A career in the Police Force

A career in the Police Force can be a fully rewarding career. Not only will your day be different everyday you can make a huge difference to your local community. The Metropolitan Police Service is London’s largest single employer and offers many exciting career opportunities ranging from police officer to Police Community Support Officer to Scenes of Crime Examiner.

Ethnic Minorities In The Police Force
Ethnic minorities in the police force are now in the increase but more work still needs to be done. The importance of having a workforce which is truly representative of the communities it serves is now fully recognised and the police force are crying out for new female and male recruits from an ethnic background.

Your Career as a Police Officer
There are many different directions to take your career as a police officer. For example, you can choose to work in a uniformed role in the community or as a plain clothes detective in areas such as a local CID unit or a specialist murder squad. And there are many other specialist areas such as Royalty Protection, the Mounted Branch or the Air Support Unit.

When joining the Metropolitan Police Service as a police officer, there are two different entry routes. You can take the normal route whereby following a successful application, you undertake the 18 week residential police training course at Hendon. Afterwards you will go out on borough to continue your training as a Police Constable where you may be allocated to an emergency response team or to a Safer Neighbourhoods Team in the community. Another route is to join the High Potential Development Scheme.

You still undergo the 18 week training course with other police officers, but the scheme provides a structured route to some of the most senior positions in the Metropolitan Police Service. It identifies individuals with the potential to achieve at least Superintendent rank and ensures that they are equipped with the skills to fulfil their promise by providing them with a structured career framework and extra training. 

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)
Community Support Officers are now becoming a key part in getting more police officers onto the street and acting as a bridge for many people who want to try out a career within the police force. PCSOs provide assistance and support to the police officers and generally perform the more routine duties such as patrolling, talking to the local community and gathering intelligence. Where possible, they deal with problems not requiring police powers. PCSOs don’t have the same powers as police officers, such as powers of arrest, but they can detain people for up to 30 minutes while they wait for back up.

Join the Metropolitan Police Service
Anyone interested in the many different opportunities available should visit the Metropolitan Police Service careers website: www.metpolicecareers.co.uk. No matter what role you’re considering you can be sure that you will receive an excellent benefits package including pension, generous annual leave allowance, development schemes and flexible working.

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