Should I join the police?

[Alonetime]

I'm looking at changing career, please help me decide by sharing your experience of working in the police and/or asking me the kinds of questions I should be asking myself.

For balance, I'm a DC and Iove my job. Began as a special constable and joined as a regular 5 years ago. Response for three years, I thought I would really struggle with the night shifts but I loved the job so much it never really bothered me, then joined a specialist CSE role and got my D's. I'm hating the role I'm in at the moment, but that's the great thing with the police - you don't have to leave the career to leave a role, there's so many options. It was the best thing I ever did and I don't ever regret it, even though I hate the role I'm in at the moment.
Sorry if this has been asked but could you apply for a special (same powers, same uniform but volunteer?) See how you like it. For me I wasn't planning on joining the regs but loved being a special.

@ShinyMe

I don't think you can just 'join' the police. There's a really tough recruitment process. A colleague of mine has a law degree and a Masters in Criminal Justice specialising in Human Trafficking, is superfit and under 30 and has several years experience as a special constable, but still couldn't get in. She tried for years, getting slightly closer each time, but never made it. She gave up when she hit early 30s and is working in admin instead.

Did they tell her why she was rejected?

@ShinyMe I was going to ask what @HollowTalk asked. It's tough but no harder than a lot of other big interviews. The roleplays at the assessment centre are the worst part but again totally passable if you put the work in.

They kept saying she came very very close but every time there were other people who were slightly fitter (so she went away and improved her fitness) or someone scored more on the exam (she worked and improved her scores each time) but ultimately no, I don't think she really knew why, other than that she was a really good candidate but just not quite good enough. Obviously I have no idea of the calibre of the other people, but she seemed to us like she'd have been a fantastic candidate, but who knows?

If you aren't racist or emotional then yes. Seems to many police have this trait

Met Detective, 16 years in. Best job in the world! The job is so varied, currently in a murder squad, but worked child abuse (loved loved loved this role, the work is hard but the rewards/satisfaction is incomparable to any other role I have had), and then all your usual investigative roles as well as uniform etc.

My top tips if considering this

• this is a life, it’s not a job! You can’t just walk away because the clock says it’s the end of your shift. When my team pick up a new homicide, it’s 15-18 hr days for first couple of weeks. This will absolutely have an effect on your home/personal life. My experience though is the Met is very family friendly and I have worked 10years part time whilst kids were young (never had flex working rejected).

• see if you can shadow a response team for a couple of shifts. This will give your an insight.

• the job is not what the media portrays it to be. Try to get rid of the majority of stereotypes you have in your head about the police/policing.

• do you enjoy paperwork! Duplication and ultimately absolute accountability for the split second decisions and risk assessment you will make. It can be very high pressurised.

• your everyone’s kicking ball, sometimes you can’t do right for doing wrong!

Do I have days were I think...god I hate being a police officer...yes. But they are far more days when I say..OMG this job is the best in the world, look what we achieved today!

Would I do it all again...absolutely.

Feel free to PM with any questions.

Thank you everyone, and thank you for the offers of PMs that I have received, that's so kind of you to offer me your time.

I think it's playing in my mind because two people mentioned it separately to me, knowing that I'm looking at a new direction. The main characteristic appears to be that I'm calm and confident and recently de-escalated a bit of a tricky, violent situation in the street. I think this is one of the superpowers of being a plain, middle-aged woman

But, I'm really not good with being flexible, so cancelled leave or having to do over-time wouldn't be easy for me despite having a non-complicated home life. And I really don't tolerate sexism, it'd just wear me down I think.
And I'm not as fit as I was.

@Whitneylilyrose

If you aren't racist or emotional then yes. Seems to many police have this trait

That’s a very broad statement to make, saying that ‘many’ police officers are racist. In 12 years I have never seen or heard anything remotely racist from any of my colleagues. And I’m not racist.

What do you mean about being ‘emotional’? One of the defining characteristics of a police officer is to be cool and calm in the face of violence, aggression, hysterics etc. Generally most police are the opposite of ‘emotional’