Become a
Volunteer with Northumbria Police and make a real difference in your community. Whether you want to support victims of crime, respond to 999 calls, develop your skills, or help protect rural communities, there’s a volunteer role in the North East that fits your interests, strengths and ambitions.
Volunteering with Northumbria Police opens the door to exciting new experiences, provides a new challenge and a real sense of achievement. As a police volunteer, you’ll:
Step into a role that lets you use your time and talents to help others.
Do something different after your 9-5. As a special constable, you’ll work alongside regular officers, respond to incidents, and help keep your neighbourhoods safe.
Use your skills to support a range of crucial services from victim support and rural crime prevention to roles as an assistant cadet leader.
A three-year programme for 13–14-year-olds to learn new skills, gain confidence, and get a real insight into the world of policing.
Considering joining as a volunteer, but have questions before you apply? Our FAQs bring together the information people ask us most about, from expenses to volunteer hours and training.
Yes. All police volunteers are vetted before they start their role.
Vetting helps ensure the safety of volunteers, police staff, and the public. The level of checks required will depend on the role and the type of access the volunteer will have, but it may include background and security checks.
No, volunteers are not paid. However, volunteers can usually claim reimbursement for reasonable expenses, such as travel costs incurred while carrying out their volunteering role. Details of what expenses can be claimed and how to claim them will be explained before you start.
Citizens in Policing is a collective term for people who volunteer to support the police. It includes roles such as police support volunteers (PSVs), special constables, and other community volunteers who give their time to help keep communities safe.
Citizens in Policing volunteers support police officers and staff in a variety of ways, from community engagement and crime prevention to administrative and practical support. These roles are unpaid, but volunteers can usually claim reasonable expense.
A police support volunteer (PSV) at Northumbria Police is someone who gives their time to support the force in a non‑paid role.
PSVs help police officers and staff by supporting a wide range of activities, such as community engagement, crime prevention initiatives, research, administration, and local projects. Their support helps free up officers and staff to focus on frontline policing while strengthening links with local communities.
Roles include:
Police support volunteers do not have policing powers. The roles are unpaid, but reasonable expenses can usually be claimed.
If a volunteer role has sparked your interest but you’d like more details, our Recruitment Team is here to help.
