Home-grown talent means there is no need for direct entry

RECRUITMENT for the direct entry scheme for police inspectors has begun in England and Wales – but Essex Police is not part of it.

Only nine forces – Cheshire, Thames Valley, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Humberside, Northumbria, North Wales Police, Warwickshire and West Mercia – are taking part.

“I think that we have home-grown talent that can be promoted up to inspector,” said Mark Smith, Essex Police Federation Chairman.

Recruits to the £48,000-a-year posts will undertake classroom training while working as a PC and then sergeant in their first year. They will then move up to inspector while completing their training.

After two years of training and supervision, they will be fully qualified and independent.

Entrants do not need prior policing experience or a degree, although the latter is listed among “desirable” qualities.

Mr Smith added: “I agree with the degree entry and the accelerated promotion, and I think that we have home-grown talent that can be promoted up to Inspector. We don’t need to be bringing in people in inspector ranks, especially when we’re losing officers.

“We’re losing officers so these positions are getting harder to actually achieve. We should be looking after those that have built the foundation within policing, they’ve started at Constable level, they’ve built their foundations, they then become Sergeants, have learned to supervise people within the police family and then get promoted to Inspector. We don’t need direct entry.”

It was revealed last year that more than 15,200 constables and sergeants in England and Wales are currently qualified to a higher rank level but with no role to go into.