Direct entry will come into policing in 2014

THE Government has announced that 20 people from outside the police will be able to join it at the rank of superintendent each year, and a further 80 at inspector level.

The Home Office and police minister Damian Green (pictured) also stated that as part of its plans to introduce direct entry into policing in 2014, Police and Crime Commissioners will for the first time be able to appoint overseas officers as chief constables.

Mr Green said that while police leaders had to make tough decisions under pressure, that could “at the extreme, be a matter of life and death… these are clearly skills that can be transferred from other trades and professions.”

“[Today] we bring an end to the policing version of the closed shop,” Mr Green said.

In a written ministerial statement, Mr Green said: “The Government remains committed to implementing fast track and direct entry schemes as they offer an opportunity to attract the best talent to the police.

“Cohort sizes should be flexible to reflect the changing needs of forces. We believe there should be in the region of 80 places on each annual cohort for the inspectors’ scheme, in line with recommendations made by Tom Winsor.

“We believe the superintendents’ scheme should develop so that there at least 20 places on each annual cohort.

“PCCs should have the ability to choose their chief constable not only from the senior ranks in the United Kingdom, but also from other countries with a similar legal framework and policing model to ours.

“This will enable PCCs to choose the very best person for the job.

“The first cohorts are expected to start in 2014.”

Mr Green did explain that objections to the idea during more than 900 consultation responses raised “issues such as equality, opportunities for existing officers, flexibility for annual cohort numbers, and the skills needed for policing.”

He said “a proportion of respondents were opposed to the direct entry schemes in principle. These respondents valued policing experience as the principal foundation for all police leaders.”

College of Policing chief executive Alex Marshall: “The College of Policing has been commissioned to lead on the development of direct entry schemes for policing following recommendations from the Winsor review into policing.

“British policing already has a vast array of talent, but that shouldn’t prevent us from opening up further opportunities to those from other professions.

“The work we have been asked to develop will cover new approaches in talent management of those from constable to inspector, direct entry at superintendent and opening up chief constable positions to equivalent candidates from forces outside the UK.”

Steve White, vice chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “We agree that the police service should be seeking to attract the ‘brightest and best’, however the current high potential development scheme should already identify those individuals and allow them to flourish.

“To command a policing operation effectively, a senior officer needs first-hand experience of responding in an operational capacity to incidents they would not encounter in any other walk of life.

“External candidates should not be able to join the service at any rank above that of constable; the current structure properly equips officers for the next stage in their career.”