The Police Application Thread

n1blo said:
Anybody know how strict they are regarding this?
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Depends on force. Not sure about Strathclyde. I know some forces will give you some leeway especially if you have a doctors note saying you are fit and healthy but some others are totally rigid on their policy.

I would suggest phoning and asking recruitment directly.

Defcon5 said:
If you are fit it wont matter.
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If only every force used 'coomon sense'. Unfortunately they don't.
 
What are the fitness requirements for Scottish forces ?

When I joined in 2000, you had to attain level 9 on the bleep test at 20m intervals as well as at least 20 push ups in a minute and over 20 sit ups. You also had to do a grip test and be able to swim a certain distance and retrieve a rubber brick from the bottom of the pool.

It has since been watered down where you only need to achieve level 5.4 on the bleep at 15m intervals.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
It has since been watered down where you only need to achieve level 5.4 on the bleep at 15m intervals.
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Personally, I don't see why they watered it down. I'm pretty unfit at the moment, but even I stopped at level 8 when I did it with no previous effort to get myself fit. I feel sorry for the people that struggle at 5.4 because it's a lot harder to run with all the equipment that you carry.
 
It was watered because so many people were failing it. If you can't make 5.4 then you should really consider another career.

Running after people with a duty belt was always a pain but you can now get a utility vest that fits over body armour that is more comfortable to carry and run with.

The footwear we used to get was awful for running in until the introduced Mags.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Depends on force. Not sure about Strathclyde. I know some forces will give you some leeway especially if you have a doctors note saying you are fit and healthy but some others are totally rigid on their policy.
I would suggest phoning and asking recruitment directly.
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Thanks, I will ask at the familiarisation event this week.
As for fitness assessment criteria;

1.5 mile < 12mins
Push/Pull test 70kg

I believe that's it....

Oh and having a BMI >30! Haha

I'm not a fantastic runner because of my weight and height, but I am definitely fit and healthy.
 
I refer to the Standard Entrance Test, which you attended on the 11th January 2011 and
I am pleased to inform you that you passed the test and have been selected to go forward
to the next stage of the selection process.
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:)

Bought a new pair of running trainers today, lets get hammering out a few miles on the treadmill!
 
Has anybody attended the Assessment Centre before?
What sort of testing did you undertake?
I understand the physical side of things but they were a bit sparse on the details regarding the other tests... I'm getting closer to my date and agitated as I can't really study for anything :(
 
Just to drag this up a little, I filled in the initial application form to join as a Special with Merseyside Police yesterday, so I've been having a read through this thread and all the various police websites to get as much info as possible. Very excited at the possibility of becoming an officer!
 
n1blo said:
Has anybody attended the Assessment Centre before?
What sort of testing did you undertake?
I understand the physical side of things but they were a bit sparse on the details regarding the other tests... I'm getting closer to my date and agitated as I can't really study for anything :(
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yes, I also passed it first time - how? - by preparing and researching...

the day is quite long and you'll be split into groups, so do things in a different order.

My force use the Westshire shopping centre - and you are the manager.. get it into your head - you are the manager!!!!!

verbal reasoning test - 25 q's 30 minutes or similar - read short passages pick the correct answer.

numeracy test - 25q's 30 minutes or similar - basic maths questions without a calculator - brush up on long division/multiplication.

written test - mine was write a letter back to the local press stating what you will be doing about a recent "test whereby the press placed a suspect package in the toliet and the security team didnt take it seriously" basically - keep an open mind and respect EVERYONE! i mentioned about raising awareness with staff, posters aroundf the centre and announcements etc

the second written test was to an angry parent who was nearly knocked down in a car park by boy racers.... you had to respond to her letter - the key?? COMPROMISE!! you can't ban the boy racers (it's not respecting diversity) and you can't tell her where to go....

role plays - there are 4 role plays - 5 minutes to prepare for each,

examples of mine were a cleaner who had been cuaght being racist because a muslim wanted to pray so many times a day and the other cleaner objected - keep in mind keeping people equal but disiplining racist comments etc.

a parent who claims a security guard had insluted and shouted at the child for taking money out of the fountain....refer to policy... in the shopping centre's agreement it states children should not under any circumstances be left alone or near water or something daft like that!

interviews - based around application form answers - you can bend truth slightly to hit the points.

you'll be being observed from entering the building - do not say anything un diverse to anyone about anything!!!
 
also bear in mind, you can under perform in quite a few areas and still pass... if you underperform in ANYTHING to do with respecting race and diversity - you're screwed... this doesn't just cover the skin colour....age, disability, gender, race etc etc etc...challenge ANY COMMENT in role plays etc that are remotely racist etc
 
I got zero enjoyment out of it, at first it was exciting, but then it becomes completely routine, in your first years you literally get all the crap to do (i'm not talking about making the teas) you realise you're more of a glorified baby sitter half the time, the amount of times I had to sit for 9 solid hours nightshift in a hospital ward with some idiot who'd been locked up and pretending to be ill to be taken to hospital for a much more comfortable bed was unreal. Very little breaks, if any at all, having to be there earlier than start time and never finishing on time (first 30mins you can't claim for!)

it became totally mundane, the same idiots doing to same things, very little room to progress to specialist units and the shift pattern was the ultimate nail in the coffin, it sapped every bit of energy from me, I used to attend gym EVERY day for years before joining the police. I lost a lot of friends and could not keep up my passion for music and playing gigs...



the constant back covering took it's toll and the constant changing of procedure on paperwork was a joke. You soon realise the glamour and excitement of the things you see on the tele rarely happen in the job. There's not much glamour to sitting outside an open cell door of someone cuffed and strapped lying on a mat covered in blood threatening to spit/bite you for hours on end...

these are just some of the reasons i left, i knew for a fact that 15% of my shift loved it, 25% tolerated it and the rest hated it!

I have the ultimate respect for my colleagues and the cops around the country, i took my own advice and did not want to get trapped in a job i hated for the next 35 years!
 
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