To ask if you can become a detective without being a police officer?

[LardeeLar]

Or do you have to go out on the beat for a few years first? I think solving cases would be fun but wouldn't fancy wandering around council estates trying to pick kids up for selling weed. Or hitting the streets and intervening in punch ups.

National Crime Agency does a direct entry as well so worth looking at that.

I think that in order to work for the NCA you need a catalogue of spectcular failures under your belt before they even think of working with you.

For example

Steve Rodhouse is one of the highest-ranking police officers in the country and, as Director General (Operations) of the National Crime Agency, second in command of Britain's equivalent to America's FBI.

This story from the Mail is interesting

Steve Rodhouse is one of the highest-ranking police officers in the country
He has faced intense criticism over Met's investigation into 'Nick the Fantasist'
It has emerged he was in charge of the department that closed Epstein inquiry
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7542949/Police-chief-ran-VIP-child-abuse-inquiry-charge-inquiry-Jeffrey-Epstein.html

also see

Rewarded for failure: Officer at centre of disastrous probe into false claims of VIP paedophile ring by fantasist Carl Beech sees his total pay package rise to near £300k
This takes his total package at the National Crime Agency to almost £300,000
He is among the highest earners in UK law enforcement with a £2m pension pot
The bonus came after he was blasted for key role in Carl Beech scandal

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8704403/Officer-centre-probe-false-VIP-paedophile-ring-claims-sees-pay-package-rise-near-300k.html

Steve Rodhouse is not the only person of influence at the NCA with an enthusiasm for giving credence to bizarre claims of non-existent VIP paedophile rings and satanic ritual abuse.

Elly Hanson (formerly Elly Farmer - daughter of prominent Tory Brexiteer Lord Farmer aka Mr Copper) has worked as a consultant psychologist with the NCA and other police agencies and was centrally involved in the Carl Beech fiasco as reported in Private Eye magazine, described here in the Barth’s Notes blog

barthsnotes.com/2019/08/23/private-eye-looks-at-clinical-psychologist-involved-with-two-vip-sex-abuse-investigations/

and here in the Mail, with reference to the concerns raised by real expert in religious crimes Richard Hoskins

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7293507/Expert-told-police-Carl-Beechs-evidence-ludicrous-blames-psychotherapists.html

Elly Hanson / Farmer makes a habit of attending bonkers events where therapists promoting conspiracy theories about satanic ritual abuse endorse each others beliefs. Like this event for example, featuring Elly Hanson and a variety of the UK’s most notorious satan hunters including Valerie Sinason our very own Satanist Finder General.

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191231105230/www.isst-d.org/training-and-conferences/upcoming-conferences/london-regional-conference/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20191231105230/www.isst-d.org/training-and-conferences/upcoming-conferences/london-regional-conference/

I mention this as it seem to me that at least some of the people working at the NCA, including the Director General, are, er, not your usual run of the mill police officer. They are definitely special. To work in a sensitive position such as theirs you need to have a love of David Icke style conspiracy theories and, at least in relation to Rodhouse, a complete lack of interest in real life perpetrators like Jeffrey Epstein and his chums in high places.

OP, as you seem to lack any knowldge or understanding off police work might I suggest that you apply for a job as a Police Crime Commissioner?

They seem to have made a habit of hiring people with your special persepctive and you might find that you fit in very well :)

Protection officers are not Detective - although they were historically called Detectives.

www.i-spydetectives.co.uk/how-to-become-a-private-investigator-in-the-uk.html

@andpeggy1

Colleen Rooney did it without being on the beat first.

👏 👏 👏 🤣

I'm a cop.

There are some direct entry places depending which force .

I've been a beat Bobby , a neighbourhood Bobby , and done attachment in CID .

Where as I love the work on complex and serious cases the hours are utterly utterly ridiculous. It's just not sustainable to work 16 - 18 hour shifts . The job satisfaction is great but the hours are probably literally a killer . I went back to beat . It's a shame because I really enjoy detective work and I'm good at it but for me the level of commitment and overtime hours is just unsustainable.

Who ever said the bleep test is a brisk walk ????

I've got to work till 60 for my pension . Let's see you take it at 60 . For me it's a full on sprint . I'm short . Plus I have boobs . I've had kids and it's getting harder year on year . And I find it ridiculous that at a women in her 50s I take the same test as boys at 18 . It's certainly NOT a brisk walk .

Catching up on your posts now, it's really interesting hearing from people with knowledge of this. I'm watching Retribution now, for research (JOKE!).

That got me wondering if people in the police actually watch these series and films as a way of relaxing like anyone else, or if it's too unbelievable to enjoy.

@fuckedandbombed

You see a lot of police officers walking around who frankly look blatantly unfit, sounds like they need to be upping the fitness requirements for the younger ones

It pains me that I'm probably not goi g to manage the bleep test at 60 . I have a wealth of experience and expertise and I'm good at my job .
In reality at 60 I am not going to catch the 20 year old drug dealer .
I have never, ever not had a good court result. I do my utmost for victims of crime and for me that is worth more than being able to run up and down for 5 minutes. I am not unfit . I just can't hit the speed needed for the bleep test .

And no I do t watch any crime dramas or documentaries. It's a busmans holiday - when I'm off I want to relax .

I should just add as a DC - it's not just the shifts but the workload. When you have 30 rape investigations on your crime list that you can't investigate because every time you get to work you have a new prisoner to interview and a new investigation on your list it gets to the point you can't relax. You know you're never getting to grips with those investigations because the work is just piled on and you don't get chance to conduct enquiries on your existing case load . Stress and sickness are rife In cid.

Oh fuck off vlad . They aren't . Some are just mums and wives trying to do their best for people .

Aren't you pleasant @VladmirsPoutine.

Hope you never need the polices help.

[quote LardeeLar]@fuckedandbombed

You see a lot of police officers walking around who frankly look blatantly unfit, sounds like they need to be upping the fitness requirements for the younger ones[/quote]
I'm not unfit . I'm over 50 . Had 3 pregnancies , large tits and am short which all impact the bleep test. I am size 10 . I can run 6k . I just can't do that fucking bleep test which is stacked against older women .

Well they are trying to recruit a huge number of DI dectectives. So maybe the plan is to reduce the silly workload in CID.

I don't really understand the idea that an experienced officer has to retire at 60 or pass physical fitness tests to the same level as at 20 year old.

Can't they just have separate roles within the police for those who need to carry out physical enforcement roles and these would mainly be taken on by physically strong young men?

@fuckedandbombed you sound like a great police officer by the way. Seems silly to lose an experienced officer like you if you can't pass a somewhat arbitrary test.

I have a psychology degree and studied criminology modules. I would find the office investigation side of being a detective interesting but overall I know I would be a shit police officer. Mainly as I’m petite so unlikely to be physically able to apprehend people!

[quote PlumsAreNotTheOnlyFruit]@fuckedandbombed you sound like a great police officer by the way. Seems silly to lose an experienced officer like you if you can't pass a somewhat arbitrary test.[/quote]
Thanks plums . I honestly do love my job and I do my best for people. I've won victim care awards . To me that means more than the bleep test which is difficult for women as they get older . I wish they would do
As they do in the military and foreign forces where it is scaled for different age brackets . It seems ridiculous that a one size fits all test is the same for an 18 year old man as a 60 year old woman. I worry every year about passing it .

You don't have to be a big burly bloke to apprehend people. You need people skills. Talking is the best tool I have in the box . And you have ppe for when that doesn't work . Ive had to use my pava twice in my career, and luckily it worked enabling me to get control of a much younger , much bigger bloke. You need people skills, the ability to talk people down , the ability to reason , the ability to empathise with both victims and suspects , and if that doesn't work , the ability to fearlessly get hands on if needed .

What a constructive, helpful comment from Vladimir.

You CAN do direct entry DC. Doesn't mean you should do. My force don't do it but I know some do.

If you want fun, initial CID is not that, you'll be mainly looking at burglaries you'll never ever solve.

Response PC is where you get the action. Your Grade 1 blue light runs, I mean the exciting bit is traveling there as 99% of the time once you arrive it isn't as reported anyway.

Completely agree with above poster that you don't have to be big and tuff, I'm 5ft and 8 stone, I have never had to spray anyone or get my baton out.... Yet. My mouth does the talking. Yes things get fiesty very occasionally but to apprehend someone and arrest them you don't need violence.

Ignore Vladimir any thread involving the word police the same insightful comment gets posted several times 😂

Am I being incredibly dense here? What's ACAB?

Thanks for the explanation @fuckedandbombed. I had to look up what pava was.