Police Staff Jobs

Perish the thought that I sound in any way cynical , however I can't help but feel that Assistant Investigator role is designed to be one that only ex Police Officers can realistically apply for.
The job spec states that experience of criminal investigation is required - well where is a ' civilian ' supposed to have gained this experience ?

This really sounds like a ' jobs for the boys ' exercise , it would be most illuminating for someone to submit an FOI request in 6 or 8 months time to enquire what % of these positions went to former Police Officers.

Like I said , forgive my apparent cynicism :rolleyes:

Not to mention of course the fact that as former Police officers ( regular or FTR ) they are permitted to carry a PPW - thus neatly overcoming the Policing Boards resistance to the Chief Constables idea of armed ' civilian ' roles - brilliant !

has anyone had a reply from any of the positions they applied for yet?

I'd be interested to hear about those who applied for the Investigator role and were not from an FTR background.

Absolutely agree . Requiring applicants to have experience of criminal investigations at a stroke rules out anyone not ex-Police , I would be interested though to learn if those without the required background even get to assessment stage or will they be ' screened out ' ?
In due course an FOI request will confirm if our suspicions are well-founded or not.

Mind you , I have heard that some FTR have never even taken a statement in their careers.

Given that you have criminal investigation experience kitchensink ( something very few civilians would have ) then you may well be in with a shot . The fact that ex-Police are permitted to carry a PPW may prove significant in the scheme of things.
I remain convinced the vast majority appointed to the role will be ex-Police but I wish you the very best of luck with your application.

I heard today of someone with a non-Police investigative background who applied to the investigator role , they got ' Dear John'd ' without being invited for any tests , assessment or interview :rolleyes:.

kitchensink wrote: »

I got a letter stating that the short listing won't be completed until mid August.

Good , still hope for you then.

I also got a letter about shortlisting a few days ago.

Hello Folks

Just my two cent's worth:

Interesting read and comments about the assistant investigator PSNI roles.

It made it clear on the PSNI website that "they were looking for RC, Women etc., as these were under-represented within the PSNI community......" It is clear and unequivocal intent that they according to their own standards need to show fairness and impartiality to attract people from all walks of life with suitable qualifications and experience to match the position.

I hope this is the case and that fairness and equity might be gallant winners here!

According to the specification the "essential" and "desirable" AI profile will be taken into consideration. When there are large numbers of applications then the "desirable" criteria will be used instead. "Experience of criminal investigations" is challenging to the non-police candidates and it will be interesting to see under the FOI the number of ex-police that secure these positions. I can only hope that they are going to select from a large pool of candidates using their own adherence to their policies for selection and that it remains fair and transparent.

I received the confirmation letter of "completed application form" from Grafton Recruitment. They state that short-listing is currently being completed and that we will be informed by Friday 19th August 2011.

After this the selection process includes testing, details of assessment to those lucky enough to meet the short-listing criteria.

The next phase will be quick and could be the following week which could include testing:

1. Listening to instruction, taking notes and using those notes to evaluate information.
2. Understand and accurately interpreting written material.
3. Interpreting and utilising verbal and numerical data.

This is what was used for the PSNI Police Trainee Recruitment Initial Selection Test back in 2007 and it is only a guess that they will use the same process to whittle down desirable candidates into a pool of potential candidates that could go forward to the assessment stage.

This is merely my opinion and advice would be to get some practise on the aptitude tests to score as high as you can to get the best position you can in your test scores. But we will be given full details by the 19th only to those short-listed.

Personally, I am hoping to at least get to the testing stage and would like to be called by 19th August for test. I have experience and education that reflects the AI position and would be extremely disappointed if I did not get a fair chance to go for it.

Will let you know folks either way, and the very best of luck!

Regards

4N6

If you think of the Investigator role as a ' Para-Police ' position then you will see the ability of an investigator to carry a PPW may prove crucial - due to the current security situation the idea of unarmed people in this job is difficult ( for me at any rate ) to imagine .
The abolition of the FTR was a political decision that was included in the Patten Report , had the decision been left to the PSNI I believe the FTR would still be here - these investigator roles are , in my opinion , a mechanism to retain them albeit under a different name.
Having said all that I wish everyone who has applied the best of luck.

Hello Folks

FYI - Alternative Options Worth Thinking About:

NPIA re: Assistant Crime Analyst & Crime Analyst Role UK

UK Jill Dando Institute Courses

What previous students have done with their degrees and working for MET


Folks this is just food for thought, it is something that requires lots of patience, perseverance and an alternative option for all us would be Assistant Crime Analysts. It is tough waiting for positions to open up but I believe we must be optimistic and there are many positions further afield re: Australia, USA.

Getting away, getting experience and working in an area that you love is important personal satisfaction that transcends across the board........and may give you better options when returning home and applying for these highly sought after careers.

If I get any other information will share this with you and best of luck to all and congrats to those that make the next stage of the PSNI AI testing.

Regards

:eek:4N6:pac:

kitchensink wrote: »

We can only wait and see if the posts are jobs for the boys or genuinely open to civilians. I am a realist, especially with the current security situation but I find it hard to get my head round that civilians would be carrying weapons or that if I was to get a post that I would be carrying a firearm.

No way you would be carrying a firearm.

The Policing Board some time ago shot down the Chief Constables plans for armed civilian roles ( some of you may recall his plan for armed guards at various Police premises to free up officers for other duties ).
The fact is that armed civilian roles are not possible but a neat way around this prohibition is to employ ex-Police who by virtue of their former as opposed to current positions are permitted to carry a PPW.

Any applicants from a non-Police background will not be armed - which convinces me that most if not all of the positions will go to ex-Police.

Shield wrote: »

The cynical person might say the jobs for the lads job spec was written specifically for ex-police only and worded in such a way that only ex-police are eligible to apply.

Shield , so sad to see such cynicism in one so young

On a serious note - as I mentioned in another thread , if these investigator roles turn out to be a jobs for the lads exercise it follows that very few RC's will be recruited given the low level of RC representation among the Patten leavers and even lower level among the ranks of the FTR.
Such an outcome would be at odds with the stated ambition of improving RC representation at all levels in the organisation.

Interesting point you make Dietcoke - I have heard there were FTR who never even took a statement during their time in the Police.
Looking at the job spec it would probably suit ex-CID very well.
I'm interested in how those applicants from non-Police backgrounds fare.

As a non police background applicant I just thought I'd let you know I recieved word yesterday that I passed the shortlisting stage and have a date for the assesment centre which a slightly different format than PSNI recruitment campaign as there is only a verbal reasoning and situational judgement tests. I'll let you know how I get on!!

Moderator Note - Forgive me for mentioning it again but please be sure not to give out details of dates , times , venues , etc in relation to assessments for any PSNI job.
Good luck to those going forward in the process.