AIBU to consider a career as a police detective

[NotInspectorPoirotYet]

I think it sounds like a interesting, rewarding and challenging job but I'm worried about whether it's really compatible with family life? Any detective's with primary school aged children out there? How do you find it?

At the moment I do a job that I find some what uninspiring but that is well paid and with a reasonable work life balance, 40 hours + commute but no real overtime or unsociable hours.

There's also a lot of good jobs as police staff - if you've got experience in something like financial or cyber crime, eg a forensic accountant - you may not need to become an officer and thus have all the normal terms and conditions of employment (former police staff and union rep).

Honestly? From talking with my Dad, no I don't think people who've worked the job to where they are will appreciate a direct entry colleague.

It's not their fault of course. But it's just one of the many many changes causing resentment within the force.

Considering especially that a direct entry applicant can end up starting on the same salary as an officer that has been there for years.

Resentment is almost guaranteed I believe, unfortunately.

I think MET is recruiting 300 graduate detective constables directly this year. This is all new in the last couple of years. I don't think they will be civilian investigators.

Why not join as a PC?

I have flexible childcare. But if it was a junior doctor style role (well like they used to be) where you have to work 70 -80 hours a week. Then I probably wouldn't be able to do it. Just because the kids will also need my time.

I don’t think many of the ones they have recruited have lasted long. Shock at the hours, caseload, staffing levels etc

Direct entrants to CID have recently been introduced because they can't recruit or retain detectives. Resentment is a given and the hours are far from conducive to family life.

You could always do a a voluntary police officer role to dip your boots
I think it’s a fab idea - assuming your family support it . And when kids at SS less childcare type issues

FWIW, my hours are great. I work minimum 10 hour days and I get up to 6 days off in a row after a run of shifts (I’m part time and have dropped days)

But my kids know that I can’t always be there when they want me to be. But I’ve been in the police for many years and they are used to it, and their dad has a mon-Friday job, and I have a childminder who will jump in last min if need be.

I am in the process of applying to be a PC from teaching. From what I know about my local force, the detective route isn't as family friendly as a response officer. You work 8-5 as standard but if you've got an urgent case on then you'll need to stay later.

I'd prefer the shift work as i will see more of my children. When they're older I would look into it though.

MeOld In my force we all do shift work unless in a specialised department, I would imagine most forces are similar.

Aw christ I've applied as an investigator with the police too in police staff. If I get it are they all gonna hate me? It's not the graduate route in for detective.

Sorry hijacking thread, just seeing people say they don't like it doesn't fill me with much confidence.

Santa We don’t have civilian investors in my force but I am not against the idea of them, from what I understand they assist the investigation which in theory frees up police time. I am against the idea that a DC job is so easy that it doesn’t need practical police experience.

MeOldChina CID is shift work too.

Santaclarita, no civilian investigators are different, you won’t be hated. If you are good at your job you will be love. They are called IAs in our force and a good one is worth their weight in gold!

MeOldChina, I guess it depends on commute as well. At the moment for my current job I am actually out of the house for quite a long day because the commute is long. But I guess overtime can be done from home.

To be honest, you guys are actually encouraging me to look into this further, mainly because you sound quite cheerful about your own jobs. Usually in threads like this about for example teaching all the teachers jump in to advise the poster not to do it.

So are you considering applying as a PC?

Oh thank god. The job sounded good and I think I'd do well in it, but this made think 'oh christ I'm running away if they offer me it'. I'll persist then.

What do you mean “overtime can be done from home”? I assume you mean in your current job?

DP is a detective in a specialised department. He works 8am-4pm Monday to Friday with one weekend every 4 weeks and a week of being on call for outside those hours every 4 weeks.

I left in part because I was working 80hrs a week, I was continually on call, I was exhausted, utterly burned out and stressed. The money could not make up for it. I had no personal life, constantly cancelled on friends and family, suffered SAD every winter due to lack of sunlight, worked through all my days off and I was a DC, not a senior rank.

The reason they opened direct entry to DC is because uniform PC colleagues (no such thing as "just" a PC FFS) have no desire to make the move sideways as they are also burning out under marginally fewer hours but similar stress due to the cuts on all fronts.

My old CID office have had to cope with a long term sickness absence rate of 50% of its workforce for the last 3 years. 50%!!!! Can you imagine the stress levels in those teams?

Is an amazing job, I loved it and I miss it almost every day for years later but I'll never recommend it, especially never in Direct Entry. Be a PC first, learn the tools of the trade, learn your patch and the people who live in it, your craft, your people skills, how to roll in the gutter having a punch up on a Friday night with the scumbags who want to kill you, how to talk to them civilly after you've nicked them, how to console and comfort victims of crime in their worst moments, how to laugh again after you've seen the most horrific scenarios of people's lives, how to come home and not bring the horror home with you. Then become a Detective if you still want to. Your may prefer life in a uniform.

I found that being a detective constable and a detective sergeant was not compatible with being a mother of babies and children. I had some wriggle room at higher ranks and the children were older.

The stress of juggling family and work is very wearing. Don't make arrangements to pick up your child from nursery or celebrate a birthday or anniversary meal out because those are the days when you'll be stuck in the middle of a long interview and taking statements - because the custody clock is ticking.

Even on 'maternity leave' I had to go to court and give evidence. Excuses like "I'm in labour' didn't convince anyone - the defendant would walk, and the victim would be let down. (I went straight from court to hospital and gave birth at 3pm).

Luckily, policing is a job where you can move back and forth and sideways, if you have special skills and some luck. The secret is to get a solid sound foundation as a uniformed officer at the very sharp end.

Nicknacky, yes I meant in my current job. Also in relation to your previous post if I did this I'd be looking at direct entry DC.

I had to take my breastfed 6 week old to court with me once, a round trip of 120 mile. H had to take the day off to come with me.

Though I can see that most people don't think direct entry DC is a good idea.