Joining the Police
Discussion
Good evening PH,
As per title really, I'm currently completely an application to become a Police officer. I've been a Special for the last five years and love it. I do a fair amount of hours a month, and fully understand that its not all driving on blue lights (have to admit, I do enjoy the paperwork side of things at the moment!).
I'm just wondering if anyone is able to offer me any advice for the process. The bit I'm not looking forward to is the role plays if I get to the assessment centre, so any advice on that would be great.
If anyone can recommend any books or websites to read I would be grateful.
Attended a application work shop during the week which was really helpful, but looking to do as much as possible to help.
I'm more than happy for PMs if people don't want to discuss what they do in public.
Many thanks.
As per title really, I'm currently completely an application to become a Police officer. I've been a Special for the last five years and love it. I do a fair amount of hours a month, and fully understand that its not all driving on blue lights (have to admit, I do enjoy the paperwork side of things at the moment!).
I'm just wondering if anyone is able to offer me any advice for the process. The bit I'm not looking forward to is the role plays if I get to the assessment centre, so any advice on that would be great.
If anyone can recommend any books or websites to read I would be grateful.
Attended a application work shop during the week which was really helpful, but looking to do as much as possible to help.
I'm more than happy for PMs if people don't want to discuss what they do in public.
Many thanks.
My youngest son joined the Police three years ago, after being a special for three years...
He has just passed his sergeants exam and really loves the job, but obviously the hours are unsocial, that goes with the territory.
He gets to drive a Police car though, so not all bad......
Good luck.
He has just passed his sergeants exam and really loves the job, but obviously the hours are unsocial, that goes with the territory.
He gets to drive a Police car though, so not all bad......
Good luck.
An HR complaint surely! 
As a former special myself and for less time than you OP, I would suggest that you will be able to use much of what you have learned on the beat as it were when it comes to your scenario-based activities/questions. In that respect, you should have an advantage over those who do not have the insight you have had and as such, you'll be able to speak from experience in some cases and not just hypothetically.
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
This. The one question that now gets asked when you meet up with someone is 'how long have you got left'. Morale is rock bottom and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. If Dave and the old maid get in again, there's another 40'000 Officers being cut and the only way to achieve this will be by compulsory redundancy. I'd think very hard before giving up a current job.In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
OP:In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
When I was thinking of joining, this is 1975, I went to a local nick to have a chat with the PCs. The desk sergeant, whom I got to know quite well after I joined, arranged for me to go out with one of the cars for an evening. This was Kent, I joined City of London.
All the driver did was moan, saying much the same as above. He showed me his duties card, with something like 250 hours on it. During the evening they got a prisoner and I sat with the passenger as he went through the paperwork and he said not to mind what the other chap had said as he'd heard the same thing when he was joining, some 10 years or so before.
In 2005, when I retired, I was asked by a neighbour whether he should encourage his son to join. He was a DC within 7 years. He married a Canadian woman and emigrated, joining the police out there. He misses the Mets.
I enjoyed my time. But one thing which was true for my 30 years is that the service changes all the time. If you wait until it is perfect for you then after you've been in it a week, it will be worse.
At the moment there is an anti-Old Bill bloke sitting in #10. What his problem is, no one is clear. However, even his best buddies, those he's awarded a sinecure to for damaging the service, are criticising him to a limited extent. (Got to look after the expense-paid meals and pretty uniforms.) In a few years there will be a disaster where the current force is unable to cope, or, like these hospitals, the privatised service will collapse and things will change.
It won't last of course.
There's a suggestion that forces will merge. Whilst this will almost certainly result in a downgrade in service to the public, and an increase in cost, it might give lots of opportunities to those in the Job.
When I joined pay was dreadful. If I'd had my third child then I could have claimed supplementary benefit. Within 5 years we'd got the biggest rise in the history of the service and I'd gone from working all but 3 days a month to six or seven days off. Then I got promoted, with the pay rise that went with the role, and was comfortable. Over the last 10/12 years of my career it went on a downward spiral, with cuts and restrictions.
Cameron is the architect of the present disasterous plan for the service but with any luck he'll be gone this year. I expect that at least things won't get worse and will probably improve a little.
But the service lacks a certain frisson, a bit of fun, that was present in my time. It also lacks the rampant corruption that pervaded my force in the 70s. I hope you've read my book about those times. Only <£2 on Amazon.
What made me make the jump, despite dropping income by nearly 40%, was the fact that I knew I'd always regret not trying.
Whatever you decide, I hope it is the best for you.
I'm so glad I joined. It wasn't always fun and it can be difficult not to take home some of what you see. However:
One Christmas Day in 1984 - the only Xmas morning I worked in 30 years - I visited the local children's hospital, red nose on. I was welcomed by the nurses but never knew if the kids and the parents just wanted me to p
s off and leave them in peace.Just before I retired, I was walking the Downs with my wife when a woman came up to and asked if I was a police officer. I said I was off duty but would help if I could. She told me that she'd been in hospital with her critically ill son when I'd come in. She said that the lad talked about the visit and what I'd said and done for days afterwards, and he was the brightest he'd been for ages. She kissed me and then walked off. I didn't ask the obvious question.
Although it is a bit of a cliche, if you do your job to the best of your ability (most of the time) then you will make a positive difference to lots of people.
My Mrs has done 5 or 6 years now having joined at 17. Currently working with CID and loves it, she can't wait to do her trainee investigators course.
My sister has been in the Army for 8 years and leaves in February to join the police. I think she'll love it.
There will be people in every job which say it's crap and it's changed etc etc. God knows how many times I've heard "it's not as hard as it used to be" in my job.
My sister has been in the Army for 8 years and leaves in February to join the police. I think she'll love it.
There will be people in every job which say it's crap and it's changed etc etc. God knows how many times I've heard "it's not as hard as it used to be" in my job.
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
^In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
This all the way.
Knobs job for knobs nowadays. Knob off to Australia for far better career prospects . Cooking shrimps over coal is paying well at the moment, far more interesting and will command much more respect...
22Rgt said:
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
^In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
This all the way.
Knobs job for knobs nowadays. Knob off to Australia for far better career prospects . Cooking shrimps over coal is paying well at the moment, far more interesting and will command much more respect...
She started in a civilian role on the secretarial side and joined as soon as she could iirc. She's 24 in may so has been her whole adult career. But she loves it.
But she hasn't seen it change the way you have (yes with regards to recent pension changes) so doesn't know any different.
But she hasn't seen it change the way you have (yes with regards to recent pension changes) so doesn't know any different.
22Rgt said:
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
^In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
This all the way.
Knobs job for knobs nowadays. Knob off to Australia for far better career prospects . Cooking shrimps over coal is paying well at the moment, far more interesting and will command much more respect...
ked it up.I left for greener pastures and no sooner had I, my old office got disbanded and lads posted all over the area.
At the end of the day the s
t rolls downhill, from the politicians all the way down to the 'neighbourhood teams' your made to work like dogs for little pay to make the CC & MP's look like heros all the while the members of the public have their service reduced to nothing more than crime figure fudging and less police on the streets due to completely ridiculous amounts of paperwork for the most menial of crimes & it's gets worse the greater the offenceBut.... If that's your thing..... You might just enjoy it
22Rgt said:
Greendubber said:
Honestly?....... don't bother.
In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
^In the last maybe 5 years I've seen the job I loved get destroyed, career bobbies are leaving, specialist roles and training are non existent and you'll get nothing but grief.
The only way I'd join is to do a few years and then knob off to Western Australia.
This all the way.
Knobs job for knobs nowadays. Knob off to Australia for far better career prospects . Cooking shrimps over coal is paying well at the moment, far more interesting and will command much more respect...
ED209 said:
My point of view is that its now a crap line of work, after almost 18 years in the job I feel utterly trapped and at the same time destroyed by it.
This isn't unusual, there are people in every trade that feel like this after 10+ years. I have no doubt your job has changed in the time you've been doing it, my job is unrecognisable from where I started 25 years ago but that doesn't mean it can't suit someone who has adapted with it or someone who starts now and just sees it as "the job".
ED209 said:
I earn less than i did 5 years ago, my pension has been totally decimated and i am expected to to a lot more now with 25% less staff than i had a few months ago. Most of the jobs dealt with are not police work but covering for other public services that are failing, the police are the only organisation that never seems to say NO to anyone.
Teachers aren't allowed to discipline kids and if they try to exclude them they get complaints from the parents, they have bigger classes, more inspections and more preparation and marking to do; they come home, and keep working. They are also losing pension rights. Nurses are being pressured to do more duties for more patients with more paperwork and more abuse, all in less time. Also less pension rights.
Binmen have to empty more bins than they used to.
Unless a politician grows a pair and puts income tax up by 10% this isn't going to change but it isn't just coppers that are being squeezed.
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