Police detective job- anyone got any advice?

[Solace123]

The fast track pathway to become a DC has opened up in my county. I watched their webinar last night but it was more about the recruitment process.
I want to know more about the job day to day. Can anyone give any advice about the job or know someone who does the job?
What is it like daily? What are the shift patterns like? Are the police good with parent caring responsibilities? Do they offer any flexibility on shifts if you have kids.
In the programme you also have to do 18 weeks independent patrol. I'd feel nervous about it. Im only a small woman, am I expected to wrestle fully grown men double my size to arrest them if they resist?
It looks like an interesting role. I currently work in child safeguarding so have some background in one of the policing areas that I could be a part of.
I think it's best to hear from people who work in the job though to get a better feel.

How long have you been in the police force? You have never had annual leave cancelled for any emergency? Is there sharing of Christmas periods ie first come first served if only criteria?

Funny how things change. I used to work in police admin, planning training/rotas and so on. No direct entry for CID and officers would generally do years in uniform and getting into the CID was generally referred to as a promotion although it really wasn't. Something going wrong and being put back into uniform was the nightmare for everyone I knew on CID.

The idea of direct entry or accepting almost anyone seems crazy. It sounds a very different world but even more so for DH who joined in the 60s when women weren't fully integrated and didn't get paid the same as male officers.

I've lived through very changing times.

25 years.
No.
Everybody puts in their Xmas leave requests months before, the Insp of each team divvies it up as fairly as possible in line with minimum staffing levels and who had what the year before then it gets signed off by the planning team. It’s all done and dusted by the end of Spring.

My experience of my force is that no matter how early you put Xmas leave in, they sit on it till everyone has had the opportunity to submit a request and that they have been informed of minimal staffing numbers before they make a decision so you are left hanging and don't actually know if you are off until a couple of weeks before. Then there is the good old cancellation of rest days, they don't care if you have made plans for your weekend off 😉

You cannot be a detective if you would be worrying about finishing on time etc.

My friend’s son is a Detective and was involved in a very high profile case. She is always providing emergency childcare for him as there’s always a race against time to get the charges to stick for a suspect in custody.

And you Managed to have Christmas off every year for past 13 years when inspector was divvying up “fairly”?

Eh? No. I’ve worked loads of Christmases. It’s my kids birthdays I’ve never missed.

Indeed

that’s my uncle’s experience

Oooos sorry

I misread

apologies

Still… very lucky to have never had any leave postponed in 25 years!

Annual leave is pretty sacrosanct, the only situations I know of anybody getting it cancelled is a court warning and even that isn’t that common. Rest days get cancelled months in advance and then reinstated nearer the time quite often though.

i am guessing you’re not in the Met or similar!

Not in the Met but similar.

No summer riots? No huge city emergencies?

Both.

Had them or not?

in London…. They cancelled all leave and requested those off to come in.

Had them. Cancelled rest days and all on duty officers in any role put on 12 hour days for as long as required.

It would have been different had you been in the met

Just retired and managed a big team of DC, many of whom latterly were direct entry DC.

I’ve also mentored people going through the assessment process.

It depends on each force on whether they will allow you to do your DC rotation all within CID or a specialist unit. Many will have to do rotations as a neighbourhood officer as well as your response shifts so you have an understanding of the role.

I have missed loads of Xmas festivities over the years but we have compensated on other days. My two are young adults now but don’t resent my job. They are proud of what I’ve done but would certainly never join the police themselves.

You have to be flexible and also have good childcare around you. As others have said the chance of going home on time diminishes as a detective, especially in a busy force or area. Child protection cases aren’t just Mon-Fri as you know and I know SW are looking at extending their working hours to reduce pressure on the out of hours service.

however I wouldn’t change a thing and although I’ve seen the most awful things, dealt with the most horrendous jobs and had jobs where I have thought I would actually not make it, I’m really proud of what I’ve done and my legacy.

Super.

well, not really for those in the met 😕

Daft questions

is WFH ever an option?
Is being police regarded as working for the civil service?

Or in the metropolitan force that I worked in.
had my leave cancelled and RD many times

That was my point

This happens fairly regularly in the met