Are you ready for a life changing career where you could really make a difference?
From Monday (9 September) Leicestershire Police is looking for talented people from diverse backgrounds to join one of the best forces in the country as a police officer.
Being a police officer will give you some of the best and proudest days of your life, from protecting the vulnerable to saving lives - it’s exciting, diverse and vitally important.
If you enjoy facing challenges and solving problems and would like to contribute to keeping people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safe then policing could be for you.
No two days are the same you'll get to learn new skills, meet new people and set out on a career path that could see you specialise as a firearms officer, dog handler, traffic officer, digital media investigator, detective or become the trusted, familiar face of neighbourhood policing.
Between now and 2024, Leicestershire needs to recruit nearly 600 officers and the force is still waiting to hear how many of the 20,000 new officers recently announced by the Prime Minister will come to Leicestershire.
Chief Constable Simon Cole QPM, said: “This is a really exciting time for police officer recruitment and I am confident we will attract a diverse group of people who will enjoy living and working in the wonderful place that is Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
As I enter my thirty first year in policing I am really proud to lead a force whose performance is judged by the HMICFRS to be good and to this day I still think policing is a really rewarding job.
“It is really important that our workforce represents the communities we serve and I am particularly keen to attract applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, religion and experiences and I’d encourage everyone to consider a career that really does make a difference to people’s lives.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach said: “People consistently tell me that they want to see more police officers on the streets and in their neighbourhoods. In response I have lobbied long and hard to see more investment in policing to enable us to increase officer visibility and I welcome this campaign.
“Policing remains a great career, offering a breadth of opportunity and support and this latest round of recruitment will enable us to have a workforce that is more representative of the communities it serves and I urge people from all backgrounds to consider applying. It could be the job you’ve been waiting for.”
There are now four different routes into policing and as a result the force is looking for non-graduates, graduates and career changers.
At Leicestershire Police there are currently two routes about to open;
Initial Police Learning and Development Programme IPLDP (starting salary is £24, 177 applications can be submitted from Monday 9 September)
This is open to everyone aged 18-57 with a level 3 qualification or equivalent; hold a full UK/EU valid manual driving licence and not have any serious convictions or recent cautions and have lived in the country for three years.
Degree Holder Programme (DHEP) (starting salary is £24,177 with expressions of interest being accepted from Monday 9 September)
If you have a degree in any subject you can join and follow a work-based programme, supported by off-the job learning.
This route normally takes two years and the learning you have undergone is recognised with a graduate diploma in professional policing when you complete your probation.
Sergeant Yusuf Nagdi, has been a police officer for 14 years. He said: “I am really proud to be a police officer and enjoy working with our communities helping the most vulnerable but I also get great satisfaction using my skills and training to catch offenders and see them brought to justice I would recommend being a police officer to everyone.
We have a strong family ethos, where teams work closely together to get the job done and give the best possible service.”
Everything you need to know about recruiting can be found on the Leicestershire Police website at www.leics.police.uk/joinus