Detective Constables

Giving victims a voice. We’ve accepted the challenge, will you?

Our Detective Constables investigate crimes, analyse evidence and uncover the truth, working together to bring more offenders to justice.

It’s demanding work. But when you’re part of a team committed to solving the toughest cases and making a real difference across London, every challenge is one worth taking on.

You’ll join the four-year Detective Constable Entry Programme (DCEP) that incorporates a ‘uniform-first’ approach. The training is based on the national policing curriculum and focuses on you having frontline experience so you can be exposed to the skills and knowledge to become a substantive police constable and well-rounded detective.

What it’s like day to day

Become a detective constable (DC), and you’ll support victims of crime when they need your help the most. You could be safeguarding a child or vulnerable adult, tracing someone who’s missing or tackling those criminals that cause communities the most harm. Every day is different, and every day matters.

You could be involved in:

supporting victims of crime
bringing offenders to justice
undertaking search warrants
making arrests when needed
seeing a case through in court

Pay and Benefits 

You’ll earn a starting salary of £43,689, including allowances, from the day you join. After two years, your salary could increase to £46,416 upon satisfactory completion of probation. 

Over the course of five years, your salary may increase each year up to £62,094. 

Alongside your salary, you’ll have access to a range of benefits, including: 

free travel across London and discounted travel up to 70 miles outside London 
a generous public sector pension 
free physiotherapy 
free eyesight tests and a choice of frames 
on-site gyms at the Met buildings across London 
free or discounted sports facilities for you and your family 
access to a dedicated employee discount website 
eligibility for a Blue Light Card, with discounts at shops, restaurants, gyms and attractions

Training

This is a four-year programme that combines classroom learning, frontline policing and specialist detective training. You’ll start by building a strong foundation in frontline policing, before developing the investigative skills and experience you need to become an accredited Detective Constable.

After a three-day introduction to the Met, you’ll start 17 weeks of classroom learning at one of our training centres. All candidates must be able to meet the essential requirements of the training programme and role.

Our training centres are in Colindale in North London and Sidcup in South London.

Your training follows a shift pattern on alternative weeks, with early shifts from 7 am to 3 pm and late shifts from 2 pm to 10 pm.

After your initial training, you’ll move into a Basic Command Unit (BCU) and begin your street duties, where you’ll work alongside experienced uniformed officers to learn frontline policing.

You’ll spend the remainder of your first year as part of a frontline team, building your understanding of community engagement, core policing duties and what it takes to police London in real-life situations.

In your second year, you’ll start developing your investigative skills and taking on more responsibility.

This is where you’ll learn how to interview victims, witnesses and suspects, gather and assess evidence, build case files and manage investigations through the criminal justice system. You’ll also develop your ability to manage risk to victims and witnesses and prepare cases for charging reviews.

As part of your development, you’ll sit the National Investigator’s Exam (NIE), a key step towards becoming a detective.

The remainder of your programme will focus on developing your investigative expertise across areas including public protection, community safety and high-risk missing person investigations.

Combining on-the-job learning with specialist training modules and in-person masterclasses, you’ll work alongside experienced detectives and subject matter experts.

Throughout this stage, you’ll be supported by experienced detectives and a dedicated detective development team, including investigative coaches and assessors.

Career development and policing specialisms 

You’ll have access to ongoing training, mentoring, coaching and promotion opportunities. And as your experience grows, you could apply for roles in areas such as: 

Neighbourhood policing 
Emergency response 
Intelligence
Territorial Support Group (TSG)
Roads and transport policing
Public order
Major crime and specialist investigations
Firearms
Parliamentary and diplomatic protection

Opportunities will depend on your experience, performance and any additional training or selection requirements. 

Who are we looking for? 

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. That’s why in the Met we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds who are committed to making a difference for the communities we serve. 

We are looking for people who share our values of integrity, courage, accountability, respect and empathy. People who don’t run away from problems but rather have the courage and grit to take them head-on. Read more about our principles and values. 

Policing is a 24-hour job, and that means once you join, you’ll need to work shifts, including through the night and at weekends. 

Am I eligible? 

In addition to demonstrating our values, you will also need to meet our standard eligibility criteria: 

The minimum academic qualification to join us as a detective is a degree (Level 6) qualification.
You must be 18 or older to join us, but you can apply when you are 17.

Typically, the upper age limit is 57.
You don’t need to be an athlete, but you’ll need a reasonable level of fitness to meet the demands of policing. 

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a fitness assessment known as the bleep test.  

Find out more about the fitness assessment and application process

You must have lived continuously in the UK for the past three years. 

If you’re not a UK national, you must also be living in the UK without restrictions and have indefinite leave to remain.

Exceptions may apply if you’ve been serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.
If you’ve got a tattoo, you’ll need to tell us about it when you apply.  You can’t join the Met Police if you have tattoos that are on your face or the sides or front of your neck (above the collar line).  You also can’t join if you have any tattoos that are deemed offensive or discriminatory.
Whilst you can submit applications to more than one police force, you can only start the online assessment with one force. 
Everyone who joins the Met must pass vetting checks. This helps maintain our high standards and ensures people in positions of trust are suitable for their role. 

Find out more about the vetting process.

Application Process 

The entire recruitment process can take up to 12 months. It may take time, but you’ll be taking the first step towards a rewarding career that makes a difference to Londoners. 

The process includes five steps:

Step one: Online registration and application form

Step two: National Sift – including online tests.

Step three: Online assessments and competency interview

Step four: Face-to-face assessment – including medical and fitness tests.

Step five: Pre-employment checks and security vetting.

If you’re successful, we’ll make you a formal offer of employment and discuss the best date for you to join.

Find out more about the application process.

Don’t have a degree? Consider applying through the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship. You will study for a fully funded BSc Hons degree in professional policing practice over three years, earning as you learn. Complete the programme and you’ll graduate with a recognised degree, along with plenty of valuable experience.

Learn about the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and apply