James, A, Silverstone, D, Karecha, J, Kelly, T and Carr, R (2025) A report for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) on innovative programmes for the recruitment and training of investigators, currently in operation in police forces in England & Wales. Technical Report. Liverpool John Moores University, LJMU SJS.

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Abstract

Executive summary This research was commissioned to evaluate innovative programmes for investigator selection, recruitment and training, introduced by police forces in England & Wales. Plans for fast-track programmes were first announced in 2017. They were presented in response to what NPCC considered a national crisis in detective numbers. They were not welcomed universally. On social media, they attracted adverse comment almost from the beginning. The Police Federation argued that they were unnecessary; that existing PC to DC pathways were ‘much more likely to create high-quality investigators’ (cited in Kirby, 2018). While, in an intervention that perhaps shows how much heat the debate has generated, Yardley et al argued that the plans, risked the employment of ‘the wrong kind of investigator; the consumer capitalist detective with a sense of entitlement and a narcissistic streak’ (2018 p.1). Research question and aim This report answers the research question, ‘In light of the significant shortfall in investigator numbers across the police service, what actions have police forces in England and Wales taken to develop systems that may aid in improving investigator resilience and capacity’? Our aim was to better understand those actions and to assess the extent to which they provide models for the selection, recruitment and training of investigators across England and Wales. Methodology Our research largely was qualitative; we interviewed respondents in all of the forces named above (n= 42) and supplemented our interview data with a survey of West Midlands Police staff (n = 20). We collected further data by interviewing respondents in the National Crime Agency (NCA), to assess the extent to which elements of its Initial Officer Training Programme (IOTP) could be adapted for the benefit of police forces (n = 9: N = 71). Findings Marketing & recruitment We found positives in all of the programmes. Each programme attracted great interest from prospective applicants and that was converted into high numbers of applications. In each case, the force achieved the targets it set itself. The programmes attracted applicants with new (in some cases, complementary) skills. Trainees had professional experience (variously) in engineering; midwifery; legal practice; probation; teaching, and the natural sciences. Forces found that they were successful in attracting more diverse groups of applicants than they would expect from standard recruitment campaigns. However, in at least one case they could have had even greater success if their selection process was more finely attuned to the programme’s aims. Training In each case, recruits were trained to be omnicompetent and not limited to the investigator role. Most of the training delivered, met trainees’ needs most of the time. A significant theme that emerged in this context, was that respondents wanted greater CID involvement in training delivery and design. They felt that would better prepare them for their new roles. Some respondents saw the need for greater differentiation between trainees with no policing background and those who joined from the wider police family (with experience as a member of civilian staff, as a PCSO and so on). Trainees’ welfare Perhaps unsurprisingly, some trainees on the fast-track programmes have struggled and a number of welfare-related issues have emerged; clearly, the programmes make huge demands of them. Trainees need the consistent support of mentors because many do not have sufficient police or life experience to fall back upon. We learned that the programmes make new demands on forces because support systems may be less mature than they are for trainees on the traditional pathway (this perhaps, is a hidden expense that needs to be more obviously factored both into programme planning and estimates of overall costs). The role of the mentor is absolutely critical to trainees’ success but with the notable exception of the NCA case, few trainees consistently received the support they needed. Pay & rewards Many respondents raised the subject of pay and rewards. Indeed, several had taken a substantial pay cut to join the police. Some trainees told us they relished the challenges their work presented but during our interactions, we found sufficient clues (as they revealed nascent plans for promotion or specialisation or discussed their workloads and their family lives) that we feel that forces need to be alert to the fact that, going forward, pay is likely to be a critical factor in retaining these individuals in their current roles. PEQF and degree entry That seems to us to run counter to the service’s needs. Some respondents advanced the proposition that PEQF offers advantage for investigator recruitment because one of its three strands, the DHEP, can be adapted to include an investigator pathway. Thus, the need for bespoke fast-track programmes is obviated. We certainly see merit in that argument but we are concerned that such a programme, self-evidently, will exclude non-degree holders and that otherwise excellent candidates may be lost to the service. We found no support whatsoever amongst our respondents for the argument that police officers need a degree. Though it may be wise to take a longer view of these programmes - it will be interesting to see what messages come back to forces from stakeholders and others (not least prosecuting bodies and the judiciary) as trainees begin to complete their own case files and steer those cases through the courts system. Conclusions We recognise that, essentially, we have evaluated three experiments (a point reinforced by several trainees who self-mockingly, referred to themselves as ‘guinea pigs’) and forces may already have identified areas for development but have not had the opportunity to address them. Fears that the programme is too fast; that the force does not have enough time to prepare its trainees well enough for the investigative world, have not yet been borne out but, as we have acknowledged above, we recognise that it may be some time before a final judgement can be made in that regard. Ultimately, we believe our evaluation demonstrates the continuing value of traditional pathways for investigator recruitment. It also highlights that fast-track programmes show promise and should be investigated further. We believe that, operating at the margins of investigator recruitment and training, fast-track programmes can contribute significantly to delivering a more diverse and capable workforce.

Item Type:	Monograph (Technical Report)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	detective; recruitment; police
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV7231 Criminal Justice Administrations > HV7551 Police. Detectives. Constabulary
Divisions:	Justice Studies (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Liverpool John Moores University
SWORD Depositor:	A Symplectic
Date Deposited:	13 Jan 2025 12:20
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2025 12:20
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/25209

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