Branch detectives’ rep says recruitment plan is a ‘quick and panicked solution’

3 August 2023

Nottinghamshire Police Federation’s detective’s rep says proposals to parachute recruits from the business world straight into detective roles is a ‘quick and panicked solution’ and he urges politicians ‘to look at the bigger picture’.

Adam Rose has commented after Labour said it would force police chiefs to recruit detectives directly from businesses without having to work as frontline officers first if it wins power at the next general election. 

Labour’s plans suggest that individuals with experience in business fraud investigation, child protection and other relevant fields would be allowed to join the force as entry-level detectives.

“I think the question is, ‘will these new detective recruits be coming in as police officers or civilian officers?’ ‘Will they carry the same powers, responsibilities and pay, or will it be an attempt at policing on the cheap?’,” says Adam, who has been a detective for almost 15 years, having spent seven years on response after joining the Force in 2002.

There are around 7,000 unfilled detective vacancies across the country

“It is fair to say that there are professionals from industry outside of policing who might just slot into relevant detective roles - take HMRC tax investigators for example, their skill set would allow them to get to grips with the role of detective in the fraud department quickly.  But what will happen if that person is pulled out of that role and placed into another? Because that is the reality of the job in today’s world. 

“As detectives - or police officers in general - we are a deployable resource, used to fill resourcing gaps wherever necessary which doesn’t always take into consideration our skill set or experience but we have to get on with it because that is what a police officer does. 

“I do question whether they will really have adequate training? You pick up a lot of experience and knowledge on the streets as a front-line cop - experience that will help shape you as a detective such as being able to talk to people under stressful situations. Fast-tracking professionals into detective roles won’t necessarily allow them to gain this essential experience, depending on the industry that they are coming from. 

“They might immediately be pushed totally out of their comfort zone, which could prove detrimental to both them and the Force. As response officers or detectives, you may deal with dangerous individuals, emotional and difficult situations which are not experienced in the ‘business world’.”

While Adam acknowledged the traditional entry route was not the only way people could become successful detectives, he did suggest it was beneficial and likely to deliver a consistently high calibre officer for the role.

“I do realise that things have changed since I first became an officer. When I was on response 15 years ago, I and other officers aspired to be on the CID similar to other departments, such as firearms or traffic - you did your time on the front line in uniform and pushed yourself to try and get onto one of those departments to specialise if it was something different that you wanted to do.

“I don’t think that officers aspire to be detectives anymore, it is more often a role that people are pushed or subtly forced into at times. The shift patterns, long hours, caseloads that can carry significant risk and being a department that deals with the ‘more serious crime’ now puts people off the job - and I think that’s what those in power should be concentrating on. 

“As it stands, there is currently little advantage to being a detective. Not working 24 hours means that there is a loss in the ‘shift pay’ after certain hours and once you’ve gone through the training to be a detective, currently, you are then restricted from applying for certain roles. Or, in some cases - despite expressing an interest in a specific department - you end up being moved into another to facilitate the shortfall in detectives - and that’s a big part of what’s putting officers off applying for the role.

 “The government needs to look at the bigger picture, they need to invest in a solution to make the job of a detective more attractive again.”

According to the Police Foundation think tank, there are around 7,000 unfilled detective vacancies across the country.

“I get it, it’s a stalemate,” ended Adam.

“Cops don’t want to be detectives but we need more detectives - so what’s the answer?”

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