Police Officer Detective Pathway Degree Holder Entry Programme
Degree Holder Detective Pathway
FIND YOUR BEAT…..
Protecting your streets
Caring for your community
Taking pride in what you do
A Career as a Detective in Merseyside Police
Are you a critical thinker who pays attention to detail and enjoys problem-solving?
We're looking for individuals who have that curiosity and drive to follow every lead and ultimately discover the truth behind situations and get results. It’s not for the faint-hearted, you will often be dealing with distressing situations, however working on serious and often complex criminal investigations is both challenging and rewarding. You will also finish every day knowing you’ve helped keep the communities of Merseyside safe.
The role of a detective constable is not dissimilar to the role of police constable; they are of the same rank but have different operational roles. As a detective you will deal with more serious and complex cases from fraud and domestic abuse to county lines and serious assaults, plus many more. Once qualified and accredited, there are also opportunities to specialise in a significant number of areas such as counter terrorism, serious and organised crime and intelligence.
From Liverpool's bright lights to Sefton's sandy beaches, you'll be serving a population of 1.5 million and covering a geographical area of 647 square kilometres. Being a part of Merseyside Police is a unique experience. You won’t just be building better communities, you’ll be building a career that counts.
We want our people to reflect the communities we serve, people who can bring diversity of experience, people who are willing to protect our streets. It’s not always easy, some days will be tougher than others, but the sense of pride makes it worth every second.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
Building a workforce that represents our communities is important to us. Not only do we aim to attract and keep people with the best skills and highest potential, we want to attract a diverse range of individuals into our force who might not have considered a career with us before. We particularly welcome applications from females and black and ethnic minority candidates.
To help us achieve a workforce that represents our communities, we have a dedicated team who work to encourage people from diverse communities to build their career with our force. They also provide support and guidance throughout the job application process to candidates from under-represented groups. To find out more about the support on offer from our dedicated DEI Outreach team please click here or contact us at outreach@merseyside.police.uk
About our Detective Pathway Degree Holder Programme
The first 15 months of the programme you will spend in uniform, learning the ropes as a Police Officer, rotating across a range of different policing departments and specialisms. Supported by experienced police officers, you will learn all about law and procedure and how to deal wide variety of policing topics.
Having completed this uniformed training, you will spend the following year developing your knowledge and skills specifically as a detective, learning how to manage and investigate a range of serious criminal offences that fall under the investigation strand. This can include working in multitude of areas such as safeguarding, intelligence and Child Protection, all whilst being under the support and direction of a competent and trained detective mentor.
After successful completion of your training (this takes around 2 years), all successful recruits will be confirmed in rank as a police officer, whilst also being rewarded with a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice. Once the full training programme and detective specific training has been completed, you will qualify as Detective Constable (PIP 2) Investigator.
To undertake the Detective Pathway Degree Holder Programme, you will need to have achieved a pass mark in any undergraduate degree subject (with the exception of a Professional Policing degree). Further information about the programme can be found on our website using this link.
If you have not yet obtained your final degree certificate, please upload a transcript
Our Recruitment Process
Due to Merseyside Police’s recruitment requirements for 25/26 and the volume of applications we will receive it may be a while before you receive email correspondence as the Force prioritises entry routes based on earliest start date however, please be rest assured that your application will be reviewed. We ask you to regularly check your emails and respond at your earliest convenience to ensure you have sufficient time to progress towards our intakes.
Please note this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive sufficient numbers of applications - we suggest that you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Our process consists of a number of stages: -
- Initial sift – this will be against the criteria outlined on our Detective Pathway page under “Am I eligible to apply”
- College of Policing Online Assessment – details about this can be found here
- In Force interview assessing your values and behaviours aligned to the expected standards of a Police Officer
- Pre-employment checks which include fitness test, medical, biometrics, vetting and references.
If in the event you have any questions, or you have trouble uploading your degree evidence, transcript or tattoo images, please send them to careers@merseyside.police.uk at the time of application.
Please note: Internal applicants must apply externally using a new personal email address
Please be aware, by applying via this entry route you are confirming your interest in becoming a detective/crime investigator and as such will be expected to continue this journey by completing the additional detective elements post completing your probation. If you believe a career as a detective is not for you, then please apply via our Police Constable Entry Program (PCEP) advert.
Join us and you'll be on the ground, investigating crime and making a real difference to people's lives. It's not always easy, it's not always predictable, but the sense of reward and excitement is like nothing else.
Nothing beats being a Merseyside Police Detective…