National Detective Programme Metropolitan Police Service (Counter Terrorism)

Our National Detective Programme in Counter Terrorism is a salaried two-year training and development graduate programme. It is designed to develop your leadership and problem-solving abilities to equip you with the skills required in modern Counter Terrorism detective work. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have a permanent role within the Metropolitan Police Service within Counter Terrorism (SO15).

Being a detective is all about how you interpret information and being able to spot clues where others don’t, allowing you to see below the surface. Society is changing and people are demanding better, for our communities, and from our police service.

You’ll collaborate with others, combining insight and evidence to pursue and prevent the most critical threats to our communities and country – terrorism. Your primary objective is to keep people safe, by reducing the risk of vulnerable people being drawn into extremism, investigating and bringing terrorists to justice.

Whether driving change in the police service alongside your colleagues, or improving relations with the public to build trust, your work will change the future for the better. You’ll work on complex and sensitive investigations, requiring discretion and precision. The intelligence you gather and the answers you’ll uncover, will be crucial to the security of our society and protecting innocent lives.

We are looking for talented graduates from all degree disciplines. You don’t need any previous policing knowledge or experience to have the potential to become the next generation of police detectives.

About the Metropolitan Police Service

London has a population of over 8.8 million and with more than 43,000 officers and staff, you will be joining the largest police force in the UK. The Met’s vision is to make London the safest global city by being the best crime-fighters, by any measure; earning the trust and confidence of every community and taking pride in the quality and efficiency of their service so people love, respect and are proud of London’s Met. One way this will be achieved is by countering terrorism and reviewing strategy, tactics, and resources in light of the threat.

While the expectations of what their police officers will achieve are high, the Metropolitan Police Service is committed to providing Police Now participants with the training, support and tools needed to complement Police Now’s training, enabling them to have a significant impact in London’s most challenging communities.

Rewards and benefits

Salary
As a police detective constable in the Metropolitan Police Service (London) you will earn a starting salary of £36,775, which will commence on the first day of your training academy. Every 12 months on the anniversary of your joining date, your pay increases to the next pay point. Within six years you could expect to reach a salary of over £50,000.
Leave
This ranges from 22 days (in addition to public holidays) when you’re starting out to 30 days for long-serving staff. You can also expect other forms of leave including adoption, maternity and paternity.

Work-life balance
This is not your typical 9-5. Police officers work varied shift patterns which gives them flexibility and freedom to maximise their time outside of work. Different to your typical working week, you’ll often receive several days off in a row. It may take some time to adapt to shift pattern working, but once you do, you may find that the flexibility of the schedule allows you to better balance work and home life.

Free London travel
Whether you’re on or off duty, you’ll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week. You can also opt into a rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

Pension
You’ll automatically be enrolled as a member of the Police Pension Scheme 2015, which awards police officers for their dedication and service to the public. It offers a generous and secure retirement package, providing officers with financial stability and peace of mind.

Training and development
The programme will start with an initial 13-week residential training academy. You will then take part in various sessions over the two years, designed to develop your leadership and policing skills, as well as reflect on the impact you have made. You will also have access to a dedicated Performance and Development Coach during the two years, who will provide tailored support and guidance.

Career progression
Following completion of the programme, you can enrol in the promotion process, and you will join our alumni community, where you can receive support with progression. We have alumni across the country who are represented at levels up to Chief Inspector who are leading change and exploring new approaches to policing.