Employer Supported Policing (ESP) is a powerful partnership between some of London’s major employers and the Met, providing police training for staff, contributing directly to the security of your staff and premises, building police relationships and directly helping to make London safer.
How does it work?
The scheme is simple but very powerful. As a supporting employer, you allow your staff to be trained as special constables – volunteer police officers. These specials, once trained, will carry out patrols in key areas in London with full police powers and in many cases alongside experienced police officers.
Your staff are required to carry out 26 shifts per year with the Met and in most cases patrols are relevant or even local to the employing sector. That is, your organisation or sector or industry. Your sponsorship of staff is flexible.
In return, you receive a highly skilled, highly trained member of staff. They carry out their usual ‘day job’ at their workplace but now have the benefit of police training and experience, bringing with it a whole host of knowledge and skills including confidence, assertiveness, conflict resolution and better links with local police teams and senior officers.
The Met provide the selection process, administration, vetting, medicals etc, plus training, equipment, uniform, ongoing development and of course a wide range of skills and experience simply not found elsewhere. You provide your staff with paid leave to attend the training course and one day per fortnight for their regular specials duties once fully trained.
There are many other benefits, a number of which are listed here. We also ask that you give us feedback on the business impact of your staff taking part in ESP so that we can measure the success of the ESP project.
Watch our video
Your organisation can be there for London through the ESP programme, with significant benefits. Support your employees by giving them some paid leave each month and they’ll benefit from all the skills and experience that comes with training and patrolling as a special constable. They’ll have the same uniform and carry the same powers as a regular police officer, whilst patrolling in areas relevant or local to their day job or employing sector. So they’ll not only be helping to keep your local area or industry safe, they’ll also be bringing a host of useful new skills, confidence, experience and contacts back to their workplace.
If you’re an employer, why not help your employees be there for London – or if you’re an employee, find out about the fantastic training and other opportunities you’ll receive as a special constable.
Watch our video to hear from employers and their staff about what they get from ESP.
