To want to join the police force?

[hummingbird17]

I've wanted to be a police officer for as long as I can remember.

I'm now 28. I have 2dc 6&2. I was very young when I had dd, I wasn't able to finish my degree (which wasn't actually police based) and have just worked part time in admin type jobs ever since.

But recently I can't stop thinking about it. And I think it's because we don't want any more babies so is now my time? My husband would support me but he's not overly keen on the idea because of the dangers around the job.

I'm put of slightly by the unsociable hours with young children.

But I'm sort of thinking now or never. Stay in a boring part time job or re train and do something widely different.
Is this even feasible at my age? With not much in the way of experience?

Thanks for any words of wisdom!

Go for it! They have police jobs that are 9-5 jobs too you know. Especially for officers that deal with fraud. Start researching the possible roles.

For example, here are all the staff police jobs open with the Met.
https://www.met.police.uk/car/careers/met/police-staff-roles/police-staff-vacancies/

Try applying first as a Special Constable to see if it's really what you want to do.
Most Forces now require a degree for entry as PC.
You could look at degree apprenticeship courses (paid as PC and study on job) but it's hard work, especially with young DC.
DS1 currently studying Professional Policing but he had no other commitments.
Most students apply for Specials before they apply as PC.

Maybe start in the contact centre? The one near me pays 30k+ and you can the shifts 3 months in advance so time to plan with the kids. Also no danger - you're in the action but just on the phone in a nice safe office. Might give you a way in to where you want to be but easing your way in!

Just don’t. I say that as a wife of a retired officer and also a close relative of a serving officer. The job looks good on paper but plays havoc with family life. If things go wrong, as the often do, management and colleagues are quick to throw you under the bus. It is much worse for a woman than a man

Policing with a young family is awful. I was a prison officer at the time with DH being a police officer and I had to change jobs because we never saw each other with our shifts and it nearly destroyed us.

Most forces that I know of, you can’t just join as a specialist operational police role, you’d have to go directly civilian which isn’t the police role itself.
You have to complete a probationary period first which can be up to 2 years before you can move and then it depends on vacancies/your face fitting. Most are also requiring the degree now which is a huge undertaking; trying to learn and do the police job as well as the degree.

Think never being there much for any family event, not being able to have time off when you want it, shifts/duties changed at short notice and the potential to be regularly hauled to court or to explain yourself for what you did or didn’t do.
Think not being able to finish regularly at your finish time or potentially having to stay late and not being able to communicate why so your family are at home worried sick. Response shifts are all over the place and like my old job, you have to be prepared that the job will change you. You may end up seeing risk everywhere and being suspicious of everyone and everything which isn’t always the best! You’ll also need an outlet for processing some of the things you’ll see.

The modern job now reflects a lot of the problems with the country and is more about attending to jobs like mental health issues, rather than lots of ‘actual’ policing. It’s about reams of paperwork and making sure you’ve crossed every I because it can and will come back if you haven’t.

It’s a hard job to go straight into with no experience and it’s filling up with really young people who don’t really know a lot, tutoring even more inexperienced people.

You’ve got to be ready for lots of conflict and that I don’t think public opinion of the police has been so low in a long time.

If you do still want to do it, I’d try and join the police in a different role so you can get a feel for it and gain experience, without committing to the full process until you know for sure.

As someone who spent 10 years in policing - run the opposite direction and do not stop.

The job is bloody awful, the pay, the conditions, the lack of resources, awful management and you will never finish a shift on time.

You will be spat on, kicked, groped and verbally abused by both colleagues and the public alike.

I cannot convey the damage 10 years of working in the police has done to me.

This.

I had always wanted to join the Police but my career and family got in the way.
Roll on to my 40's and I became a Special Constable. It involved a lot of commitment and hard work but one thing it did show me was that a change of career to become a full time officer was not for me.
Very disappointing but at least I found out before I gave up on my old job and I did carry on working as an SC so it wasn't wasted.

What is it that attracts you to policing OP?

Those jobs advertised with the Met posted above are police staff (civilian) posts but definitely worth considering joining your local force as a civilian. There are also police officer jobs with regular hours e.g. Licensing officer but you'd probably have to do a few years on response first including night shifts, weekends etc.
You could look.at becoming a PCSO - police community support officer - which have more regular hours, and many do go on to become police officers.

Yes it’s more than feasible. I joined at 26 and there were plenty in my intake older than me. I now help out with recruitment interviews and have interviewed plenty of candidates in their 40s.

Begin getting your CV finessed to include relevant experience. Special Constable is the first thing you should apply to do. Then other community based voluntary work that would interest you. First Aid qualifications too.

Why not anything else? If you've been in a series of admin type jobs then you have a pretty good base / transferable skills if you look at different sectors. I'd sooner clean the public toilet at Kings Cross train station with my bare tongue than work for the police.

I loved my time with the police. Almost all of the officers were absolutely lovely, polite, respectful, appreciative, friendly, and I never witnessed or heard any rumours of racism, sexual harassment, misogyny, anything like that. I was sad to leave, and only did so because my department was moved a considerable distance away.

It’s almost impossible to manage with young children. You also don’t have a degree. I cannot see that this is a good idea. Your family won’t see much of you. I would advise doing a course to get you a management qualification as a mature adult. Then get a better job when dc are older. Eg HR?

I joined at 29 but didn't have children until mid 30s.
Ask your self why you want to join. Many people think of it as very different to the actual role itself. What childcare do you have. You'll be expected to work 24/7 as a warranted officer until you can move sideways. I'm not after 15 years in a day job but you wouldn't be able to do that from the off. If you're interested in detective work they now have a direct route for this but detectives work crazy hours too depending on where you are. I've pulled many a 26 hour shift as a dc. Even then you'd still have to do 12 weeks uniform. Hope this helps.
Deffo look at being a special first. I've known a few who were put off policing from this.

Edited...I'm now in a day job afyer 15 years...

If you want to get a real insight into the job go on Reddit and search for UKPolice

Most are serving officers. Most looking to leave

Just saw this on facebook. I'm sure other forces will offer similar.