Police - direct entrance inspector

[FirstBandOnTheMoon]

Anyone joined the police through the direct entrance inspector route? How was it? I’m seriously considering it, I have strong organisational governance, finance and leadership experience and I’m considering a change due to feeling like I want to do something genuinely important and on the frontline.

Things to think about before I apply, or talk myself out of applying, appreciated!

Bump

Not my role but DH is a police office and they have had two direct entry inspectors coming through. They are generally resented massively by other officers at the same level and lower as they have not had any experience of the actual job of policing and therefore have no real idea of what officers face on a day to day basis. Also you are taking a job that current sergeants may be preparing for having worked they way through the ranks.

You will need to have a pretty thick skin as as far as I can see no-one thinks it's a good idea.

Thanks, that’s interesting but in a way the same as any graduate or career changer type role. Were the direct entrants ok at the work despite the attitude or was the negativity born out?

As mentioned above the direct entrance programme is not regarded well by coppers who have been working for a police. Nor is the Police Now graduate programme. I used to work for the Met in HR and if you look on Twitter you will find a lot of negativity.

However, go for it and try and prove them wrong. There are a lot of police with a negative attitude to anything which is not what they are used to. Have a very thick skin.

My understanding is that they have struggled, and have needed a lot of extra support and time to pass the inspector's exams and prove competency. I believe they have only had a couple of weeks at constable level and a couple of weeks at sergeant level. DH compares it to being given a job as a surgeon without even having done basic first aid training.