arrive at the station, he is booked in but the sergeant drops the charge for assaulting police and continues on D&D only.

2200Refs

2230Finally, we get out of the station, and back on patrol again. Vehicle which was clearly speeding comes travelling towards us, and we can see the sudden braking of the driver when he sees the car. We turn round and have to accelerate to catch up with him. He is pulled over and we do checks on him and the vehicle. My colleague inspects the car while I talk to the driver about his speed and dangerous driving. We discover that one brake light is in fact not working. We advise him and ask him to come to the station within x days etc...

2315 Urgent Assistance Call received from another unit who on one of our council estates. We attend with blues and twos and upon arrival we join 3 other units who are already on scene. We see that there are at least 25 males fighting throwing bricks, bottles etc. at each other. Control are informed that we will be needing a carrier with officers dispatched immediately. The carrier arrives within 15 minutes and we intervene. (Riot Gear obviously.) At this point, most of the people disperse and we are left with just 2 or 3 males fighting each other. Other officers make arrests on those people. Pleasing for me - no arrests and I've still got a full can of CS.

0100Attend to a house where a woman has made a 999 call saying her ex-boyfriend is trying to break into her house. I CALL response. Blues and twos and we arrive and restrain the male who is very violent, and drunk. He is arrest for BoB (Breach of Bail.) He was previously arrested for criminal damage to her car and house. We take him to station and sergeant gladly puts it through this time. Placed in cell.

0245 No point going back out now, unless a major incident or urgent assistance call comes through. Catch up on any outstanding paperwork, go on the PC and onto PS.COM and reflect on the shifts events with my reg partner who said it was a good shift.

0300 I'm actually getting off duty on time for once. Miracle.

Sounds like a busy day at the Met.

Is that a typical day?

What area of the Met do you cover?

Well to be honest its not a typical day no. That's probably one of the most varied duties I've ever had! At the moment, I work on Barnet.

I know it's loads of questios BUT:

How many Specials do you have in your area?

How long would your average Patrol week be?

Do you have a minimum number of hours per week? (Ours was 4 I believe)

Richie

Hi,

Questions are good! Feel free!

I generally do a full shift a week because I enjoy that but if I wanted I could book on for a few hours then bugger off home.

We are told a minimum of 16 hours a month - so yes, about 4 hours a week but if we wanted we could do no hours one week but 8 the next. It's quite flexible I suppose.

Hope this answers your questions

So I have to be the one to ask!

Do you intend joining the regulars or are you happy as and where you are?

Any attatchments to specialist roles up for grabs to your specials (ie traffic etc...)

I did once consider joining the regs but the MET are hopeless with that at the moment and I've just got promotion in my full time Teaching career so I've decided to stick with it at the moment and carry on as a Special only.

There is a typical policing day now??? News to me lol

LOL

lol one of the best shifts I've done, doesn't beat the whole doctors surgery incident though ... remember that?

Oh yes

I do indeed well done