I chose to become a because I wanted to make a difference, that may sound cheesy, but I wanted to give back to an amazing city that has done so much for me and bought me so many opportunities, since I have been studying here.
Of course I had concerns, my main one being would officers and the public treat me differently because I was a Special Constable. I remember being really anxious when it came to a couple days before I started my training at Hendon, worried that I wasn’t ready for it. After day one of training all these fears had disappeared, everyone treated me incredibly well, I felt protected and part of Met family. I haven’t looked back since.
I absolutely love being a Special Constable.
Joining the Met at the young age of 20, I was not yet sure of what I wanted to do in the future but I did know that becoming a Special Constable was a sure fire way to develop my skill set and prepare me for the world of work. I am now confident that I can think logically and quickly in extreme pressure environments as well as being able to calm down volatile situations by using the gift of the gab, rather than my non-existent muscles. By far the skill I am most proud of is being able to recognise when people are vulnerable or heading down a dark path in their life, you would be surprised at how easily the skills you learn on duty transfer to your personal life and visa versa.
Balancing my life as a student with my career as a Special Constable can be challenging. I have to focus on whats ahead and plan my schedule, so I hit the minimum of 16 hours per month as a Special while managing my university workload. However the hours you work as a Special Constable are not regimented and you can make up your hours in the following month if you fall short in the previous. The shifts are balanced around you, I get to experience the exciting world of policing with the social learning environment of university. I really do have the best of both worlds.
I have enjoyed my time as a Special Constable so much that I am now considering becoming a regular police constable. My advice to you would be that if your thinking about joining the force, want to learn new skills or just broaden your horizons, then becoming a Special Constable is a great place to start. At the end of the day there is no shame in deciding it isn’t for you, but there is so much to gain in finding out that it is!
My name is Alex Milsom and this is my #MyOtherJob
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