Mounted Constable
Role Purpose
This profile has recently been updated to include the CVF 2024 and core skills, and the new version can be found on College Learn by entering the Profile title in the search function. Please note this profile is out of date and is in the process of being reviewed.
Mounted Constables are responsible for providing a unique policing resource with a heightened response and public engagement value, building public trust and confidence by supporting policing activities such as response to incidents, public order and preventing and detecting crime.
Key Accountabilities
- Patrol communities as directed in response to high profile incidents or ongoing high volumes of criminal activity, to support community engagement activities, to provide public reassurance and to support the prevention and detection of crime.
- Police public events, responding to risks, threats and incidents in line with operational tasking; to ensure public order, to safeguard the public and colleagues and to prevent criminal activity.
- Gather and handle information, intelligence, and evidence, from a variety of sources, in line with legislation, policies and guidance, taking the appropriate action to support investigations, law enforcement and criminal justice proceedings.
- Manage conflict by taking charge where appropriate, taking appropriate consideration of personal and public safety and the welfare of the horse to ensure that conflict situations are handled in a safe and proportionate manner.
- Interact with members of the public, local businesses and partners; to support the delivery of a visible and interactive police service.
- Develop and maintain equitation and public order knowledge and skills, to retain national competency and to enhance personal performance.
Behaviours
All roles are expected to know, understand and act within the ethics and values of the Police Service.
The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) has six competencies that are clustered into three groups. Under each competency are three levels that show what behaviours will look like in practice.
It is suggested that this role should be operating or working towards the following levels of the CVF:
Resolute, compassionate and committed
Inclusive, enabling and visionary leadership
Intelligent, creative and informed policing
Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Prior education and experience:
- Operationally competent police officer.
- Mounted Standard Equitation Certificate (SEC).
- Experience of using Mounted tactics at public order events.
Skills:
- Knowledge and understanding of public order tactics.
- Able to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of a local community including society composition, the needs of the vulnerable and local safety issues.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to set out logical arguments clearly, adapting language, form and message to meet the needs of different people/audiences.
- Good team working skills demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support as required.
- Able to proactively develop effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and other stakeholders, understanding their needs and concerns.
- Able to identify the drivers of behaviour, acting with discretion and emotional intelligence to manage conflict and defuse difficult situations.
- Problem solving skills with the ability to identify cause and effect and develop a course of action designed to target root causes as well as manage impacts.
- Able to interpret and apply guidance to a specific activity.
- Able to critically question and identify potential opportunities to enhance efficiency and/or effectiveness within own area of work.
- Able to identify, analyse and manage risk to inform balanced, proportionate, evidence based decisions.
- Able to review and reflect on own performance objectively and to take steps to maintain and enhance competence and professional standards appropriate to the role.
- Good time management skills with the ablility to appropriately prioritise and plan own work.
- Skilled in the use standard IT packages, systems and/or databases to fulfil role requirements.
- Skilled in applying personal safety tactics, including the use of equipment and restraints.
- Able to develop and maintain professional resilience in dealing with complex and challenging situations.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Maintain an up to date understanding of College of Policing Guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the operational police context.
- Maintain and update key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to criminology, legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational policing.
- Maintain knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research and problem solving, test and synthesise these into working practice, championing innovation and changes to practice.
- Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving crime threats and priorities and current best practice to tackle these in order to enable a pro-active and preventative approach.
- Personal Safety Training (PST) and Emergency Life Support (ELS) compliant.
- Complete all annual and mandatory training including for example, fitness tests, personal safety training, first aid, and protecting information.
Professional Registration/Licenses
Not applicable.
Links to other Profiles
- Mounted Sergeant
- Mounted Inspector
- Mounted Unit Command
- NPoCC Mercury Profile – Mounted Police Instructor 351 v2.
- NPoCC Mercury Profile – Mounted Officer – Public Order 53 v1.