Public Observation Scheme (formerly ‘Ride Along’)
PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand for this scheme, new signups have been temporarily closed.
The Public Observation Scheme (POS) – formerly called ‘Ride Along’ - is being relaunched by Notts Police in January 2024.
We are inviting you to join us for a day, get to know officers as real people, build friendships across your community, and experience first-hand how our officers operate in your local area. We want you to feel included, valued, and contribute to a community where everyone's voice is heard and respected.
Our aim is to offer an opportunity for members of the public to observe and gain an understanding of the daily policing activities ranging from the control room, dispatching of officers, supporting victims and any potential arrests.
We will do this by demonstrating how, through carrying out our daily duties we:
- empower diversity
- build trust
- strengthen community bonds
- break stereotypes
This will help us create transparent and trustworthy relationships with our communities.
The public observation scheme is designed to allow anyone over the age of 18 and live in Nottinghamshire to observe daily policing activities. The scheme itself has three areas in which you can choose to participate in;
- Foot patrol – Walk and talk with a member of the Neighbourhood Policing Team to discuss areas of concern specifically aimed at women and girls.
- The Control room – Experience what it’s like in our contact centre from the moment a 999 call comes in.
- Mobile patrol - being on patrol in a police vehicle responding to calls, observing how incidents and activities such as arrests, traffic stops and stop searches are managed, also witnessing how victims are supported.
We strive to be an open and transparent organisation and as such, you will be asked to complete a survey after doing your day in the scheme, to highlight areas for improvement and commend positive officer performance. Police officers can also share their feedback, which will be reviewed by the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for potential learning opportunities and best practices which will improve community understanding of our powers within Nottinghamshire.
The scheme is in addition to our daily engagements and encounters with the communities we serve and is designed to make Nottinghamshire Police more publicly accountable for the way and manner in which our powers are used and demonstrate how effectively these are being used to make our communities safer.
“Together, Building a Safer, Stronger Community”