Joining the Police
Discussion
Bigends said:
carpetsoiler said:
jbsportstech said:
my local force ask for a special qualification now before you can apply for regulars! certificate in policing if i remember.
That would be the Certificate in the Knowledge of Policing, or CKP for short. It used to be the PLC where we are, but they've changed that to the CKP now... and at the same time, removed any of the subsidising for it. I joined up under the impression that, if I so wished, I could pay £200 to do the PLC and then get into the regulars after the first couple of years. Now, it's an £800 bill to get the CKP done, after which if I switch to the regulars (if recruitment opens before your certificate reaches its best before date), I'll take around a £4,000 pay cut for more responsibility, more hours... hmmmm. It does go up more than my current role, but with things the way they are currently as well as some fairly nasty personal experiences (not the job I've done, more to do with the people within it), I will be thinking long and hard before I consider joining the regulars.Derek Smith said:
I don't want to give advice as to whether to join the police or not, but consider where you'll be in 10 years. The service will have changed out of all recognition, and almost certainly not for the worst, unless Cameron gets his wish and it is privatised, and you'll still be in you current role.
What will you wish you'd done?
As my current role is already within the police, it wouldn't be a bad thing to stick with it. I enjoy the job in the normal way, it just so happens that lately there have been some... ramifications... that have resulted in me being deeply unhappy at work. Through no my fault of my own, thank God, so it should be cleared up, but it's just been extremely unenjoyable.What will you wish you'd done?
I joined up for the right reasons- to help people and make a difference. Not throw my weight around and get revenge for being picked on at school!
The media really don't help in their portrayal and opinion of the service as a whole... but it's one of those things whereby you can change an opinion simply by chatting to people, at which point they realise that police are actually human and have emotions.
Thanks for all the replies (even the negative ones 
). I've been rather busy to reply to all of them, but have been reading them all.
But I will be getting it checked, mum will be checking first for spelling mistakes and then a family friend who used to teach English at uni.
Have to say, I'm feeling a lot more positive about applying this time, than I have in the past to another force.
). I've been rather busy to reply to all of them, but have been reading them all. Pothole said:
hat bothers you about these? I used to be the same but now I dive into them with relish.
No idea. I'm sure once I'm there I'll enjoy it. It's the same when it comes to my personal safety refresher. I hate the idea of doing them, but if I get picked or put myself forward (which despite not being a fan of doing them, I find myself volunteering for the role plays) I enjoy it. Corbeliere said:
To the OP. A serious point.
Check your post and look for the typing error. I'll give you a clue, it's on the first line.
Your application might be one of many and those with mistakes are the ones that end up in the bin.
Always check before submitting paperwork.
As for the job, I too was told on my first day that it's f*%"ed. That was in 1992.
I was injured out and got an early pension. Fortunately I had transferred my previous pensions into the Police system, thus buying me extra years. That's worth considering for anyone contemplating joining, assuming you can still do that.
Good luck with it.
My spelling and grammar is something I struggle with, but am trying to improve that all the time. (Made a thread on here about it), also carry a dictionary around in my kit bag just in case. Check your post and look for the typing error. I'll give you a clue, it's on the first line.
Your application might be one of many and those with mistakes are the ones that end up in the bin.
Always check before submitting paperwork.
As for the job, I too was told on my first day that it's f*%"ed. That was in 1992.
I was injured out and got an early pension. Fortunately I had transferred my previous pensions into the Police system, thus buying me extra years. That's worth considering for anyone contemplating joining, assuming you can still do that.
Good luck with it.
But I will be getting it checked, mum will be checking first for spelling mistakes and then a family friend who used to teach English at uni.
Have to say, I'm feeling a lot more positive about applying this time, than I have in the past to another force.
Elroy Blue said:
I doubt any generation however has been through the butchering that's taken place under May.
Please don't take it as a personal criticism; every post of yours I've seen seems to be describing how awful it is to be in the Police now, and how the Policocalypse is just around the corner.Presuming you're a serving officer, I take it you've told the force you're leaving and have made plans for another career?
allergictocheese said:
lease don't take it as a personal criticism; every post of yours I've seen seems to be describing how awful it is to be in the Police now, and how the Policocalypse is just around the corner.
Presuming you're a serving officer, I take it you've told the force you're leaving and have made plans for another career?
Perhaps they are posts of someone seeing dedicated people treated like dirt by a Government that lies through it's teeth when the truth of what they are doing is pointed out. Perhaps they feel that the public have a right to know what is happening. The only reason the wheel keeps turning is because, despite everything, we rely on each other and keep it on. Presuming you're a serving officer, I take it you've told the force you're leaving and have made plans for another career?
As for the ' Policocalypse '. If Cameron and May retain their jobs post election, they intend to sack (compulsory redundancy will have to be used) another 40000 Officers on top of the 17000 already binned. The job will not be sustainable with those numbers. The Public will suffer, so you'll forgive me if it's something I get upset about.
Elroy Blue said:
Perhaps they are posts of someone seeing dedicated people treated like dirt by a Government that lies through it's teeth when the truth of what they are doing is pointed out. Perhaps they feel that the public have a right to know what is happening. The only reason the wheel keeps turning is because, despite everything, we rely on each other and keep it on.
As for the ' Policocalypse '. If Cameron and May retain their jobs post election, they intend to sack (compulsory redundancy will have to be used) another 40000 Officers on top of the 17000 already binned. The job will not be sustainable with those numbers. The Public will suffer, so you'll forgive me if it's something I get upset about.
Great post again.As for the ' Policocalypse '. If Cameron and May retain their jobs post election, they intend to sack (compulsory redundancy will have to be used) another 40000 Officers on top of the 17000 already binned. The job will not be sustainable with those numbers. The Public will suffer, so you'll forgive me if it's something I get upset about.
But I think the job is not sustainable as it is now and as you say there are very dark times ahead.
Whilst I admire anyone that still wishes to join the Police I honestly do not believe they know what theyre getting themselves into but its their life.
And to the OP , I was also a special for 5 years, and a hands on one working full shifts on a weekly basis. The job is very different in reality trust me.
Edited by MGZTV8 on Wednesday 28th January 21:05
carreauchompeur said:
RWD cossie wil said:
How does one get into the SAS? It sounds like a much more interesting job to me? Could you give me some pointers of what you had to go through?
I too would be interested in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear of real life in the SAS, do tell 22Rgt... 
Mk3Spitfire said:
RWD cossie wil said:
Come on 22 we are waiting?
This is the second thread where this 22 guy seems to be having a bit of a tuning. Have I missed something? We are privaliged to have someone of his standing & training posting on Pistonheads & I for one can't wait to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be like him.
RWD cossie wil said:
Just interested in how he got into the SAS, as he seems to be a totally genuine ex SAS covert sniper insertion specialist, especially as ex SAS guys are well known for shouting about what they used to do.
We are privaliged to have someone of his standing & training posting on Pistonheads & I for one can't wait to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be like him.
Well, you'd better hope you're right then, hadnt you?!We are privaliged to have someone of his standing & training posting on Pistonheads & I for one can't wait to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be like him.
Elroy Blue said:
As Theresa May really doesn't care about the opinions of Police Officers, I'm working my backside off every day trying to meet the demand. Sorry if that's not enough.
Have you not got to the 'f
k it' stage yet?The point where you just really can't be arsed and wonder what you're breaking your back for day in day out? The Police need to stop keeping the wheel on and let the whole system come crashing down.
Only then will people look at this government and realize how terrible they really are. By keeping the wheel on, meeting the requested cuts and so forth, you're inviting even more cuts, more job losses until we get to the point where everyone starts dying and it's too late to go back.
allergictocheese said:
I don't doubt you feel genuinely about it.
What are YOU doing about it, was the question.
I don't think there is much that can be done about it. You're given a lawful order to go out and police, you can't say no to that, or you'll be facing discipline and losing your job. What are YOU doing about it, was the question.
This government have already shown they're willing to ride roughshod over whatever stands in their way in order to crush the police service, just see how they changed the law to allow them to renege on the pension contracts which the police had signed up to. The fact that every other public service is largely in freefall is just evidence of the fact that this government aren't equipped to fix Broken Britain.
A good friend of mine is a police officer, and it sounds like thankless work. Tellingly, his estimation is that the cracks are starting show now, despite senior officers doing their best to plaster over them with salves of soothing words. Words are only so much good for those concerned about maintaining public confidence. If the current government would continue, I'd be only more worried about the state we'll be in at the end of the next Parliament. The police besieged with more bureaucracy and far fewer staff numbers than the skeleton crews they run now. No-one one coming when your house is being burgled or your son is threatening to commit suicide. No-one picking up the phone when you dial 999 because your elderly father is suffering a heart attack. The only cop for twenty miles, is twenty miles and mired in ten trivial jobs when a junkie has you at knifepoint.
Mk3Spitfire said:
RWD cossie wil said:
Just interested in how he got into the SAS, as he seems to be a totally genuine ex SAS covert sniper insertion specialist, especially as ex SAS guys are well known for shouting about what they used to do.
We are privaliged to have someone of his standing & training posting on Pistonheads & I for one can't wait to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be like him.
Well, you'd better hope you're right then, hadnt you?!We are privaliged to have someone of his standing & training posting on Pistonheads & I for one can't wait to gain a greater understanding of what it takes to be like him.
un1corn said:
Have you not got to the 'fk it' stage yet?
The point where you just really can't be arsed and wonder what you're breaking your back for day in day out? The Police need to stop keeping the wheel on and let the whole system come crashing down.
Only then will people look at this government and realize how terrible they really are. By keeping the wheel on, meeting the requested cuts and so forth, you're inviting even more cuts, more job losses until we get to the point where everyone starts dying and it's too late to go back.
That's what the government want, because when (not if) it does come crashing down the whole service will be ripe for privatisation. Then the anti-police fraternity on here will rejoice about it for a few years, until the private companies start putting profits first and fighting crime (although you can substitute that for running trains on time / giving people a fair deal on their utilities etc) last, then all of a sudden there will be a clamour for it to return to how it currently is. Unfortunately, unlike the trains or utilities, I think that will be practically impossible. k it' stage yet?The point where you just really can't be arsed and wonder what you're breaking your back for day in day out? The Police need to stop keeping the wheel on and let the whole system come crashing down.
Only then will people look at this government and realize how terrible they really are. By keeping the wheel on, meeting the requested cuts and so forth, you're inviting even more cuts, more job losses until we get to the point where everyone starts dying and it's too late to go back.
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