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Detective Constable Entry Programme
We are currently pausing new applications to join our Detective Constable pathway; this is due to the high number of applications we have recently received. The Detective constable pathway is likely to open in a few months; however please be aware there are alternative routes to join MPS currently open – including that of Police Constable.
If you would like to register your interest in joining as a Detective Constable then please do read the information available below and register your interest by joining our talent bank. We will contact you when we are able to accept new applications.
All our roles are challenging, but we are sure you'll find a career with MPS be incredibly rewarding - you will help make London safer, serve our local communities, and strive to achieve the right outcome for victims and their families.
Detective Constables and Police Constables have the same rank and whilst there are a number of similarities, they have different operational roles. Detective Constables ultimately deal with serious and complex investigations, uncovering the truth and analysing evidence on cases. This could range from working to safeguard a child or vulnerable adult, pushing a case through the courts to get the right outcome for the victim and their family, all whilst making the communities we serve safer.
Being a detective is all about uncovering the truth, while identifying and managing any risks. You’ll do this by analysing evidence, talking to witnesses and building trust within the community. You will talk to lots of different people and have the compassion and skills to deal with difficult situations.
You'll work very closely with your uniform colleagues and like them, will need to police London 24/7. You'll be out making arrests, undertaking search warrants, searching people and places, dealing with conflict and responding to certain crimes. It's interesting and varied, and you'll deal with some very tough situations.
Our Detective Constable Entry Programme (DCEP) blends classroom learning at one of our Met in-house training centres with learning ‘on the job’. You'll spend the majority of your time working within our investigation teams, based across London.
It’s a two year programme that counts as your probation. The training is based on the national policing curriculum and focuses on preparing you for a hands-on detective role. You will spend the first few weeks of your training learning the law and specialist policing knowledge, alongside officers on our uniform entry route.
This learning will get you ready to join detectives based in our investigation teams across London. While you will learn and develop your policing knowledge and practice you will not gain an academic qualification.
The starting salary is £40,776. On successful completion of probation you'll earn £43,302. All salaries include allowances.
If you are looking to join the Met more quickly, then please don’t forget that one option is to join as a Police Constable, gaining valuable experience in core policing functions. We are particularly keen to receive applications for our Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship route. This entry route provides the candidate the opportunity to obtain a free Hons degree in professional policing practice whilst working as a frontline police officer.
Please do consider this route even if you have an existing degree particularly if the degree is of a non-policing nature. This is a great opportunity to earn a degree that specifically support you in a policing career (Click the link to apply to PCDA). Even if you join as a police constable there is the opportunity to take the National Investigators’ Exam and apply to undertake the Met’s internal Trainee Detective Constable programme, with the Crime Academy, which will use your existing policing knowledge and experience to develop your investigations into serious and complex crimes.
For further info about joining as a Police Constable: find out about joining us as a police constable in uniform.
If at this stage becoming a Detective Constable is your preferred entry route then please register your interest now, so that you will be informed at the earliest opportunity of when we are able to accept applications to become a Detective Constable.
