Police officer
Police officers respond to incidents, investigate crimes and work closely with communities to keep them safe.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a police officer, you could:
- respond to calls for help from the public
- investigate incidents, crimes and offences
- collect witness statements, intelligence and evidence
- interview suspects and make arrests
- give evidence in court
- control traffic and crowds at large public events and gatherings
- advise the public on personal safety and crime prevention
Working environment
You could work on a patrol or at a police station.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and physically and emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
After training, you'll need to pass a probationary period as a police constable.
There are opportunities to specialise in a particular type of policing, for example:
- criminal investigation department (CID), anti-fraud or road traffic
- drugs or firearms
- counter-terrorism
- air support or underwater search
- dog-handling or mounted policing
With experience and extra training, you may be able to apply for promotion to sergeant, inspector or chief inspector.
In the CID, you'll also have the title of detective added to your rank, for example detective sergeant or detective chief inspector.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of public safety and security
- negotiation skills for keeping people safe
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- sensitivity and understanding for dealing with traumatic situations
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
- excellent verbal communication skills
- leadership skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
- be over 18 years of age
- pass a fitness test
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- a rejoiner scheme
You can do a degree in any subject then apply for a place on one of the police entry programmes, such as:
Alternatively, you can complete a 3-year Professional Policing degree at a participating university.
You are not guaranteed a job at the end of the course. Instead, you have to apply for police constable roles within 5 years of completing this degree.
If you want to train to be a detective, you can apply for a place on the 2-year National Detective Programme (NDP).
You will need a degree and at least 2 A levels or equivalent qualifications to apply for the NDP.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
You could do a college course to prepare for a direct application for police officer training or a degree apprenticeship, though this is not essential.
Courses include:
- uniformed protective services
- public services
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You could apply to do a Police Constable Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship. It's a 3-year work-based programme that leads to a degree in Professional Policing Practice.
If you want to work in non-emergency response situations you could apply for a place on a Serious and Complex Crime Investigator Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This can lead to work with police forces and organisations like:
- the National Crime Agency
- HM Revenue and Customs
- the Ministry of Defence
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More Information
You could get paid work as a police community support officer (PCSO) before applying for police officer training.
You can get a taste of what it's like to work with the police by volunteering as a special constable.
You can apply directly through the 2-year Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP).
You'll need 2 A levels or equivalent qualifications to apply. Relevant experience can also be taken into account. This might be from:
- the armed forces
- work as a police community support officer (PCSO)
- the emergency services
You can search for forces that are recruiting for the PCEP. If your initial application is successful, you'll be invited to an assessment centre where you'll take written tests and have an interview.
If you're a former police officer, you could return to policing by contacting a participating force for details about their rejoiner scheme.
Career tips
If you're aged 13 to 18 you could become a police cadet. The skills you learn and experiences you gain will benefit you whatever career path you choose.
Further information
You can find information on routes into policing from Joining the Police.
You'll need to contact your local police force to apply, as each force has its own recruitment rules.
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This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.