Detectives are accredited police officers who work as Serious and Complex Crime Investigators or Specialist Investigators. They're responsible for managing a range of investigations including those concerning robbery, drugs, domestic violence, public and child protection, company fraud, cybercrime, homicide and counter-terrorism. The term detective is not a rank but a descriptive title, which demonstrates your current role and reflects your skills, knowledge, training and experience in a particular field. Detectives work alongside their uniformed counterparts as equals in pay and rank.

Taken from prospects 2024

While many get into the role by first qualifying as a police officer, it's not essential to do so.

Graduates can take an alternative training route through the Police Now National Detective Programme, which over a two-year period develops the key skills and leadership qualities needed for the role.

To be eligible you need to have achieved a minimum of a 2:1 at undergraduate level (or non-UK equivalent).

The programme starts with the Detective Academy, an intensive 12-week residential training course which includes a mix of classroom and field training. To proceed further, you must successfully pass the National Investigators Exam (NIE).

The rest of the training consists of in-force training, immersion training (where you join a force in uniform to practice your core policing skills) and a series of rotations, where you'll undergo accelerated training to learn how to investigate serious and complex crime.

You can also take the specialist detective pathway through in-house training with specific police forces. With either pathway, participants will earn the graduate diploma in Professional Policing Practice.

Entering this career via a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship is also possible. Visit Joining the Police to see the different routes into the role and what constabularies are currently hiring apprentices.

Taken from prospects 2024