Kurtis Christoforides, who joined the police service in 2009, is unequivocal about the best thing about being a police officer. “There is no better way to positively impact the lives of people – particularly the most disadvantaged in our communities – than by being a police officer,” he says.
“Whether you’re a neighbourhood officer or a chief constable, whether you have two weeks’ service or 25 years’ experience, the vast majority of people look to you as a leader, and that gives you a huge opportunity to bring communities together to tackle the biggest challenges they face.”
Christoforides moved from policing to become programme director of Police Now, an independent charitable social enterprise with a mission to transform communities, reduce crime and increase the public’s confidence in policing.
Police Now has already established a successful programme to recruit and train 640 graduates to work as neighbourhood police constables in 28 forces across England over the past four years; and it recently launched a two-year National Detective Programme, a role set within an investigative context.
The new programme offers 90 graduates the opportunity to train as detective constables in eight forces around England and Wales. It’s one of several solutions to address the shortage in investigative capacity within the police, and the aim is to expand the scheme over the next five years to bring up to 1,000 new detective constables into the police service.
Applicants must hold a degree (minimum 2:2), have at least two years’ post-graduation work experience, and will be assessed throughout their application against the core skills needed to become a police detective. Those who are successful will start their training in September 2019, on the 12-week Police Now Detective Academy. They’ll join one of eight forces (Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Greater Manchester Police, North Wales Police, South Wales Police, Staffordshire Police, Warwickshire Police or West Mercia Police) for a period of time on response, followed by the majority of their time on investigative duties through rotations.
Successful applicants will be employed directly by the force in which they work, and paid the standard salary for a new probationer in that region, working towards becoming detective constables.
“We’re not creating a group of ‘pretend’ detectives,” says Christoforides. “We’re training and equipping a cohort of individuals who will make the transition from being outside of policing to being fully qualified detectives within two years.”
Resilience, empathy and an investigative mindset are all high on the list of desirable criteria. Problem-solving is also key. “The detective programme will suit people with a strong public service ethos who want to be challenged; who want to feel significant reward in terms of reaching the end of the day and knowing they’ve made a difference,” says Christoforides. “But this is a difficult job, and a lot will be asked of you; it involves complexity and dealing with some very difficult things that most people will never come across in their lives.”
Detectives are problem-solvers – whether you’re meeting with community stakeholders to devise ways to reduce crime or working on the details of a case that could help bring a conviction.
“During the programme, and supported by both Police Now and their force colleagues, these officers will investigate a variety of serious and complex crimes in a demanding and fast-paced environment, ranging from robberies and burglaries to assaults, arson, fraud and domestic abuse, with a strong focus placed on digital training, stressing the importance of modern investigative work. They will be responsible for supporting and safeguarding victims, gathering evidence, working with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring cases to court and problem solving to prevent reoffending,” he adds.
Started by police officers and originally incubated within the Metropolitan Police Service, Police Now works with police forces in England and Wales, the College of Policing, National Police Chief’s Council, and the Police Federation. Funding comes from the Home Office and charitable donations. Forces also contribute a fee for each detective recruited in their force.
One of the scheme’s central goals is to represent local population demographics for each force, including a balanced gender split and proportional representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people. Police forces across the country need to recruit more investigators, and police chiefs are working nationally to reinforce traditional routes into these careers, but the challenge, according to Christoforides, is to continue innovating.
“The force is very good at recruiting people who have always wanted to be police officers, and our job isn’t to replicate that,” he says. “We’re actively looking for people who have never considered joining the police, but have what it takes to build a successful long-term career as a detective. Perhaps they have skills developed in previous jobs and can bring some of that expertise to improve policing, or insights into how similar challenges are being successfully tackled in the public sector.”
Prevailing ideas about what a career in the police force is like can be misleading. “Forget Luther,” says Christoforides. “People have preconceptions about what being a police officer is about, but it’s essentially a series of interactions with different people to try and make their lives a bit better. What we’re offering is an unparalleled opportunity to build some skills that you can’t learn anywhere else, and make a positive difference. In this role, you genuinely can make the world a better place.”
Apply now at the Police Now Detectives site
