A regular police officer spends four months training for the job.

That includes 26 half-day sessions of being put through their physical paces, learning the practical skills, and getting ready for being out on the streets on the frontline.

So when I signed up to see what prospective special police officers have to go through there was only one word for it – dedication.

Because special officers are expected to get up to speed over three days. And that does not mean taking shortcuts, it means three days of seriously hard work.



Our instructors are Inspector Simon Cacioppo and Inspector Steve Smith, two special officers who are also self-defence instructors for the force.

Insp Cacioppo said: "The three days cover the basic officer safety training course, which initially covers basic conflict management, and understanding how to read situations and predict situations.

"Then it moves on to open hand skills, knowing how to stand, knowing what distance to keep between yourself and individuals, and how to protect yourself.

"Lastly it moves to cuffing, CS, leg restraints, and we finish with our batons."

And with that, I was put through my paces with the prospective recruits.

The most striking aspect of the workout I was put through with the hopeful special officers was how demanding it was.

Physically I was fit enough to keep up, mentally nothing was beyond me.

But the high levels of concentration and mental discipline were what I found most hard going.

When we were taught the correct posture when talking to a member of the public, it was easy enough to understand. When we were taught what distance to keep it was all explained clearly.

But human nature is to start to slouch and switch to auto-pilot when your instructors move on to the next group – and on the beat that is not an option.

However, unlike me everyone else on the course was taking time off from their day jobs for the training.

They were also coming to the end of a journey that can take up to six months from applying to become a special officer to becoming operational on the streets of Bedfordshire, so they had plenty of self-motivation to stay the course.

Insp Cacioppo said: "Most people would not recognise the distinction between a full-time police officer and a special.

"The uniforms are identical, with the exception of just a small crest on the epaulettes.

"The aim is to reach an equally high standard for our specials and our full-time police officers.

"Of course it takes longer and perhaps at a slightly slower pace with the specials, because the growth of experience is spread over a longer period of time.

"But specials also have the opportuntiy to improve and expand their basic skills, just as regular officers do."



The different backgrounds of the two instructors reflect the range of people who become special police officers.

Insp Smith has a military background, where among other roles he was a self-defence instructor.

He been with the force for five years, and his day job is also with Beds Police as a radio operator, so he describes his work with the special as a "busman's holiday".

Insp Cacioppo joined the specials in 1991, but also runs his own company working in human resources.

He believes the training aspect of his day job aids his work training new special officers.

Insp Smith said: "We get people from all sorts of skill sets, from different career backgrounds.

"Specials are quite a wideranging group of people.

"We have people who are train drivers, engineers, teachers, it is a really wide range.

"There is no particular group of people that we target, because so much of the job is about people skills and life skills."

If you are interested in becoming a special constable, call free phone 0800 5870111, or 01234 842398, or download an application at www.bedspolicecareers.co.uk