Police Now: a graduate route into policing

Police Now attracts, recruits and trains outstanding and diverse graduates to be inspirational detectives and police officers with a passion to transform communities. Officers who are determined to be part of the solution, committed to tackling injustice in society and within the police service.

Founded in 2014 by a small group of frontline officers, Police Now is a registered charity seeking to bring improvements to society and support police forces to deliver better outcomes for communities.

To date, Police Now has partnered with 36 police forces in England and Wales to recruit, train and develop almost 2,800 neighbourhood police officers or detective constables via its graduate programmes, with a further 230 detectives due to start their training in March. This latest intake also includes officers recruited onto the new Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) stream via the Metropolitan Police Service.

Officers entering the service via this new stream will move into CTP teams during the second year of the two-year programme, where they will protect the UK from serious harm and threat by preventing, deterring, and investigating terrorist activity alongside their experienced colleagues.

Uniquely positioned to support policing

We attract and develop the most diverse group of officers in policing, working with our partner forces to encourage participants to think differently, create new ideas and deliver innovation on the policing frontline. We deliver operational leaders who have a visible impact in their communities and across policing and support progression and development beyond our programmes.

We seek to build on policing’s strengths and challenge weaknesses, openly addressing the serious culture problem facing UK policing today. Recruiting outstanding individuals into the service that hadn’t previously considered a policing career, Police Now aims to empower officers to challenge cultures, build public confidence in policing and support the communities that need them most.

Alongside our core programmes, we also offer leadership development and promotion support to Police Now alumni as well as talented constables in partner forces who joined policing via other routes. 

National Graduate Leadership Programme

Launched in 2015, the two-year programme supports graduates with strong leadership potential to become outstanding neighbourhood police officers on the frontline. The programme equips participants with core policing and problem-solving skills and ensures they achieve Independent Patrol Status and Full Operational Competence within the two years.

With a focus on community impact, problem solving, demand reduction and leadership without rank, participants can make an impact from day one of their career.

National Detective Programme

This pioneering scheme was launched in 2019 to assist police forces with the recruitment, training and development of detectives in the face of a well-publicised national shortage of investigators.

The programme equips graduates with the core policing and leadership skills required in modern investigative work and supports them to achieve Independent Patrol Status, Full Operational Competence and​ PIP2 (Professionalising Investigation Programme level 2) accreditation in two years. The programme develops resilient detectives who problem-solve repeat offenders, protect vulnerable victims, and increase public confidence in policing.

Participants on both programmes are supported by dedicated Police Now Performance and Development Coaches.

Frontline Leadership Programme

This is a one-year professional development programme which prepares talented and diverse officers for promotion from constable to sergeant rank. With five in-person taught days, online learning and guidance from dedicated Progression and Development Officers, participants are supported to become outstanding leaders who create inclusive policing cultures and build trust and confidence in our police service. The programme pays particular attention to the barriers often faced by officers from underrepresented groups and has enrolled over 500 participants to date. 

Measuring our impact

Data from Police Now’s latest Impact Report shows steady progress to meeting our ambitious mission. With strong officer diversity and links to Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) reduction, we have many examples of Police Now officers making a real positive impact in policing and in their communities.

What’s more, independently peer-reviewed analysis from the report suggests that Police Now’s approach to community transformation has translated into ‘green shoots’ of impact on crime and ASB.

Police Now consistently recruits more officers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds than the national average. Of the 2,798 officers recruited by Police Now to date via its National Graduate Leadership Programme and National Detective Programme, 56% identify as female and 16% identify as from an ethnic minority background (47% of whom identify as female). Impressively, this has been significantly higher across some cohorts.

Our programmes create a motivated leadership pipeline that stays in policing, with 87% retention beyond our graduate programmes. Over 300 participants have successfully passed their sergeants exam, with several already reaching the rank of inspector or above.

Celebrating success

Many Police Now officers across the country have achieved industry awards, progressed within their forces, or contributed to making impact on a national scale. For example, Detective Inspector Upile Mtitimila of Cheshire Constabulary has progressed from constable to inspector rank since joining the force in 2016 and is Co-chair of Cheshire Constabulary’s Multicultural Network. He also played a key part in leading the force’s Safer Streets campaign in Warrington, focused on eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

Police Constable James Whild of West Midlands Police worked to introduce and evaluate the use of Naloxone, a first-aid medication which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. James was instrumental in the pilot study and worked alongside academics to increase the evidence base for the use of the medication. He is now one of the key experts on police use of Naloxone nationally and is supporting other police forces across the UK as they begin to introduce the medication.

Eight officers were recognised at Police Now’s national Alumni Impact Awards in September for their outstanding contributions to frontline policing. From piloting new crime-reduction operations and leading complex investigations to championing diversity and inclusion.

Winner in the ‘Brilliant Investigation’ category was DC Georgia Waldron of West Midlands Police. Georgia was the Officer in Charge for a violent stranger rape investigation after a young woman was dragged into a derelict house and subjected to a horrific, hour-long attack. Georgia delivered exceptional support to the victim and worked with her colleagues to collect and analyse video, audio and forensic evidence. Thanks to their work and the support from the incredibly brave victim, the team were able to identify the offender, and after building a thorough case file he was subsequently convicted and is now serving life in prison with a minimum of 12 years behind bars.

Winner in the ‘Brilliant Community Problem Solving’ category was PC Jacob Davies of the Metropolitan Police Service after he significantly reduced ASB at a block of flats on his ward. Following persistent reports of ASB and drug use at the property, he worked with colleagues across the force to gather intelligence, support victims and secure a warrant. With the strong evidence he gathered, a closure order was obtained and the offending resident subsequently evicted and rehoused with support from the council. Thanks to his work to build more positive relationships with residents, there are now fewer reported incidents of ASB at the property and improved intelligence gathering in the area.

Police Now influence is growing

We actively support our alumni to set up their own networks across our alumni and ambassador community, so that they can come together and problem solve, share best practice and stay connected with each other. A number of networks have been established including the Policing Diverse Communities Network, Innovation Network and Female Leaders in Policing Network.

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