Police Officer

With opportunities to pursue a wide range of policing specialisms, a career as a Police Officer opens doors to roles in areas such as safeguarding, community engagement, investigations and anti-terrorism. Through the three-year Police Constable Apprenticeship Programme, you will be employed as an officer from day one, gaining valuable experience of the role alongside studying towards a Degree in Professional Policing Practice. Study will be a mix of on-the-job and off-the-job and you will be awarded your degree at the end of the three-year programme and with completion of your probation period.

Requirements:

• Be aged 17 years or over on the day you submit your application.
• You must be 18 years or over to start in post.
• Have lived in the UK for 3 continuous years immediately prior to application.
• Have leave to enter, or leave to remain in the UK for an indefinite period.
• Have a current full UK manual driving licence, by the time of appointment.
• Not be a member (current or previous) of the British National Party (BNP) or any other proscribed terrorist organisations or groups.
• Not have tattoos which cause offence.
• Not have serious motoring offences.
• Have achieved GCSE English at grade A-C/9-4 or an educational equivalent to a Level 2.
• If you are under the age of 19, GCSE Maths at grade A-C/9-4 or an educational equivalent to a Level 2.
• Have achieved one A Level grade A-C or equivalent Level 3 and one A level grade A-E or AS level in a different subject, or equivalent Level 3.
• You must have a minimum of 48 UCAS points when both qualifications are combined.

Applicants can hold a Level 3 BTEC as long as this qualification or combination of qualifications meets the minimum 48 UCAS tariff points. The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing will also be accepted. Applicants who do not meet the above Level 3 criteria and believe they have work experience equivalent to a Level 3 can apply. Your work experience will be assessed against a Level 3 framework. You will be asked to complete a written experience assessment and online verbal reasoning and numerical tests. The results will then be assessed by the universities who will certify whether your previous work experience is equivalent to a Level 3 qualification.

We will also accept current Investigating Officers, PIP Investigators, Contact Officer or Controllers who have completed 18 months service (or have left within the last 18 months, having completed 18 months’ service). Experience in other operational policing roles can be considered on a case-by-case basis for candidates who have served a minimum of 2 years service within the last 5 years and have exemplary references. Applicants will also be considered as meeting the Level 3 qualification requirements, who have served for minimum of 2 years within the last 5 years in the armed forces or similar law enforcement agencies and have exemplary references.

You will be paid a full-time salary of £33,364 which includes £2,000 South East Allowance and will not be charged any tuition fees – therefore no need for student loans. We’re looking for people who have the judgement to make quick decisions; are confident to be first person in; have the compassion and empathy to help those in need and the resilience to serve the community every single day. In return, we offer you a good starting salary, great training experiences, opportunities for progression, the chance to achieve a professional qualification in Policing Practice and the pride that comes from helping others. Put simply, you can change lives.

Chief Constables’ Message: We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe. We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you. We wish you all the very best with your application.

Recruitment Process:

• Stage 2: National Sift – Behavioural Style Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test
• Stage 3: National Assessment Centre – Written briefing and competency-based interview
• Stage 4: In-Force Competency-Based Interview
• Stage 5: Pre-employment checks consisting of references, vetting, medical, biometric vetting, substance misuse testing and fitness testing.

We anticipate starting dates will be from June 2027 onwards. Please note that we cannot guarantee any specific start date.