U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Careers in the Police Force

NCJ Number
97838
Author(s)
J Joss
Date Published
1982
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This guide to careers in the police force in the United Kingdom begins with a review of the origins and history of policing, including the increasing role of women in the new police, and an outline of the organizational and rank structure of the police. of the police.
Abstract
Recruitment and training are discussed, including qualifications and preentry and graduate-entry programs. Duties associated with work in the station house, on the beat, in car patrols, in village police forces, and at public events are described. Opportunities for promotion and specialization are examined, including work in the criminal investigation department, the traffic police, the mounted police, underwater units, the river police, the armed police, special branch, mobile support units, and the juvenile bureau. Additional areas of specialization reviewed are work as a dog handler, a court officer, a collator, a crime prevention officer, or in the operations room. Allied occupations, such as special constable, traffic warden, and scientific officer, also are discussed. Additional career possibilities exist in the transport, dock, park, and Ministry of Defense police forces. Pay scales, housing conditions, terms of service, holidays, pensions, health benefits, and equipment and uniform are described. A listing of police forces and recruiting officers in the United Kingdom also is provided.