Police Career Help

Hi, I'm currently 16 years old and attending college in South London doing a Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Computing and IT, I'm wanting to become a full time police officer as a career and later on advance as a detective. What should I be doing within the next few years to be able to move into that as a career? Should I go to uni?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

It's****ingWOODY

Get some cable ties, knock out some chavs, tie their hands behind their backs and take photos. Then send them with a CV to your local station, should give you a job.

Any helpful replies?

I am currently in my final year studying a policing degree. As you probably already know various police forces are slowly starting to recruit again after a long freeze. There are a few ways you can go:
1. Apply to become a special constable or PCSO and while working and getting experience wait until the force has officer vacancies (though specials is a volunteer post but you will get loads of experience).

2. Go to uni and complete a policing degree or a degree similar such a public services - you will get loads of hands on experience and would be able to apply to graduate schemes after.

3. Try and get in as an external candidate when your chosen force is recruiting for officers.. though just a warning alot of forces now require applicants to have the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP) for example I know the Met requires this

Hope I have helped :smile:

Reply 4

dommlb1

Thankyou! Is there any point of going onto uni and completing a policing degree since you can go straight in at 18?

Reply 5

lt35

Original post by dommlb1

Wow, they really need bods to fight the increase in cyber-crime so good luck to you if you choose that path. And yes I'd try to get into uni to study Forensics or something like that.

Reply 6

idontknow:(

I want to be a police officer too maybe ... I'm actually studying international business/law . It will give me a wide range of career choices at the end of my degree and like you said you can join the police anytime .

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Reply 7

Katiej3970

Yes you can go straight in but its not as easy as you think to get in.. I studied a policing degree as you learn more about policing from the practical and management side of things. The police recruitment stages are tough, there are so few places and lots of applicants. One of my lecturers does the policing interviews so gives me alot of advice and contacts.

Good luck

Reply 8

pdog

Joining as a special is the best option, you are basically a police office but aren't getting paid. Exactly the same powers etc, you get the most hands on experience and that's the most valuable asset in applying. Also you can decide whether you like it or not without committing to a degree, going to uni and studying for years dosen't even help you in the application process haha

Reply 9

Balloon Baboon

Go to university as your back up. You don't yet know if the Police Force is for you.

Criminology, Forensics and Law are all good degrees to have before you apply for the force.

You'll be lucky to be selected at 18 with no life experience or degree. Harsh, but true.

In regards to becoming a detective, you'll need a relevant degree mentioned above a long side force experience to stand a change against people who are taking the detectives and investigations exams who have.

Reply 10

Emily.97

Original post by dommlb1

I am too potentially interested in this- when I searched up about it it seems that you don't have to do anything beforehand, but its beneficial to have a degree in something like criminology, or psychology. The minimum age to train as an officer is 18 i believe, so you have plenty of time to gain some form of experience or education. :smile:

Good luck with it all!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 11

Emily.97

Original post by Katiej3970

Oo i didnt know this, thats interesting.
Do you know how you can achieve the ckp?
:smile:

Reply 12

Dejomony

I'm 18 and applied and got a place in staffs uni for policing and criminal investigation. The course is 3 years with a 1 year masters top up with you achieve good grades. With this course i will get the CKP afterwards for free. The only thing stopping me apply is my eyesight as I need laser eye surgery first before I can apply, just waiting to see if anyone will take me without a stable prescription or if I will have to wait for a stable prescription.

I suggest you to do police cadets if they are still doing them in your area or they might have started already. I have joined my force (west Yorkshire police) explorer programme and also am currently apply to volunteer with the British transport police and west Yorkshire police as a PSV (police support volunteer) and on WYP community volunteer scheme (CVS). All these will help you stand out I guess.

I'm just worried that I have put my whole life on line with laser eye surgery because the unaided standard for police is 6/36 vision, I have 6/48.

Once I get my surgery done, I will hopefully apply for a PCSO or Special constable role first because i even try applying for an officer (either with transport police or district police forces).

The CKP is not necessary to many forces but some forces I think require it, are met (London) Cheshire Police. However even if they do not ask for this, it would be wise to take the exam because it will make you stand out against all those applicants who do not have it. While if they require it, all the applicants will have taken the exam and you will stand out less i guess :/