About

• Have you completed, or are you close to completing, your Degree in Professional Policing? Your next step in policing starts here. The Pre-Join route is designed for graduates who have already studied the theory of policing and now want to gain practical, hands-on experience in a professional environment.
• As a Police Officer, you’ll play a vital role in keeping communities safe, protecting the vulnerable, and maintaining law and order. This is a challenging but rewarding career where no two days are the same – from responding to emergency calls to supporting victims of crime, you’ll make a real difference in your community.
• About the Pre-Join Programme
• Targeted for Professional Policing Graduates, open only to graduates of the Professional Policing Degree validated by the College of Policing. Only these candidates are eligible.
• Vocational Learning, two-year programme combining practical on-the-job learning with a small amount of classroom-based training.
• Frontline Experience, after initial training, you’ll join a team in one of our many policing units, putting your degree knowledge into practice.
• Ongoing Support, mentoring from experienced officers to help you develop into a fully competent Police Officer.
• Future Opportunities, after completing probation, you can explore promotion and specialisms, including Firearms, Dogs, Roads Policing, Complex Investigations, or Drone units.
• Please note: This is not a Detective route. After probation, you may apply for the internal Detective Academy pathway.
• What’s in it for you?
• Starting salary: £31,164.00, rising annually up to £50,256.00 within seven years.
• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 after five years.
• Extensive benefits, including a pension scheme, employee support, staff networks, and professional development opportunities. See our benefits website for more details.
• A career that matters – make a lasting impact on communities while developing your skills and future.
• Who can apply?

You must have

• A Degree in Professional Policing licensed and validated by the College of Policing, OR
• Be in the final year of study for your Professional Policing Degree.
• Only final certificates will be accepted, these must be uploaded with your application. Visit our careers website for more information about the qualifications required for different career routes.
• Fitness, Medical & Vetting
• Must meet the bleep test standard of 5.4.
• Must pass medical checks, which may include drug and fitness testing.
• Must pass our required vetting checks. See our Vetting FAQ for more information.
• Residency & Nationality
• Lived in the UK for the past three years.
• Must be a British, Irish, or EEA national, or have the right to work in the UK without restrictions.
• Application Process
• Our careers website provides a step-by-step breakdown of the application process.Training & Probation – A two-year, vocational programme combining practical policing experience with Detective specialism training.