Essex Police advertises for Direct Entry Superintendents

ESSEX Police has advertised for direct entry superintendents to join the force.

More than half of UK forces have begun the process of recruiting new officers from outside the police service – meaning the new intake could be in rank by the end of the year. Application windows opened this month at 20 forces hoping to take on direct entry inspectors and eight looking to recruit direct entry superintendents in the fourth round of the scheme.

Steve Taylor, Chair of Essex Police Federtaion, said: “We currently have a direct entry Superintendent, Craig Saunders, who is a very personable chap and I wish him well as he tackles what has got to be a very difficult challenge.

“I understand the idea of bringing in skills from the wider workplace into the upper levels of our organisation, I do understand that. And so I can see why they’ve turned to that as a route of possible entry into the organisation.

“But those work-based skills can be brought in already to non-warranted officer positions. We can bring in the skills of human resources, the skills of resource management, the skills of procurement and legal facility, without having to have that officer warranted. So the argument loses a little bit of traction with me in that regard.”

Greater Manchester and West Midlands Police, two of the largest, are involved in the process for the first time, with GMP seeking inspectors and supers, and WMP just inspectors.

Former GMP chief constable Sir Peter Fahy had pledged not to introduce the scheme while he led the constabulary. Sir Peter retired in 2015, with Ian Hopkins having since taken over.

Forces in Derbyshire, Cleveland, Dorset and Gwent are also looking to hire those with no previous experience of policing to the rank of inspector.

The recruitment window, which has begun earlier this year than in previous years, runs until March.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a speech to PCCs last year that forces must get more involved in the College of Policing-led scheme.

She claimed: “There is no target for direct entry but I urge you to see it for what it is – a way to bring in talented leaders from other professions.”

When the concept first came to prominence following the Winsor Review, the Home Office originally asked for 20 supers and 80 inspectors to be taken on through the process every year, PoliceOracle.com has reported.

The website previously highlighted the expense of recruitment through the process, and the lack of evaluation of the scheme having taken place to date.