Ride Along scheme
Open now
Our Ride Along scheme is now open. Please see below for details of how you can apply
The Ride Along Scheme is the opportunity to follow police staff for a single shift and it is open to Wiltshire residents over 18 years.
Whether you are considering a career with the police or just interested in what we do, our Ride Along scheme is an excellent way to find out.
Before taking part you will need read and understand our Confidentiality Agreement and Observer Briefing
Departments taking part
Ride Alongs are available in these two departments:
Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT)
The NPT is at the heart of the local police service and is generally considered the 'front line'.
From immediate calls for assistance to long term neighbourhood solutions the officers working from our NPT hubs are at the forefront of the service. The teams are made up of Police Officers, Community Support Officers and Local Crime Investigators and together they form the local side of policing.
Rural Crime Team
With a vast rural area of Wiltshire, our Rural Crime Team deal with a range of incidents and partnerships across the Rural landscape, with offences ranging from thefts through to agricultural offences and offences relating to livestock. Come and see how our dedicated Rural Crime Team manage competing rural crime demands across our rural crime partnership.
Eligibility
You need to be over 18 and a resident of Wiltshire to take part in a Ride Along with us. All applicants will be subject to criminal and intelligence checks. Having an offence on record will not automatically exclude you from taking part, and each applicant will be treated on a case by case basis.
Wiltshire Police reserves the right to refuse participation in this scheme and to terminate the Ride Along, if it is necessary for the officer or member of staff to carry out their work effectively, efficiently and safely.
Applications
Applicants will be contacted by a member of staff from one of our teams who will arrange the Ride Along directly with you. Due to demand, we can only accept one Ride Along Application per person within any 12 month period, and it can take up to 3 months from application to your Ride Along taking place although we aim to provide an opportunity much sooner.
If you wish to apply please email [email protected] and we will be in touch with further details.
Confidentiality and observer briefing
All Ride Along experiences are risk-assessed to ensure that your personal safety is not compromised. Participants in the scheme must read and agree to the Confidentiality Agreement and Observer Briefing Sheet.
Confidentiality agreement
Before you spend some time with the Police on the Ride Along Scheme you should read this notice carefully.
The Police Service is a very professional and caring organisation that places great emphasis on confidentiality. Our success in reducing crime, bringing offenders to justice and developing trust and confidence amongst all sections of the community depends on our reputation for confidentiality.
This means that any information about individuals and operations MUST remain inside the constabulary.
To gain maximum benefit from their placement, Ride Along Scheme observers need to be as close as possible to the activity they are watching. This means they may become aware of sensitive information.
Therefore, as a participant in the Wiltshire Police Ride Along Scheme, you must observe strict confidentiality in respect of any information/documentation which you see, hear or read. For the purposes of this agreement information includes but is not limited to: Spoken word, including radio communications, written and printed material, computer systems and confidential waste.
Discussion or further disclosure of such information or retention of any documentation received during the Ride Along Scheme is a breach of the Data Protection Act and the Constabulary Information Security Policy. Such improper use may also constitute an offence under the Data Protection Act, the Official Secrets Act and the Computer Misuse Act.
To ensure that we can maintain operational security whilst we take you on patrol, basic background checks will be conducted on each applicant against the Police National Computer, Police National Database and Niche, (our local Record Management System).
Wiltshire Police reserve the right to refuse an application based on the outcome of those checks. The data you provide to Wiltshire Police in order to participate in this scheme will be retained for a period of 6 years or in the case of unsuccessful applicants, then 1 year.
Observer briefing sheet
On the day of your placement, please bring with you a form of photo identification.
You are to comply strictly with all instructions given by the member of staff you are observing.
When attending operational incidents please remain in the vehicle at all times, until the Escorting Officer directs otherwise. If the Escorting Officer directs you to a place of safety, please comply fully with their instructions.
You must wear appropriate clothing & footwear that is suitable to the task you are observing.
If observing the work of operational staff you will be provided with a high-visibility jacket marked "Observer". Please wear this when requested by the Escorting Officer - for example if you attend a road traffic collision or other incident in a public place.
You must declare to the member of staff you are observing any illness or injury (including mental illness) which they may need to be aware of and which may place you at any additional risk of harm and affect your participation in the scheme. For example, you must say if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, suffer from epilepsy or diabetes or have a back/neck injury. However, this is not an exhaustive list of medical conditions.
The Health & Safety of ride along scheme observers is important to us and observers will not volunteer or be directed to get involved in any police operatives or services.
To take part in our Ride Along scheme, you can apply here