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Thinking of having a career in the police - need info

Hello,

I'm thinking of having a career in the police force but idk how to go about it. What qualifications will i need? What roles are there? Do i need to go to uni? How old do i have to be?

Thanks for helping x

Reply 1

ReeceL97

As it stands, most police forces do not require any form of qualifications, however some forces have set certain qualifications that candidates would need, from GCSE's to A-Levels. A university degree is not currently required, however, the College of Policing is trying to make policing a degree entry profession, much like nursing. There are numerous different roles within the police service, from police constable, which you could then go on to join numerous departments, such as roads policing, firearms, criminal investigation department, public order and several other specialised roles. There are also other civillian roles within the police, from administration, media, controllers and much more. You will need to be 18 to join, however most police forces have numerous voluntary positions that you might be able to take part in before you are 18, from police cadets to police volunteers.

If you wanted to experience what it would be like working as a police constable before fully dedicating yourself to that career path, you can also join as a Special Constable. Special Constable's have the exact same powers as regular police officers, the only difference is that it is a voluntary position and as such they do not get paid. This might give you an opportunity to see if the police is for you before deciding to become a regular.

As for university courses, if you were thinking about pursuing a career through that route there are numerous different policing courses. Many actually encourage you to become a special constable with a local force whilst you are studying (That is what I am doing at the moment)

The College of Policing website here http://recruit.college.police.uk/Pages/home.aspx has much more information on the numerous opportunities there are within the police.