Becoming a police officer in the United Kingdom is not a simple process and it takes hard work and dedication to pass a tough recruitment process
. Each years thousands of applicants apply to join the police every year but it is only the select through that make it all the way through the police recruitment process.
Many applicants do not understand the full process of police recruitment in the UK and they often become confused about how they begin the whole process. The first point to note is that different police forces within the UK recruitment at different ties of the year, they effectively have different recruitment cycles as and when they seek to increase the number of officers. It is not as simple as downloading an application form and sending it off to your police force.
While different forces recruit at different times of the year it is also important to note that all applicants go through a national recruitment process to ensure that each applicant has an equal chances of success. Firstly, there is an application form stage, then an assessment centre, fitness test and security and developed vetting. It is important to note that some force will require candidates to undertake another interview with the force they are looking to join before being offered the job. This does not form part of the national recruitment process but is more an individual force requirement. So the second point is that each candidate goes through the same application process.
The third point to note is you can only obtain a police application form as and when your local force is recruiting so you cannot download a form all year round. The best place to look for a police application form is to check your local police force website on a regular basis and when they starting hiring again a job profile will be posted. It is here where you will be able to download a police application form.
Typically police forces will post a job for a limited amount of time and once this period has expired they will remove the application form from the website. The candidate must then complete the form and return it within a defined period of time to be considered for the next stage.
Once submitted the police application form begins the police recruitment process and enters the sift stage. This is where all the application forms are examined to evaluate the responses provided. Should a candidate meet the requirements and demonstrate that they possess the qualities of a police officer they are then invited to attend an assessment centre.