Take the leap and join as a Special Constable

New recruit Special Constable Natali Jerbic is loving her role as a volunteer police officer.

“I’ve been to a real variety of jobs since becoming a Special. My shifts so far have involved searching for a missing person, responding to concerns for welfare, attending domestic violence incidents, robberies which were in progress, traffic incidents, shopliftings and also conveying suspects to custody.

“I’ve enjoyed applying everything that I have learnt in the classroom to real life situations and getting to know my Intervention and Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).”

As a single parent and a member of police staff with Hertfordshire Constabulary, Natali juggles her work and mum-life with her volunteering responsibilities: “I fit my voluntary hours around my child-free weekends. I try and match my hours to the team I am assigned to, which can take a bit of organising, changing and adapting my personal life to ensure everything aligns perfectly.

“I like the late and half night shifts the best. I am not an early morning person, so earlies are my least favourite shifts! As an employee of the constabulary, I also get one shift per month to volunteer as a Special through the Employer Supported Policing policy (ESP).

“My team in St Albans have made me feel extremely welcome. I have a long way to go and so much to learn but hoping as my confidence grows, one day I will be an officer that my team can rely on.

“I like the adrenaline of travelling to an incident on an ‘immediate’ although I am still getting used to travelling at high speed. I also like that one minute you might be chatting to members of the public and the next you could be dealing with an aggressive shoplifter. It did take me a little while to get used to people looking at me because I’m now in uniform!

“Although I am still very early in my Specials career, I feel I have learnt new communication skills and how to adapt these when responding to different incidents. I have so much to learn and as a volunteer officer, I believe you never stop learning!”

Becoming a Special takes commitment but the benefits and skills you develop are transferable and can help you in everyday life. Natali said: “If you are a stay-at-home mum and you’d like to gain new skills before going back to work, then definitely consider becoming a Special. Or maybe your children are a little bit older and it’s now time for ‘you’ again, this could be a great opportunity. In Hertfordshire, you will receive the highest level of training and learn important life skills such as how to communicate effectively, how to manage conflict and work in a fast-paced environment.

“Maybe you’ve always wanted to join the police, but life happened, or you love your job – then definitely think about joining as a Special.

“I’d highly recommend it to anyone and would encourage you to take the leap and go for it! You won’t regret it.”

To find out more information about becoming a Special Constable, please visit: Hertfordshire Special Constable - BCH (tal.net) or contact the specials team via email.

For more information about the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, please visit our website.