Police officer

As a police constable with a degree, you can earn a salary starting from £29,907 rising to £48,231 over seven-years.

You'll also benefit from the following:

• a police pension scheme
• career progression
• a generous annual leave entitlement which increases as part of your service
• support for a good work-life balance with family friendly policies
• being a part of a wider police family
• access to officer and staff associations, active groups and networks
• enhanced maternity benefits
• 24/7 wellbeing support and advice for professional and personal matters 
• access to discounts schemes via Bluelight Card

A police officer’s role is demanding and diverse.

You’re the one everyone looks to for help.

It is a big decision to join, and this isn’t your average nine to five.

We’re looking for people who have the judgement to make quick decisions; have great people skills; can show compassion and empathy to help those in need; who’ll have their colleagues back no matter what and the resilience to serve the community every single day.

Consider whether you can:

• deal with the complex and sensitive cases, requiring clear reasoning and evidence gathering
• think on your feet – problem solve and respond to new challenges
• develop new skills as data and technology become ever more important to policing
• work well with colleagues as part of an effective team
• offer great people skills, remaining calm and patient with members of the public, particularly in stressful or volatile situations
• handle traumatic situations and be able to communicate information sensitively
• be decisive and use your police powers appropriately
• give clear and accurate evidence in court
• work shifts, nights and weekends (including public holidays)
• be flexible about where you work - you might not work in your preferred location
• be willing and able to meet the academic demands and deadlines throughout the programme 

You’ll receive training and support throughout your career to help you manage the demands of policing, but it’s important to be sure that becoming a police officer is right for you.

There are three main routes to becoming a police officer. 

Don't have a degree? The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is for you.

Already got a degree? The Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) is for you. 

Find out more about each of these routes.

You can also begin by volunteering. Find out more about our volunteer opportunities.

To be a police officer you must:

• be aged 17 or over (on the day you submit your application). You will need to be 18 years or over by your first day.
• have been a UK resident for the past three years.
• be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or an EC/European Economic Area national, or a foreign national whose stay in the UK is unrestricted.
• have a full UK manual driving licence (by the time of appointment).
• not have six penalty points or more on your driving licence.
• be prepared to work shifts including nights, weekends and bank holidays
• not have tattoos which could cause offence.
• not be registered bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years).
• be able to pass a job-related fitness test
• be able to pass a medical screening and meet the minimum eyesight standards
• not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
• have a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent 64 UCAS points), Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) Maths and English*

To be considered for entry to the Degree Holder Entry Programme, applicants must provide certificates and transcripts of the following qualifications:

• UK undergraduate degree (360 credits) in any subject (other than Professional Policing)

*Applicants without the minimum qualifications may still be able to apply. Individuals with relevant work experience and some academic qualifications can apply to have their skills and experience assessed by our skills panel.

Skills panel comprises representatives from our Learning & Development team and our university partner, Anglian Ruskin University. You will be invited to discuss your skills, experience and qualifications with the panel, who will decide on your capability to complete the required training to become a police officer. Please note, this panel does not replace the job interview later in the recruitment process.

If you think you are a suitable candidate for skills panel assessment, please contact a member of the recruitment team by email [email protected]

If you have contacted us about a skills panel assessment, do not apply via our online application form until you have spoken to a member of the team.

We are committed to providing reasonable workplace adjustments to all individuals throughout the recruitment process, and during their time with the Constabulary. It is our aim to support individuals to get into policing and to support them once they are part of our team. The below contains some information around what the Constabulary will need in order to support colleagues with any long term health conditions.

Information for Insulin Dependent Diabetics

We are proud to be accredited as a disability confident leader, and offer extra support and guidance to our people and to candidates applying for roles within the Constabulary. If you would like to find out more about what this means, or how we could support you as a candidate during the recruitment process, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

The Constabulary is also pleased to be partnered with the Business Disability Forum (BDF). BDF are the leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. They work in partnership with business, Government, and disabled people to remove barriers to inclusion. The forum's 500+ members employ more than 20 per cent of the UK workforce and an estimated 8 million people worldwide.

The relationship between BDF and the Constabulary is one that provides professional support and best practise, ensuring that we are able to best support our people throughout their employment. For more information on BDF, visit the Business Disability Forum website.

So you want to join us as a police officer.

This application process consists of several stages and it’s important to note that because of this, the average time from application to appointment is six months. We have this process to make sure we recruit the very best people with integrity and high ethical and professional standards. 

• Stage 1: Complete the application form - please be aware this will take you to our recruitment portal, which may look different to our main website
• Stage 2: Eligibility checks
• Stage 3: Online assessment process
  • Situational Judgement Test (SJT) - if not completed as part of pre-sift
  • competency-based interview
  • written exercise
  • briefing exercise
• Stage 4: Final interview
• Stage 5: Fitness test and medical assessment
• Stage 6: Vetting

The College of Policing outline that positive action is not about giving some people more favourable treatment, it is about levelling the playing field to enable individuals to compete on equal terms. At Norfolk Constabulary we are looking for a talented workforce who can best serve the community it represents. In other words, we are looking for talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

Positive action is a range of measures and initiatives that aim to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and that we treat all applications fairly and in accordance with current legislation.  It is lawful action to encourage those from under-represented groups to bring their expertise, experience and talent to our organisation. When applying to join Norfolk Constabulary, our selection processes are no different. 

Through the use of positive action, we do not seek to remove competition, rather allow everyone the same level of opportunity, with the final selection always made on the merit of the applicant. 

Having a positive action programme will have an impact on the public through improving organisational, team and personal performance.

In particular it will contribute to:

• building better relationships with communities, resulting in a more effective service
• delivering on the priorities established for the police service such as reducing crime and reducing bureaucracy
• creating a fair and equitable career pathway for members of under-represented groups
• supporting career progression of those who demonstrate the talent to reach the next step

The Equality’s Act protects people from being treated less favourably because they have a protected characteristic. Sections 158 and 159 set out the provisions under the act for use of positive action.

Positive action applies to all protected characteristics in employment and these are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• race
• religion and belief
• sex
• sexual orientation
• pregnancy and maternity

Norfolk Police use positive action to support individuals and/or groups who as a result of their protected characteristic/s suffer a disadvantage or have a need that through support can be reduced or overcome.

Positive action is entirely voluntary. There is no requirement for an employer to use either the general provisions or those relating to recruitment and promotion.

The force is keen to recruit people with a wide range of skills and experiences and an understanding of cultural issues. We have a number of support networks that are available to all officers, staff and volunteers, including:

• Ethnic Minority Policing Association (EMPA)
• The Forum (Leading positive change in Norfolk Constabulary in relation to gender, flexible working & caring matters)
• Reach Out (Disability)
• Norfolk Christian Police Association
• The Norfolk LGBT+ Police Network 

Norfolk Police are focused on attracting, recruiting and retaining talented people. We value equality, diversity and inclusivity and welcome applications from across our communities.

For further information or advice relating to positive action visit our positive action pages, or email Amy Stanton, our positive action recruitment advisor.