To reassure communities in London by providing a visible, knowledgeable and accountable uniformed patrol presence in identified retail areas to reduce crime.

If you want to apply for the ShopWatch Special Constabulary, you must be British, Commonwealth or Irish citizens between the ages of 18 and 57 years. No formal qualifications are required in order to apply, however, it is helpful to have some equivalent life experience. You'll be required to complete a competency based application form, role-plays, written tests and a structured interview. You would need to be at least 18½ years of age on the first day of training - so although it's best to apply now, you might have to wait a short while for your course if you've just turned 18.

Yes - as you would expect for joining any police force, checks will be conducted on you and your immediate family for criminal convictions, in addition to local intelligence checks and a Counter Terrorism Check by Special Branch. This is standard procedure and involves completing one simple form.

If successful in your application, your training will be conducted over four weeks and will be delivered by qualified Metropolitan Police Trainers. To give you a brief flavour of the syllabus, here is a list of the key subject areas covered:

• Completion of Admin / Phonetic Alphabet / Pocket Book Rules.
• Property / Crime Reporting / Victim Needs / Minimum Standards for Crime reporting.
• Powers of Arrest / Incident Report Books.
• Theft and Offensive Weapons.
• Stop and Search.
• Assaults.
• Criminal Damage and Revision Practicals.
• Powers of Entry.
• Public Order / Racist Incidents / Drunkeness.
• Traffic and Drink Drive.
• Community and Race Relations/Human Rights Training.
• Officer Safety Training.
• Emergency Life Support Training.
• Policing Safely Training.
• Uniform Fitting.
• Practical Competency Final Assessments and Dress Code.

At one of the main Metropolitan Police Training Centres in London, including the Hendon training estate. Training is non-residential and will take place Monday to Friday during normal office hours. Your retail employer 'sponsors' this time off as part of ShopWatch, meaning that they should pay you in the same way as if you'd been working in your store.

As a recruit in initial training, you'll be given regular assessment, to ascertain that you have an understanding of what you've learnt. You'll also be given a final examination. Recruits who fail to achieve the required minimum standard will receive additional coaching and will be afforded every encouragement to complete initial recruit training.

The basis of the ShopWatch scheme is that your employing retailer provides you with paid time to carry out your training and one day (8 hours) every 2 weeks to carry out your duties. You are invited to carry out further duties in your own time, where you can volunteer to take on some 'different' duties, possibly such as part of high-profile ceremonies such as 'Trooping the Colour'. You can also undertake further, optional training in this extra time, for example to become a specialist in a particular field of policing interest.

ShopWatch Special Constables are required to perform a MINIMUM of 200 hours operational service each year (which includes essential training and the 8 hours a fortnight 'provided' by your retailer. For your information, 8 hours a fortnight equals 208 hours). However, for a ShopWatch Special Constable to become effective and efficient, they may need to perform duty at a higher rate. There is no upper limit to the number of hours, which may be worked by ShopWatch Special Constables, however your welfare and your ability to do your usual 'day job' should be borne in mind.

We intend to roll out ShopWatch to as many retail areas in London as possible over the coming months and years. Other police forces are setting up schemes in areas across the country, so please contact your local force's Special Constabulary Recruitment department for more information. Even if it isn't running around your store, contact us now anyway! You can carry out your 'duty day' wherever your closest scheme is running until the town or shopping centre where you normally work launches ShopWatch, when you can normally transfer (as long as it is within the Metropolitan Police District).

In the Metropolitan Police District or in any adjoining district (City of London who have a separate police service, Kent, Surrey, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Essex Police Districts) you'll have all the responsibilities, powers of arrest and privileges of the Regular Police. You'll also have authority to call upon other subjects of the Queen to assist in the preservation of the peace and the prevention of offences against people and property, and to arrest anyone who assaults you in the execution of their duty.

Clearly, a ShopWatch Special Constable will be mainly involved in patrolling retail areas, however it is worth understanding how the MSC works generally.

The Metropolitan Special Constabulary is a local borough-based resource, usually supporting local policing plans and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) priorities by working in trained, structured groups, and targeting local crime reduction. MSC's are each deployed in one the 32 London Boroughs, the Marine Support Unit or at Heathrow Airport.

The probationary period for a ShopWatch Special Constable is the same as that of a regular officer, i.e., two years from the date of joining. Regular assessments will take place throughout the period of probation and confirmation of appointment is dependent upon the probationary period being completed to a satisfactory standard. The period of probation can be extended if it is felt that the required standard is not being met in order that remedial action can be taken.

New ShopWatch Special Constabulary Service Regulations give the Commissioner the authority to dispense with the services of a probationary MSC if the required standard has not been reached despite extensions.

There are specific regulations governing the Special Constabulary in terms of the government, administration and conditions of service as they affect MSC's. The main statute is currently the Police Act 1996.

From 1st April 2004, ShopWatch Special Constables are subject to investigation under the Independent Police Complaints Commission in the same way as regular officers.

Yes, depending on the seriousness of the situation, and we ask your employer to notify us if there is any serious official disciplinary action taken against you.

The MPS has a duty to protect the rights of any police officer who has acted correctly in accordance with the execution of their duty and will be afforded every means of support. In addition, the Home Office fund a Legal Fees Insurance Scheme, which provides legal protection to ShopWatch Special Constables for incidents that arise on duty. This covers:

• Personal Injury
• Misconduct Hearings
• Legal Defence
• Discrimination.

Claims will only be progressed if there are reasonable prospects that such a claim will be successful or that you have a probable defence.

Loss of income as a result of being ill or injured on duty is a complex area and bound by legislation as set out in a number of Statutory Instruments and Home Office circulars, all of which can be found on the Home Office sponsored Special Constables website.

Any officer who is ill or injured on duty or whilst travelling to and from duty (it should be noted that this is different from regulations covering regular officers) is entitled to be fully reimbursed the actual loss of income as a result of the illness or injury. This cover is paid until the officer recovers or for a period of 28 weeks, which ever is the sooner. If the officer is off work for a longer period then at the discretion of the Police Authority an ex-gratia payment can be made. This is dependent on the merits and severity of the injury and the likelihood of recovery.

There are provisions for officers who suffer more serious injuries or suffer from more debilitating illnesses.

Officers who are required to attend Court are entitled to a full refund of any loss of income as a result of their attendance.

Home Office Circular 64/1989 - Review of Allowances

Yes and no. As a ShopWatch Special Constable, your retailer is 'sponsoring' your on-duty hours by paying you - so you are effectively being paid. As you are a police volunteer, you receive no salary from the MPS. However, ShopWatch Special Constables are now entitled to Free travel on London's tube, buses and DLR. Free travel is available on and off duty, and it is open to all current ShopWatch Special Constables who perform at least 200 hours a year*. In addition what is known as a refreshment allowance is paid based on the number of hours you perform duty.

An annual boot allowance is also paid and female officers receive a monthly stocking allowance.

* This offer subject to MSC policies which are available on request.

Yes. ShopWatch Special Constables may be authorised in accordance with the instructions of the Borough Commander to drive police vehicles under the basic driver classification, i.e., in a 'non-response' mode without using blue lights and sirens and without the response mode privileges of, for example, driving through red lights.

Yes. As a police officer, it's vital that you keep up to date with the latest developments and refresh your skills and knowledge. What is known as 'Continuation Training' takes place regularly and this builds upon the Foundation Course in addition to refresher and new legislation training. Mandatory Officer Safety Training is also required every six months and Emergency Life Support Training every three years. You would do some of this in your sponsored duty hours but we would ask you to give some of your own time for training.

A one-day course on how to input crime reports will also be held at the Information Technology Training School at Hendon. This course is run on Saturdays.

Yes, if you perform at least 200 hours a year as a ShopWatch Special you could benefit from free travel on London's tube, buses and DLR*. Free travel is available on and off duty so it will save you money each month. So if you live anywhere within the Greater London area, you may not have to pay for any journeys to and from your day job.

* This offer is subject to MSC policies, which are available on request. As a guide, a ShopWatch Special Constable performing one day's duty per fortnight would accrue 208 hours duty per year.