Police now graduate scheme vs regular application process

I'm currently a first year psychology student and I really hope to join the police after I graduate. I'm currently applying to become a special constable just so I can gain some experience and make sure the job is really for me.

However, I'm slightly unsure which route I want to take when it comes to applying to become a regular.

What are the pros of police now vs the regular method of applying and vice versa, and if anyone has had any personal experience with either and any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

I'm also slightly unsure as to what the Police Now scheme involves and how it differs to applying the more traditional way, so if anyone could clear this up that would be great

Hi, I think I can help with this one. I'm currently on course to start with Police Now this summer, but I will try to give you as balanced an opinion as I can.

Regular Application:

Can potionally take up to 18months to get a start date in some cases.
You will need to pay up to £1000 to complete the CKP certificate and exams with no guarantee that you will even get the job, even with this in the bag. You will never get this money back.
Training school takes a lot longer.
You will be taught how to be a cop, nothing more, nothing less. (This is not a bad thing!)
You will go straight onto regular response shift (early/late/night shifts) and stay there for two years.
You'll get real experience of being a proper copper, doing the real dirty jobs, and will be able to work your way up from the bottom, gaining the full respect (or otherwise!) of your colleagues.
You will not have a 'beat area' or anything like that, you're a proactive copper responding to jobs as they come in.


Police Now:
From start of application through to starting training, the process takes less than a year (depending on when you apply, just a few months).
No need to pay for the CKP.
You'll go straight onto neighbourhood policing (usually with your own beat area). Neighbourhood policing is slower paced and you tend not to respond to so many immediate crimes (though you will probably still get some experience of this). It's possible that the shift pattern will be a bit nicer, some neighbourhood policing teams do a lot fewer night shifts or only partial night shifts. This obviously depends on the force and the nick you end up stationed at.
The training takes place over the summer, you'll be out on area quicker.
You get a lot of support over the two year period.
You'll be a shiny graduate police officer, and some officers who went through the normal route will probably think that you're a worthless knob head. The police force really can be this biased.
You'll not have had the experience of response policing that all other officers have.
You'll get the chance to network and look at other industries if you find that you don't like being a copper after the two year program.
Obviously this is mainly going on information I have gained from talking to sergeants involved in the program, previous student officers on the program and the info they have given us.

Hope this helps in some way.

Hi I was wondering if you could help please? I'm so keen to join the police when I finish uni in two years but I can't apply to be a special as my time is split half and half between England and Scotland I was wondering what experience you had if you don't mind sharing or any ideas how else I could get experience? Thanks so much!

Hi, I think I can help with this one. I'm currently on course to start with Police Now this summer, but I will try to give you as balanced an opinion as I can.

Regular Application:

Can potionally take up to 18months to get a start date in some cases.
You will need to pay up to £1000 to complete the CKP certificate and exams with no guarantee that you will even get the job, even with this in the bag. You will never get this money back.
Training school takes a lot longer.
You will be taught how to be a cop, nothing more, nothing less. (This is not a bad thing!)
You will go straight onto regular response shift (early/late/night shifts) and stay there for two years.
You'll get real experience of being a proper copper, doing the real dirty jobs, and will be able to work your way up from the bottom, gaining the full respect (or otherwise!) of your colleagues.
You will not have a 'beat area' or anything like that, you're a proactive copper responding to jobs as they come in.


Police Now:
From start of application through to starting training, the process takes less than a year (depending on when you apply, just a few months).
No need to pay for the CKP.
You'll go straight onto neighbourhood policing (usually with your own beat area). Neighbourhood policing is slower paced and you tend not to respond to so many immediate crimes (though you will probably still get some experience of this). It's possible that the shift pattern will be a bit nicer, some neighbourhood policing teams do a lot fewer night shifts or only partial night shifts. This obviously depends on the force and the nick you end up stationed at.
The training takes place over the summer, you'll be out on area quicker.
You get a lot of support over the two year period.
You'll be a shiny graduate police officer, and some officers who went through the normal route will probably think that you're a worthless knob head. The police force really can be this biased.
You'll not have had the experience of response policing that all other officers have.
You'll get the chance to network and look at other industries if you find that you don't like being a copper after the two year program.
Obviously this is mainly going on information I have gained from talking to sergeants involved in the program, previous student officers on the program and the info they have given us.

Hope this helps in some way.