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Join the force with the highest police officer starting salary in England & Wales.

You don’t need a degree to join BTP as a police officer, or to study for one once you’re with us. We’re recruiting now, so if you’d like a rewarding job with the highest starting salary for PCs in England, apply today. You’ll play a crucial role on the frontline, where you will provide a professional service in an environment like no other.

Points worth noting before you start your application:

• The starting salary for a Police Officer is £27,804 per annum.
• You can apply to us even if you have a live application with another police force, but it’s worth noting that you cannot transfer your existing SEARCH assessment score.
• We now offer a blended learning programme where a proportion of the training will be delivered remotely.

What should you expect from the role?

Our job is to keep the travelling public and people who work on the railway safe from harm. Our aim is to ensure people get home safe, secure and on time every day.

Whoever you are, our Police Officers have to be the best they can be. Situations can change in a split second, so you need to be ready for anything. Whether it’s patrolling, responding to an emergency, investigating criminal activity, gathering intelligence or reassuring members of the public, you’ll need to be responsible, visible and effective.

You’ll maintain order, carry out arrests and work with the industry and communities to combat crime. This role offers variety like no other; you will cover lots of things ranging from serious and organised crimes to graffiti and theft. Wherever and whenever you’re needed, you’ll be there.

What skills do you need to apply?

As one of our Police Officers, you’ll need to love variety and to not shy away from what can sometimes be difficult situations. You’ll need to be a natural communicator who is able to build instant rapport with people from all walks of life. As an officer, you’ll need to be diplomatic in your approach and able to remain calm under pressure, and you will need to be able to make decisions quickly and effectively.

Why would you apply?

We know this isn’t an easy job and the hours can be unsocial but there are few other careers that are as interesting and fulfilling. There will be some situations that will test you mentally, physically and emotionally but you can be safe in the knowledge you are making a difference and you will have the support you need from us. There will be a mixture of shifts (days, nights, weekends) but no two will ever be the same. You will be able to develop your skills and have support all the way through your policing journey with us.

We have put together a document that describes a typical week in the life of one of our PC’s. Please have a read!

Pay and Benefits:

• The basic starting salary is £27,804, rising year-on-year to a maximum of £43,032 per annum after 6 years.
• Milton Keynes and Reading will also attract a £3,000 South East allowance on top of the basic salary.
• Oyster card to use at any time.
• Voucher and incentive schemes such as cycle-to-work as well as a wide range of high street and online discounts.
• Always learning; supported by our in-house talent & development teams.
• A highly competitive pension scheme (Career Average Revalued Earnings).
• 22 days holiday (rising to 30 days with service).

Locations:

At the moment, we are looking for Police Officers within C Division: Bristol, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Reading, Carlisle

Unfortunately, if the posting location you wish to apply for is not listed above, that means we are not currently looking to recruit officers to that area at the moment. That doesn’t mean we won’t be soon, it just means right now, we are having to recruit for other areas first. To avoid disappointment, we ask you to please only apply to this campaign if the locations listed above are suitable for you.

We do need to let you know that you aren’t able to change or transfer your posting throughout the recruitment process or during your 2-year probation period for any reason. Therefore, we encourage you to carefully consider the impact of working in a particular location. We understand things change and it is alright if you no longer feel the posting is suitable for you but your application will be withdrawn if this happens. You will always be welcome to re-apply when your preferred posting is advertised.

Representing the communities, we serve:

It is really important to us that our people reflect the communities we serve so that we can represent them in the best way possible. As a national Police force we work closely with people from all kinds of backgrounds every day. Now, only a fifth of Police Officers in the UK are women and less than one in 10 come from an ethnic minority.
Our candidates’ cultural experience and backgrounds mean a lot to us. We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experience and we particularly want to hear from female and ethnic minority applicants.
We want our organisation to be as diverse as the community it serves and welcome applications from everyone. Please be assured that all applications will be judged on their individual merit and no other factors.

Application process and eligibility:

Applying is easy! Simply click on ‘Apply’ at the bottom left of this page and you will be taken through the process. All applications must be completed online via this method. You need to answer all the questions asked as unfortunately if any parts are unanswered, your application will be declined from the process.

We do need to let you know that you will not be eligible to apply if:

• You have been unsuccessful following a BTP Police Officer interview in the last 6 months.
• You have been unsuccessful following BTP vetting checks within the last 12 months.
• You have ever received a custodial sentence (other cautions, convictions and involvement with the police must be declared during the vetting process but are not necessarily a bar to employment).
• You have been declared bankrupt, have a CCJ or an un-managed IVA.
• You have tattoos of any kind on your face or neck.

For further information on our eligibility criteria, please have a read through the attached recruitment pack as it contains lots of useful information for you. Please note: The salaries in the recruitment pack are due to be updated, the salary and allowances detailed in this advert are correct. If you are unsure about your personal circumstances relating to the above criteria, please don’t hesitate to email our recruitment team who will be happy to help you: [email protected]

Please note this campaign is for new recruits only, we do not allow for transferees as part of this campaign. Should you wish to apply to BTP via the transferee route, you will need to apply directly to a transferee adverts once live.

The closing date for applications is 10:00 am on Friday 3rd March 2023. We won’t be able to accept applications after this time for any reason, including technical errors. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to submit your application prior to this deadline. Following your application being completed and submitted, our team will then let you know if you have passed or failed the application form stage of the process via email and the next stages.

Please note this campaign may close earlier than anticipated based on volume of applications received.

Positive Action

At BTP we are proud guardians of the railway and it is crucial that we represent the diverse communities we serve and protect. As ‘One BTP’ across the UK, we know that diversity, inclusion and belonging help us improve our decision making, foster creativity and drive innovation so all our people can thrive.

Our vacancies are open to everyone and all appointments are made based on merit. So that we can become more diverse we encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, women, people who have a disability, those who are neurodiverse and persons who identify as LGBTQI+. We use positive action to encourage potential candidates from underrepresented groups through targeted workshops or advice sessions. If you have the skills, experience and values that here in BTP we pride ourselves on then we would welcome you to apply.

For more information on Positive Action please click here or email the team on [email protected]

On a final note...

if you want to ask us any awkward or ‘obvious’ questions, if you are you unsure whether your personal circumstances are suitable for a career as a Police Constable but don’t know how to talk to us about it OR you have any questions about the application process, please email our friendly and helpful team where we will be happy to help you: [email protected].

Join us on the journey and bring your professionalism, commitment and leadership skills on board.