Detective

Detectives are accredited police officers who work as serious and complex crime investigators or specialist investigators

You'll be responsible for managing a range of investigations including those concerning robbery, drugs, domestic violence, public and child protection, company fraud, cybercrime, homicide and counter-terrorism.

The term detective is not a rank but a descriptive title, which demonstrates your current role and reflects your skills, knowledge, training and experience in a particular field. Detectives work alongside their uniformed counterparts as equals in pay and rank.

Types of work

As a detective, you can work in a number of specialist departments:

• criminal investigations department (CID) - handles incidents such as suspicious deaths, serious assaults, robbery, burglary and major property thefts, domestic abuse or racist abuse
• fraud squad - investigates company and financial fraud
• drugs squad - deals with drug trafficking investigations, which may be long-term and may also involve working with colleagues from other countries
• firearms squad - investigates and responds to offences involving firearms, including potential hostage situations
• child protection department - deals with offences against children
• Special Branch - investigates incidents relating to national security and international terrorism.

Further professional training is required when starting to work in any of these specialist units, and it's possible to transfer to different units over the course of your career. Not all specialist areas are offered by every police force and there is strong competition for some.

Responsibilities

As a detective, you'll need to:

• manage and conduct a range of complex investigations in your area of responsibility
• gather, verify and assess all appropriate and available information to gain an accurate understanding of situations to an agreed case investigation plan
• develop and evaluate strategies to manage investigations, working closely and communicating with staff at all levels
• make decisions based on balancing risks, costs, benefits and the wider impact
• use specialist tools and technology to help with the investigations
• analyse and interpret data, examine records and documents
• prepare, complete and submit accurate case papers and evidential files to the highest professional standard and within set time limits
• handle and document exhibits
• deal with forensic material and its submissions
• conduct interviews and interrogations
• participate in and conduct raids, searches or arrests
• identify appropriate witnesses and obtain statements
• assess and report the potential for recruiting informants, or exploring other useful sources of information
• liaise with internal and external agencies relevant to your area of responsibility e.g. courts, schools, social work departments
• work with all colleagues as a team
• keep up to date with changes in legislation and procedures as they affect criminal investigation
• supervise and lead teams police teams - depending on your role.

Salary

• Salaries for trainee and newly qualified constables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland range from £28,000 to £32,000, depending on the police force and whether they enter through direct entry detective routes or via promotion from uniformed roles. Rising in annual increments to around £43,000 at the top of the constable scale.
• Trainees on the National Detective Programme earn £28,551.
• Constables in Scotland earn £31,466, rising incrementally to £50,528.
• Experienced detective constables earn £36,000 to £43,000, rising to £50,000+ for detective sergeant and up to £60,000+ for detective inspector. Salaries for the highest ranking role of superintendent can reach around £80,000 or more.

London weighting may also be applied.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Detectives also receive a range of benefits, including:

• a generous pension
• flexible work schedule
• part-time work options
• a minimum of 22 days annual leave, rising to 30 with length of service, plus statutory holidays - detectives in Scotland get 28 days leave.
• paid sick leave
• occupational health support
• childcare schemes
• parental leave
• access to trade unions
• access to sports and social facilities.

Working hours

You'll typically work 40 hours per week, with shifts varying according to the police force you work for. This usually includes working unsocial hours, including evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Flexible and part-time hours are available, but depend on the individual police force and your role.

What to expect

• You'll usually manage multiple cases, and each day can bring a range of tasks and challenges. You could be attending a crime scene, analysing evidence, interviewing offenders and distressed victims or managing a team.
• Many detectives find protecting the public and bringing offenders to justice a very rewarding aspect of the job.
• You'll deal with difficult situations and people - including aggressive, disturbing and distressing situations. You'll be trained to handle these, but the role can be mentally and physically demanding.
• Detectives work in a range of settings, including rural, urban and overseas locations.
• There are structured routes for gaining further qualifications and promotion.

Qualifications

While many enter the role by first qualifying as a police officer, it's not essential to do so.

Graduates can take an alternative training route through the Police Now National Detective Programme, which over a two-year period develops the key skills and leadership qualities needed for the role.

To be eligible you need to have achieved a minimum of a 2:1 at undergraduate level (or non-UK equivalent).

The programme starts with the Detective Academy, an intensive 12-week residential training course which includes a mix of classroom and field training. To proceed further, you must successfully pass the National Investigators Exam (NIE).

The rest of the training consists of in-force training, immersion training (where you join a force in uniform to practice your core policing skills) and a series of rotations, where you'll undergo accelerated training to learn how to investigate serious and complex crime.

You can also take the specialist detective pathway through in-house training with specific police forces. With either pathway, participants will earn the graduate diploma in Professional Policing Practice.

Entering this career via a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship is also possible. Visit Joining the Police to see the different routes into the role and which forces are recruiting.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent communication skills that effectively convey needs, instructions and decisions in a clear and concise manner, both written and spoken
• planning skills to conduct an investigation effectively
• good problem-solving skills for analysing and evaluating evidence from a range of sources
• emotional resilience and the ability to keep calm and confident in challenging situations
• decision-making skills for assessing situations, risk and evidence with a logical and analytical approach
• teamwork skills for building effective and collaborative relationships with colleagues and staff in external agencies
• a commitment to the ethical standards and values of the police force
• a strong sense of personal responsibility for your own actions and for dealing with problems that may arise
• respect for diversity and inclusion, treating people with dignity regardless of their social, cultural or racial background, status, circumstances or appearance
• effective leadership skills (depending on rank and position) that inspire and motivate staff
• a good level of physical fitness and adequate eyesight (passing the police sight test).

Work experience

Due to the nature of the work, it can be helpful to gain some life and work experience before joining the police. Leadership experience is particularly valued and may qualify you for direct entry at inspector level via a 24-month training programme.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The main employers of detectives are the 43 police forces in England and Wales, Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, each with their own recruitment pages.

You can look for job vacancies at:

• Bluelinejobs
• College of Policing
• Police Oracle Jobs

Once you're in a detective post you are free to apply for transfer to other departments in different forces. Overseas positions may be available.

The British Transport Police also employs experienced detectives.

To apply for jobs, you must be a British Citizen, a citizen of the European Union (EU) or other states in the European Economic Area (EEA), a Commonwealth citizen or a foreign national with indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Even if you have minor convictions or cautions you may still be able to join the police but there are certain offences and conditions that will make you ineligible; check with your local police force. You'll also have to be physically and mentally fit, with some roles requiring a higher level of fitness.

Professional development

All police officer training follows the accreditation standards of the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP). This includes the mandatory core programme as well as a range of specialist, supervisory and leadership options. The programme is split into four different levels, according to the complexity of the investigation and the relevant skills required.

• PIP 1 - For probationer constables handling volume crime.
• PIP 2 - The level at which all trainee investigators begin, starting with a six-week Initial Crime Investigators’ Development Programme (ICIDP) followed by a professional development portfolio, usually completed in 12 months. Successful completion leads to confirmation as a detective constable.
• PIP 3 - For senior investigators, including those leading major cases such as homicide or terrorism.
• PIP 4 - Strategic level for managing major investigations.

You'll also have access to specialist training and qualifications throughout your career.

Career prospects

There is a structured promotion path through the ranks for detectives, which is:

• detective constable
• detective sergeant
• detective inspector
• detective chief inspector
• detective superintendent
• detective chief superintendent
• assistant chief constable
• deputy chief constable
• chief constable.

Promotion is gained through exams, work-based assessments and a professional development portfolio.

Once you’ve completed your training and probation you become eligible to transfer between forces or explore alternative roles, such as training new recruits.