Council puts out call for trainee Special Constables

Renfrewshire Council has teamed up with Police Scotland to provide a unique opportunity for four local people to train as Special Constables.

The trainees will work alongside regular police officers, helping to build strong partnerships in the community, patrolling streets, preventing crime and strengthening relationships with local people to help keep communities safe.

They will be involved in a wide range of activities, from policing football matches to assisting at road accidents. Special Constables are often assigned to major sporting and public events.

To be eligible for one of the four positions, applicants must be unemployed and live in the Renfrewshire area. The trainees will be on duty 35 hours a week and will be paid the National Living Wage. The traineeships will last for up to 11 months.

All applications will go through Police Scotland’s national recruitment and selection process. The successful applicants will receive training at the Scottish Police College similar to that provided to probationer police officers.

Councillor Tommy Williams, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Housing and Community Safety Policy Board, said:
‘These new posts are part of the Council’s commitment to keeping Renfrewshire communities safe and working closely with our partners in the police.

‘They follow the opening earlier this year of our new Community Safety Hub in Paisley which provides a base for joint working between council staff and the local police officers.

‘These traineeships also offer a great opportunity for local people to develop valuable skills which will boost their employability.

‘Ensuring that residents and visitors feel safe in our towns and neighbourhoods is key to the wellbeing of our communities and to the success of important regeneration projects such as Paisley’s bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

‘Becoming a Special Constable is a great opportunity to support our communities, make a real difference to the lives of local people, and get some great skills and experience.’

Full details of these posts can be found on www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/specialconstable or by calling 0141 618 7600.

The deadline for applications is Monday 23 May.