Numbers and Distribution
Each Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) which provides policing for each of the 32 London boroughs has a contingent of Special Constables, usually supervised by a number of Special Sergeants and a Special Inspector. Some BOCUs may have as many as 150 MSC officers, Westminster has over 300, the vast majority have closer to 50 officers.
A number of Specials are sponsored by their employers as part of the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, in which employers release their employees for a specific amount of time every fortnight to perform MSC duties.
Special Constables have the freedom to choose the borough they work in, their duties and their hours. The teams in which specials work depends on their BOCU - some prefer to task their specials to safer neighbourhood teams (SNT), whilst others work on a variety of other teams and operations. There are three MSC Operational Support Units (OSU), which are tasked with providing high-visibility policing and public order patrols across the Metropolitan Police District, normally on Friday and Saturday nights. The OSUs are the main units on which Specials are routinely trained in Level 2 Public Order tactics, which include shield tactics and various public order scenarios at Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre Gravesend (MPSTC). The OSU regularly carry out operations with the TSG and other specialist branches of the Met and provide different size PSUs, Police Support Unit (UK), for various protests and football matches. There are also a small number of Special Constables who are part of Central Operations (CO) specialist units such as the Marine Support Unit, Heathrow Airport OCU (ID), Traffic OCU (TD) and now Safer Transport Command (STC).
Currently there is a shake up of the whole structure of the MSC as the new commissioner feels it is more appropriate that the MSC is de skilled and used as more of a neighbourhood policing unit, thus putting more boots on the streets.
Read more about this topic: Metropolitan Special Constabulary
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