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special constable

British

noun

a person recruited for temporary or occasional police duties, esp in time of emergency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of the individuals has been identified as David Soffer, a Met Police special constable, as first reported by Declassified UK then confirmed by the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The former special constable was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday to a total of 32 years, made up of 24 years' imprisonment and a further eight years on extended licence.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Jurors heard PC Marsden has served Greater Manchester Police for about five years following a spell as a special constable with Lancashire Constabulary.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2025

The trial heard PC Cummings served as a special constable with Dorset Police from April 2018 before joining the Metropolitan Police as a regular officer in November 2019.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2024

You know, I'm not what I call a good special constable.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, August 26th, 1914 by Seaman, Owen, Sir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023