Police officer
You'll keep communities safe by investigating crime and helping people in need.
Also known as: policewoman, policeman, police constable
About the job
A day in the life – Police officer
What it's like
Being a police officer with Police Scotland means you’re responsible for upholding the law, protecting life and property, preventing crime and maintaining public order.
It’s less about formal qualifications and more about the skills you already have, such as being a good listener, staying calm when things get tough and working well with others. Those skills come from the jobs you do, the community you live in, your friends, family and the expectations and values that you set yourself.
As a police officer, you'll be out and about, making sure things are fair for everyone. If something goes wrong, you'll be there to figure it out and sometimes that might mean having to make arrests. You might even go to court to tell people what you saw when you were helping out.
A key skill for this mentally and physically testing role is being able to adapt to new situations.
You’ll get training to help you learn how to handle anything that comes your way so you can confidently do your job and make a real difference for people and places around you in Scotland.
Your tasks might include:
responding to calls for help from the public
investigating crimes, searching for missing people and making arrests
interviewing witnesses and suspects, preparing crime reports and taking statements
taking people into custody and carrying out administrative tasks
helping during emergencies: when there's fires or storms, police officers are there to help people get to safety
using the latest technology such as computers to track information, or using drones to get better views of an area or people
Once you complete your initial training, you would need to complete a trial period as an officer. This is called probation and lasts two years.
Exploring different police specialism roles
After your training, you may be able to specialise in a specific brand, such as:
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
Crime team (drugs)
Dog branch (dogs)
Mounted branch (horses)
Support unit (public order, assist with going through reenforced doors, assist with dangerous groups of persons, attend sieges)
Sex offender policing unit (managing offenders proactively in the community, in prisons and in hospitals)
Traffic
Firearms
Air support (helicopter)
Hours
You'll normally work 40 hours a week on a shift system, which includes nights, weekends and public holidays.
Overtime is often available and you can also apply to work part-time.
Environment
You won't be sitting at a desk all day! Your working environment will change quite often depending what you're doing. You might find yourself:
out and about in the community: walking or driving a patrol in your local area car which is called patrolling your 'beat'
in a police station: handling paperwork and other tasks
responding to emergencies
at crime scenes
in court: if you've been involved in a case
sometimes in unexpected places: depending on the situation, you could end up in places such as schools, hospitals, or even someone's home if they need help
Travel
You'll spend a lot of time travelling around, either on foot or by police vehicle, going to different places. This all depends on the situations you're attending.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- making decisions
- ethical
- attention to detail
- empathising
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- mediating
- cooperating
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Modern Studies
People and Society
PE (Physical education)
Skills for Work: Uniformed and Emergency Services
Work
There are no formal qualifications needed to enter this role and you can go straight into working once your application passes and you've completed 16 weeks of training at the Scottish Police College.
If your application is accepted, you'll need to pass the Standard Entrance Test (PSET) which consists of papers on:
language
numeracy
information-handling
You'll need to pass a multi-stage fitness test (commonly known as the 'bleep test'). The bleep test is also carried out once more at the end of the recruitment process.
Practice papers for the Standard Entrance Test and pass marks for the fitness test are available on the Police Scotland website.
If you are successful at the initial interview, you'll be invited to an assessment center for teamwork exercises and another interview. Interviews are competency-based, and the competencies are published on the Police Scotland website.
Thorough background checks and a medical are also undertaken.
University
A degree isn't required for this job, but you can continue to improve your legal knowledge by studying subjects, such as:
Policing and Criminology
Criminal Justice
Criminology
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you get a job or progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Police Studies
Apprenticeship
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Discover Modern Apprenticeships on Apprenticeships.scot.
Being a Police Scotland Youth Volunteer
If you're aged 13 to 17, you can give up your own time to volunteer in communities and national events across Scotland. Being a volunteer could help you understand how policing works in Scotland by participating in your local community, working alongside adult volunteers and serving officers. Find out more about being a PSYV and how to apply on the Police Scotland site.
To be over 18 years old.
To be a British, European Union or Commonwealth citizen, or have permission to stay in the UK indefinitely and have lived in the UK for at least three years before your application.
To be physically fit and have good eyesight.
Have a full UK driving licence.
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Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Police officer'
