Is anyone on here in the police? Possible future job??

bigboyrocky

bigboyrocky

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Hiya everyone, just wondering if anyone here is in the police? Have had it in the back of my mind as a possible job for a while, and just got a few questions..

After doing your two years training, what are the options? and what further training is there for those options, e.g community support officer, mounter police etc..

What are the hours like? Is it shift work? How many days/shifts/hours a week do you work?

Is it pretty flexible, e.g how long in advance do you have to say what days you want your holiday? do you have to do it all at the beggining of the year?

And do you enjoy it? If so/if not.. then why?

And is there anything that ive missed out on that would be good to know?

Thanks :)
 
im not a police officer but someone in our family is....
they do shifts like 7- 3 etc....

after the 2 years you can specialist in dog handler/mounted/traffic butt very very hard to get into... someone else i spoke to said it took her 8 years to become a dog handler....

i did consider this as a job but tbh im not 'hard' enough :D
 
I've just started my training to become a Special Constable, which is a voluntary police officer. So I don't know much about the process for the regulars, but lots of people in the meantime try the Specials to see if it's for them before going for a whole career change. PM me if you have any questions about it/remotely interested :)
 
I was in it years ago so I suspect things like shifts have changed. Used to do shifts such as 6-2, 2-10 and 10-6. Row of 7 nights ont he trot.

However you may like to see the following which shows that recruitment is really idfficult now.

"Avon and Somerset Constabulary said the force has been overwhelmed by the number of of people applying for 64 new jobs as student police officers.

With recruitment phone lines opening at 0700 GMT, all 1,100 application packs had been sent out by 1500 GMT."

That was for recruitment earlier this year.
 
hot choc lab - when you say 7 night in a row, would that be 10-6 for 7 nights in a row then? and how often would that be? Did you enjoy it? How did you cope with the shifts and changing sleep patterns? :p thanks
 
OH is a copper, have answered your questions below! :)

bigboyrocky said:
Hiya everyone, just wondering if anyone here is in the police? Have had it in the back of my mind as a possible job for a while, and just got a few questions..

After doing your two years training, what are the options? and what further training is there for those options, e.g community support officer, mounter police etc..

There are lots of options, varies from force to force and you have to apply to get in to them. By Community Support Officer do you mean a PCSO? They are not police officers, I believe they are classed as police staff and have limited powers and authority. Different recruitment process.

What are the hours like? Is it shift work? How many days/shifts/hours a week do you work?

It will be shifts, but it varies from force to force. Police UK forum has info on shift patterns, apparently.

Is it pretty flexible, e.g how long in advance do you have to say what days you want your holiday? do you have to do it all at the beggining of the year?

OH applies for leave as he goes along, but you can have days off cancelled according to the demands of the service...


And do you enjoy it? If so/if not.. then why?

OH loves it, most of the time!

And is there anything that ive missed out on that would be good to know?

Thanks :)
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Be warned, it takes a very very long time for all the applications etc to go through and even if you pass your assessment centre you could be waiting years (I kid you not) for a start date. Even then, I think it was Hampshire Constabulary who sent out a letter this year to all those waiting for a start date saying 'Oh we've had loads of applications and have loads of people waiting - we're going to start again so you need to reapply from scratch'. To people who had been waiting over a year for a start date and had probably taken two years to get from application to assessment centre!! The Police UK forum will probably give you all the inside info as real police officers do use it. Hope this was helpful :)
 
Hi, I am not a Police Officer but i work in the Control Room and the OH is a PC. The main problem you will face at the moment is that no-one is recuriting. With budget cuts from the government has meant a big shake up and all recuritment for officers appears to be on hold in most forces.

The best thing to do is keep an eye on your local forces website. You could also think about control room, however you may find the same problem with recruitment being frozen.

I work a full range of shifts, either 0645-1615, 1600-0145 or 2130-0700. I find it hard, especially on nights. It is good that in the winter you get more day light hours to ride in the week when you are on lates. But you also have to keep in mind that you work a lot of weekends, i work 3 out of 5..... so planning competing is sometimes hard. It also has a massive effect on your home and social life. You need a very understanding partner and friends. I find that on my weekends off family and friends want to see you but i just want to spend time at home and with my horse! The main thing we argue about at home is the fact that we sometimes dont see much of each other. Like this week, i am on night, he is on earlies, we literally pass on the front door step. However, when he is working weekends and i am off i love it as i can play with my pony for as many hours as i like :)

I REALLY hate nights, but some people really like them. It really is a personel preference.

Leave is normally (in my force) booked well in advance. We are currently looking at summer leave for next year. You would be able to get the odd day / weekend off here and there tho.

You can have your rest days cancelled if there is an event / incident that requires you to be there.

Once you have done your inital 2yrs you normally go onto the core shift (response) for a while and then you can apply to specialise but as other have said this can be hard to get into but it is possible. Not all forces have a mounted section though.

Hope that helps. Good luck if its what you decide to do :)
 
bigboyrocky said:
Hiya everyone, just wondering if anyone here is in the police? Have had it in the back of my mind as a possible job for a while, and just got a few questions..

After doing your two years training, what are the options? and what further training is there for those options, e.g community support officer, mounter police etc..

What are the hours like? Is it shift work? How many days/shifts/hours a week do you work?

Is it pretty flexible, e.g how long in advance do you have to say what days you want your holiday? do you have to do it all at the beggining of the year?

And do you enjoy it? If so/if not.. then why?

And is there anything that ive missed out on that would be good to know?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I left the police a few years ago. Nowadays its a very difficult job to get into, forces rarely recruit and when they do competition to get a place is tough. 50% of people fail at the application stage alone.

After your 2 years training you can apply to different sections such as traffic or dog handler etc but as already mentioned there are few opportunities and they are hard to get into. The chances of getting into a specialist department after your probation is unlikely. By the way a Community Support Officer is a different job and not to be confused with a Police Officer!

Shifts, well it depends what force you work for. When I was in the Met some boroughs did 12 hour shifts others didn't. When I went to Herts the shifts were something like 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, 5pm-2am or 10pm-8am. I didn't like nights as I never got enough sleep during the day but it was the only shift you finished on time. Every other shift I was on you could guarantee you would do overtime. On this shift pattern you would always end your night shift with a couple of rest days - but one of your rest days is spent sleeping! I preferred the 12 hour shift system.

You do need to book your leave in advance especially if you need a particular date, the police are not the most flexible employers but they try to be accommodating if you need to take time off. Leave and rest days can be cancelled though in the event of an incident and they need their officers on duty.

Becoming a Special Constable is a good way of getting your foot in the door and seeing what the job is like.

Keep checking www.policecouldyou.co.uk as they update who is recruiting and how to go about it. You could also have a look at the application form and start filling it in ready to send off.
 
My OH is a Police Officer and I used to work in the control room as a civilian. OH only has two years to go and can't wait to get out. Due to government cutbacks, there are very few, if any forces recruiting at the moment....however I can fully recommend trying to get in the control room which is taking calls from the public, despatching officers to the jobs, doing PNC checks etc. You get the adrenaline rush without the danger! I worked in the Met doing it for three years before moving back to a rural force up North. It was the best job I ever had. Loved it!
 
I am just about to retire!

As has been said, the biggest problem at the moment is getting in. My local force has had to put people who have already passed the selection process on hold. This situation is not likely to change for some time.

Depending on your age you could consider a Public Services course at college or other work to gain life experience while you are waiting.

Policing is as much a lifestyle choice as a job, there are restrictions on where you live, who you live with, who you marry even, what you can do in your spare time..to an extent the salary compensates for these but conditions are not as good as they were and are likely to be eroded further.

For a real look at how it is from the inside the Inspector Gadget Blog is well worth a read.
 
My sister has just retired after doing 30 years with the Met and she's seen it all!!!! You certainly have to be a certain type of person and I admire the majority of officers whodo have a diificult job to do. Things are now a lot different to when she first joined (think shades of Life on Mars!!!) but it gave her a good life & in the later stages of her career she only worked Monday-Friday 9am til 5pm!
 
I spent nearly 20 years doing this job. Initially I loved it, but it is hard to keep bouyant when morale is beyond low, financial support is zero, and the PC brigade make being a PC nigh on impossible! I always said, if my daughter even vaguely considered it, I would kick her arse from here to kingdom come!

( Yes, I remember the Life on Mars days, too! Q: " Is that a dog?" A: "No, it's the new Policewoman!"
Chief Supt: "Ah, come in Miss X. Come over here, sit on my knee, and we'll discuss your assessment!"
I KID YOU NOT!!!! )
 
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Hi,

I'm currently a police community support officer, prior to that a special constable and worked on front desk at police station... I've also spent a few weeks voluntary at mounted. So have a bit of experience in a variety of roles.

As mentioned at the moment you would struggle with recruitment due to the budget cuts, however if it's an occupation you are interested in joining then consider becoming a special constable. I know there are big recruitment drives for them with most forces at the moment and they give you valuable life experience for any job inc the police.

You would do two years as a police officer which is your probation then you can apply for specialist roles, such as mounted, firearms, dogs, traffic, CID... It depends on when they recruit internally though and it is very competitive. You do get extra training in each role, for example I've just done a crime prevention course.*

I work a different shift to the call handlers and police officers who will work nights... And each force will differ. The latest I work is 1am earliest is 8am. On a 3 week rota, the longest been a 5 day week the shortest 2 days. 10 or 8 hour shift. You would work weekends and weekdays.*

With regards to holidays I think each force varies. I can book my leave as and when (with notice of course!) but I know some in different forces have to put it in at the start of the year.

I love the job :) eventually I'll apply for police officer once the challenge of this role wears off. But its great, challenging at times but very very rewarding. I work in quite a run down area which is a hot bed for crime but there are a lot of lovely people living there who I enjoy helping. Working for the police itself is great especially if you have a good team and supervisor. It's a huge eye opener to the real and what goes on.

(Sorry massive post!!) If you have any questions let me know and I'll try to help.
 
It's a huge eye opener to the real and what goes on.


I'm not sure that is always a positive. I have seen stuff and dealt with things that really I would have been quite happy going through life never even imagining:(

For every lovely person who is a genuine victim of crime it seems there are 5 lining up who are perpetrators as often as they are victims, who thrive on the drama, who 'know their rights' (but have no concept of responsibilities) and who will never change. It is this section of society I am looking forward to never having to speak to again.

After a while this aspect can grind you down as can dealing with genuine distraught victims day in, day out. It isn't all Police, Camera, Action.

and yes, when I joined it was still the 'Life on Mars' era
 
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I think with the varied role of pcso and pc, I see less of the victim side so I can imagine it does wear you down. The same for offenders, with the cons arresting regular and I don't in my role, so it's a different point of view for me.

Don't get me wrong the job does get me down at times as much as I love it and I see the same faces causing the problems, it becomes frustrating.
The only reason I say an eye opener to the real world is because I was quite young and naive until I started and it's opened my eyes as to what is important in life and what goes on.
 
I am so sorry, and I really don't mean to demean in any way the stirling work that either Specials or PCSO's do but:
Us regulars could never, ever understand why Specials did the job, got all the abuse, for no pay, and boot leather allowance if they were lucky! Lots did it as a "way in" to the regulars, lots were worth their weight in gold, and were brilliant to have beside you - others, I am afraid were a downright liability.
As for PCSO's - I think it is a way the government/forces can put extra uniforms "out there" while spending very little money. I believe they are "toothless tigers" with very little statutory powers, with an inherent desire to "help" the community at large,which is exploited by the powers-that-be. Unfortunately, I fail to see how putting someone of 16/17 years old (it happens) into a uniform and sending them out in public can be anything other than dangerous. The life experience is virtually zero, and comon sense often sadly lacking. Even though the general public know, basically, what a PCSO is, they do not realise their relatively small remit. If they are in trouble/distress and see a uniform, they fully expect to be helped, and it is very difficult to comprehend a teenager saying "but, I'm not allowed/trained to do that".
When a regular police officer goes out on the street for the first time alone, it is a very daunting time. Age has no bearing on the experience within the uniform, as lots join post armed forces service. The public does not know if you have been wearing that uniform 20 years, or 20 hours, but they do know that you will have received adequate training and support to get you there. I admire those who do the PCSO job - I just despise the system that has put them there, and made it necessary for them to be there.
 
I think sadly, that if you want a career as such, you might have to put thoughts of being a successful rider at the same time on the back burner for a while! I am in the early stages of my career (totally different, but time consuming job) and I get to ride about 4-5 times a week max, and prep for competitions is hard (ie nonexistent!).

I have had to accept that my horse would have gone far further with someone else who had more time, and that by the time I am ready to take things a bit easier he will be pushing 20 :(
 
Someone who used to ride one of my ponies joined 3 years ago now. She did a public Service course at college and became a special, the force she wanted to join was not recruiting so she got an office job for a couple of years and then managed to get a civilian role working on the front desk at the local main police station where she was for 2-3 years. She continued her specials work and as soon as they opened applications, applied and was accepted as a police officer, she could have become a PCSO much earlier but it was not what she wanted. She loves the job, but it was all she ever wanted to do. She is now hoping to get into the family unit, she originally harboured dreams of the mounted section but I think reality hit and the oportunities for her to progress are greater with her new chosen route.
 
I know it's definitely NOT the police force, but have you considered nursing? Working in A&E felt a bit like being in the police sometimes, and there were usually enough of them around!!
Here's the perks if you are horsey:
Can work 3 x 12.5hr shifts per week (or equiv nights) to do your hours. Or 7.5 hr shifts - earlies or lates - so there is always daylight time for riding every day. On nights, I ride late afternoon, having done ponies when I get home...
Some wards/units do self rostering. Generous annual leave - weeks or odd days. Can swap shifts with colleagues, and Request the days off you want so your shifts are rostered around that. ie next week I wanted to work saturday and monday, (to compete on the sunday) then off tues-fri to go to mary wanless' place, then I'm working on the monday again but doing an extra shift that week because I'm competing the weekend I return. I have requested regular wednesdays off to go hunting, and there is always someone to swap with... Holiday and pension pretty good too...
The awesome thing about nursing is that it's always in demand, there is always a way in, and the pay is pretty good - I started on almost 21k after a 3 year degree that I received a 12k salary to do... But if you do the diploma (quick, before they make it all degree by 2013) you will receive a government/DoH bursary (think its 6k/yr) to do it. If you don't want to train, you can work as a health care assistant - and there is always a call for flexi/agency ie you aren't tied to a ward or unit, just book shifts online as and when. A friend of mine was making about £30k as an HCA working 5 nights per week... but she could choose to have a week off whenever she wanted.
Plus there's all the doctors to flirt with ;-) who seem to like the idea of nurses in jods and boots.... hehe And you get to stab people with needles alot, which is one of the best parts !!
In terms of career progression, you can go anywhere in the world with nursing, you can top up to a degree, do a MSc, PhD, various other training/courses in a huge number of fields. It's never boring, and the flexibility that the shift patterns give me means it's perfect to fit around my neds. The pay progression as you work up the grades/bands is also pretty good, but there are lots of ways to make extra cash with over time and flexi/agency.
Mental health nursing is quite like being in the police too..... ;);)
 
Groom42 said:
Yeeeeees! And that's just your colleagues ;)
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OiOi!! Indeed.. there's some scary folks out there in uniform! or the more deluded patients who also try and arrest you! Someone set fire to themselves in front of the A&E nurses station - that was fun. We did have the boys (and girls!) in blue turn up then!!

Just wanted to apologise for my previous off-topic and far-too-long post :o:o
 
I'm married to a PC, and TBH I used to think about joining up, now? no. You do have to be a certain type of person, the shift work IS awful, one aspect I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned, so apols if they have, ois just because a shift is due to finish at 7am, doesn't mean it will. You can't just walk out, I frequently have to shift and change everything at home around to accommodate the Force, but it's a price I knew about before he joined. So if you have your horse stabled and need to be up to feed etc in the morning, and you've been on a 10-7, and you don't finish until 2pm - make sure you have back up! The shifts can and do change Force to Force, my OH is currently on the community team, which, although not his preference is a little easier on family life as the latest shift is a 3-12 (or a 2pm - 12 at weekends, they get their money's worth), so no real nights for him. When you break down the hours v pay, it's not the best paid job, they are constantly faced with cuts, they are currently reviewing the annual SPP, the normal parrise due in the next month has been deferred, and there are usually 2 bobbies on duty covering a huge area! I think in general it has become a job ruled by burocracy, paperwork, teams of 'higher people' who are so distant from the street they have no concept of the reality their officers face, and it seems to be largely a frustrating and disheartening job. I know there are good sides too, but these seem to be more and more overshadowed by the bad, which is a shame. He & workmates) often comment they wish it WAS how it used to be - and I think they would all love a DI like Gene Hunt! For comparison in an equine sense, on my yard I have a friend who is in a different force, she's often forced to call someone else to do her horses, and I know it gets very frustrating, BUT it is the nature of the job.
 
Recruitment is on hold :( so you may be waiting a while till you can find a post to apply for- same all over the civil service though.
My boyfriend is a PCSO in GMP and he enjoys it- even though it's not what he wants to do (he's overqualified really, degree in criminology and he wants to do something more along the criminology/behavioural analysis lines), it's a foot in the door to other police jobs through internal recruitment and it's invaluable experience seeing what it's actually like out there in council estates dealing face to face with drug dealers.
He works shifts, and weekends, sometimes I won't see him for ages if he's on lates (3-11) because I get up at 6 and go to bed at 10, so I don't even pass him in the kitchen (we have separate bedrooms/bathrooms) and that can be a bit rubbish but you get used to it.
The money is good too, with working weekends and some overtime he's on about 21k which is more than he'd have got in a graduate job.
Another bonus is you make lots of friends, everyone he works with seems to get on well and there's a lot of variety in what you do on a daily basis :)
 
Yep, i agree with most of whats been said above but if asked would i join today??..... Not a cat in hells chance.

No money in the world will pay for what a police officer has to endure on a daily basis. My experience? well having been seriously assaulted whilst trying to help someone, resulting in me loosing my right eye and having to endure 5 other operations so far.... why do i still do it?? im not trained enough to do anyother job. Ive done this most of my working career and yes it does pay the bills... and the support ive received from the police organisation.... ZILCH!
 
Thank you for all the replies!! Lots of things to consider! Not sure if i could handle the shifts; especially if you dont always finish when you were meant to... i like to have things very organised and dont like it when things dont go to plan so that would be one of my 'cons'..

Will have a proper read through of all your comments tonight... im nearly 16, so have lots of time to cinsider things.. :) thanks
 
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