Volunteers in Policing

Volunteers - January 2012

Due to the high level of interest for volunteering opportunities with the Force, we regret that we are not taking applications for volunteers at the present time. Please continue to monitor this page for further updates.

Have you got what it takes to become a Police Volunteer in the 21st Century?

Find out what it's like being a volunteer with West Yorkshire Police - read our case studies.

The Force defines a Police Support Volunteer as:

“An individual with no police powers who, through personal choice, gives time and energy to perform tasks for West Yorkshire Police without expectation or receipt of compensation, except for reimbursement of agreed out of pocket expenses.”  

Your role as a Police Support Volunteer should take account of your skills and abilities and these should be used to maximise our organisational performance and capabilities. Areas in which volunteers already perform are:

• Assisting with minor investigative work;
• Help desk support, e.g. telephone answering, public reception;
• Opening police offices, community points and one stop shops;
• Supporting CCTV operators at times of high demand and monitoring CCTV tapes;
• Divisional administration, e.g. clerical tasks including filing, photocopying, typing, inputting data on to crime systems, etc.;
• Divisional neighbourhood policing support, e.g. quality of service checks;
• Local Policing Department, e.g. community projects;
• Mounted Section, e.g. care of horses and equipment;
• Marketing and Media – promotion of organisation;
• Training and Development Centre, e.g. training of staff; and
• Operations Support Division, e.g. countryside wildlife officers. 

By volunteering you are supporting your communities, representing your community and assisting West Yorkshire Police to deliver those deserved services to your communities.

When we open applications again we will be looking to attract volunteers who will reflect their local community and will be aged 16 and above who are enthusiastic, have an interest in their community and possess those suitable skills and abilities.

 Find out what it's like being a volunteer with West Yorkshire Police - read our case studies.