Police Now
Economic Crime
Police Now's newest specialism trains graduates as detectives to tackle fraud, money laundering and cybercrime. It started as a City of London Police pilot in 2025 and was offered with Dorset Police for March 2027. Every fact below is from Police Now's own pages and news, read on 21 October 2026, or from official sources and our 2026/27 pay data.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
A two-year graduate route into detective work focused on fraud and financial crime. Police Now says it follows the Detective pathway: a residential academy (13 weeks for detectives), the National Investigators' Exam, then casework as a trainee detective. You need a 2:2 or above in any subject and three years' UK residence. At Dorset it pays £32,255 on 2026/27 rates (Police Now's job description shows the 2025/26 figure of £31,164). The March 2027 entry has closed; the next window opens early 2027 for a March 2028 start.
What Police Now Economic Crime is
Police Now is a charity that recruits and trains graduates for partner police forces. Its National Graduate Programme has four specialisms: Neighbourhood, Detective, Economic Crime and Counter Terrorism. Police Now's programme page says Economic Crime and Counter Terrorism "follow a similar structure to the Detective pathway".
Police Now defines economic crime, also called financial crime, as illegal activity involving money, finance or assets, committed to gain a financial or professional advantage. Its page says criminals target everyone from vulnerable people to large businesses and that this threatens national security and the economy.
On the programme you are recruited by one force, sworn in as a constable from day one, trained as a detective and then work on economic crime in that force. The Dorset job description describes a two-year permanent contract.
Police Now's Economic Crime page and Dorset job description, read on 21 October 2026, do not give the academy length, the NIE or PIP. We take those from Police Now's programme page (Economic Crime follows the Detective pathway) and its November 2024 announcement of the stream. Where that is an inference, we say so.
When you can apply
The March 2027 entry has closed. Police Now says applications for the March 2028 start open early next year and you can register interest by region. The March 2027 Economic Crime role was with Dorset Police. Police Now has not said which forces will offer Economic Crime in March 2028.
Economic Crime places have been few: 12 trainees in the 2025 City of London pilot. Police Now said that stream drew over 250 applications, about 18 per place. Apply early when the window opens; Police Now's pages say applications may close early. See when Police Now applications open.
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The City of London pilot and the Dorset role
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 4 November 2024 | Police Now announces an economic crime stream of its detective programme, piloting with City of London Police from March 2025. Over 250 applications, about 18 per place (Police Now's figures) | Police Now news |
| 17 March 2025 | 12 economic crime trainee detectives for City of London Police attest at Police Now's academy, out of 148 trainee detectives | Police Now news |
| March 2027 entry | Economic Crime role with Dorset Police (job description). Applications have now closed | Police Now job description and portal |
| March 2028 entry | Police Now says applications open early next year; it has not named the Economic Crime forces | Police Now FAQ |
City of London Police was the natural first partner. Police Now's Economic Crime page calls it the National Lead Force for economic crime: it sets national strategy, coordinates the operational response and investigates the most serious and complex cases. Announcing the pilot, Nik Adams, then City of London Police's Temporary Assistant Commissioner and lead for fraud and cybercrime, called the partnership "crucial for training the next generation of officers tackling economic crime".
For the March 2027 entry the role moved to a county force, Dorset Police. That suggests Police Now is offering Economic Crime to forces beyond the City, though it has not said so directly.
What the work involves
Police Now's Dorset job description describes the role as protecting people, businesses and communities from fraud, cybercrime and financial exploitation. You would investigate fraud, money laundering and organised criminal networks, with a focus on identifying offenders proactively and preventing further harm.
Police Now's Economic Crime page lists the crime types:
| Crime | Police Now's description |
|---|---|
| Tax evasion | Illegal non-payment or under-payment of tax by people or companies |
| Money laundering | Letting criminals benefit from the proceeds of crime or fund further crime |
| Online fraud | For example fraudulent sales of goods or romance scams |
| Identity fraud | For example using a victim's identity details to take out a loan |
| Bribery and corruption | Offering, giving or taking an advantage to influence a decision |
It names partners including the National Crime Agency, financial institutions and Trading Standards. Police Now also lists City of London Police's specialist teams:
| Team | Focus |
|---|---|
| Fraud Operations | Investigations into fraud |
| Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) | Insurance fraud |
| Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) | Piracy and intellectual property crime |
| Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) | Card and payment crime |
Those are City of London Police units. A county force such as Dorset organises its economic crime work in its own way and Police Now does not describe Dorset's teams.
Why economic crime matters
Police Now's page says "over half of all recorded crime in the UK is economic crime, including fraud and cyber crime". It does not give a source for that figure. The official estimate for England and Wales points the same way:
- The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 4.5 million fraud incidents in the year ending March 2026.
- It estimated 798,000 computer misuse incidents.
- Total headline crime, including both, was 9.6 million incidents, so fraud and computer misuse were together a little over half (our arithmetic).
- The number of fraud victims rose by 10% to 3.8 million, according to the same bulletin.
These are survey estimates of crime experienced by people in England and Wales, not police recorded crime. Announcing the pilot in 2024, City of London Police's Nik Adams put fraud and cybercrime at 40% of all crime; Police Now said about half. The exact share depends on which measure you use, but every measure puts it high.
Skills Police Now asks for
Police Now's Economic Crime page says the role needs:
- an understanding of economic crime and cyber threats;
- an interest in data, finance and technology;
- the ability to manage complex data and detect patterns and anomalies;
- the ability to work with partners such as the National Crime Agency, financial institutions and Trading Standards.
You do not need a finance degree. Evidence that you can work through a large spreadsheet, spot what does not add up and explain it plainly counts. Think of examples from study, work or volunteering: reconciling accounts, checking claims, analysing a dataset for a dissertation, or helping someone who had been scammed.
Eligibility
Economic Crime uses Police Now's standard rules. The Dorset job description words nationality slightly differently from the general eligibility page:
| Rule | Police Now general | Economic Crime |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | First, 2:1 or 2:2 in any undergraduate subject (or equivalent), all education complete by the start | Same (Dorset job description) |
| Level 3 | Equivalent to at least two A levels | Same |
| Age | Over 17 to apply, 18 by appointment | Same |
| Nationality | Indefinite leave to remain or settled status (pre-settled in some forces) | Dorset job description: British citizen, or settled or leave to remain status, able to work in the UK without restrictions |
| UK residence | At least three years | The Economic Crime page: at least three years |
| Driving licence | Depends on force | Not mentioned in the Dorset job description |
The "leave to remain" wording in the Dorset job description is broader than the general page's "indefinite leave to remain or settled status". If you have limited leave, check with Police Now before applying. For every other rule, see the Police Now eligibility guide or run the free eligibility checker.
Vetting
Police Now's vetting page sets out which levels apply to Economic Crime:
- Recruitment vetting for every specialism: identity, address history and past convictions.
- Counter terrorist check: often required for Economic Crime, depending on the force.
- Managed vetting: an enhanced level looking at family members and detailed finances, required for Economic Crime in certain forces.
Security Check and Developed Vetting are listed for Counter Terrorism only. Police Now says vetting takes around one to three months. Given the role, expect your own finances to be looked at closely: Police Now's eligibility page says an outstanding county court judgment, bankruptcy in the last three years or a current IVA may make you ineligible.
See can I join the police with debt? and police vetting levels explained.
How selection works
The Dorset job description lists Police Now's standard stages:
- Online application.
- Online immersive assessment. See the immersive assessment guide.
- Virtual assessment centre. On the detective routes this has crime case interactions, an investigative report, an interview and a debrief. See the assessment centre guide.
- Conditional offer.
- Pre-employment checks: a values-focused meeting, a fitness test, a medical and vetting.
Police Now assesses against its own ten competencies and four values. The investigative report is the exercise where an economic crime candidate can stand out: a clear, accurate summary of complicated facts. Practise with our written exercise examples.
The academy
Police Now's Economic Crime pages do not give the academy length. Its programme page says Economic Crime follows the Detective pathway and the Detective academy is "a thirteen-week intensive training programme" covering law, investigative techniques, interview skills and evidence gathering. Police Now's November 2024 announcement of the economic crime stream described the same 13-week residential academy for the detective programme as a whole.
You are paid by your force from day one, including the academy, according to the Dorset job description.
The National Investigators' Exam
The NIE is the College of Policing exam every trainee detective must pass. Police Now's Economic Crime pages do not mention it, but it is a stage on the Detective pathway and Police Now's 2024 announcement says the academy ends with it.
- Format: 80 multiple choice questions in 120 minutes, taken online.
- Marking: the 10 questions that perform least well are removed, so everyone is scored on 70.
- Pass mark: 39 of 70 (55.7%).
- If you fail: If you fail, you can resit at the next sitting, subject to your force or organisation's policy. You are not entered automatically: you register again through AIMS before the deadline.
- A pass lasts: three years less one day.
Police Now's pages differ on timing: one puts the NIE at the end of the academy, another after force integration. See the NIE hub and the NIE on direct entry detective routes.
The two years
These are the eight stages of Police Now's Detective pathway, which Economic Crime follows. The economic crime focus is our reading of the job description; Police Now does not publish a separate Economic Crime stage list.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Conditional offer | Pre-employment checks: a values-focused meeting, fitness test, medical and vetting |
| Final offer | Sworn in as a constable; paid by your force from day one |
| Police Now Academy | 13 weeks on the Detective pathway: law, investigative techniques, interview skills and evidence gathering |
| Force integration | Join your force as a trainee detective |
| National Investigators' Exam | The College of Policing exam every trainee detective must pass |
| Casework and development | Investigations, with economic crime as the focus |
| Specialist training | Police Now's Detective pathway names cybercrime among its examples |
| Graduation and progression | Full operational competence and PIP2 by the end of the two years (Police Now's detective programme description) |
Police Now's 2024 announcement says detective recruits reach independent patrol status within the first ten weeks after the academy and full operational competence and PIP2 certification by the end of the two years. For the investigator levels, see PIP1 vs PIP2 explained.
Fitness and medical
The fitness test and medical come after the conditional offer, as on every Police Now route. Police Now's fitness guide (September 2023) sets the 15-metre bleep test at level 5.4, with six weeks between attempts and up to three attempts. Its newer pages say "fitness test" without a level, so check your offer letter.
The medical follows the Home Office medical standards for entry into policing, which Police Now links from its help hub. Economic Crime is desk-heavy, but you are a warranted constable and must meet the same standards as any other recruit.
Start with the free 15m bleep test simulator and the bleep test training plan.
An illustrative timeline to a March 2028 start
Police Now has not published dates for the March 2028 window. This timeline puts its published stages in order around a March 2028 start. Only the start month and the order of stages are Police Now's; the spacing is our estimate.
| When | What happens | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Now to early 2027 | Check eligibility; sort your own finances; build data and finance examples; train for the bleep test | Our suggestion |
| Early 2027 | Window opens: online application, then the immersive assessment | Police Now FAQ: applications open early next year |
| Weeks after applying | Virtual assessment centre; a conditional offer can come within two to three weeks of applying | Police Now: how long does the process take |
| Following months | Pre-employment checks: values-focused meeting, fitness test, medical and vetting | Dorset job description; Police Now vetting page (one to three months) |
| March 2028 | Academy starts (13 weeks on the Detective pathway). Paid from day one | Police Now programme page; Dorset job description |
| Mid 2028 onwards | Force integration as a trainee detective; the NIE; casework | Police Now Detective pathway |
| March 2030 | End of the two-year programme: full operational competence and PIP2 | Police Now November 2024 announcement |
Your own finances and vetting
An economic crime detective handles sensitive financial information. Some forces apply managed vetting, which looks at detailed finances. Police Now's eligibility page sets out where money problems can stop an application. The middle column is Police Now's; the right-hand column is our practical suggestion. None of it predicts a vetting decision.
| Situation | What Police Now says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding county court judgment | Police Now says it may make you ineligible | Pay it and get it marked satisfied before you apply |
| Bankruptcy in the last three years | Police Now says it may make you ineligible | Note the discharge date; you may need to wait |
| Current IVA | Police Now says it may make you ineligible; its vetting page advises being up to date with payments | Keep every payment on time and have the paperwork ready |
| Student loan, credit cards, car finance | Manageable debt is fine, according to Police Now's eligibility page | Show you are keeping up; check your credit file for errors |
| Missed payments or defaults | Not listed as a bar; looked at in the round | Bring accounts up to date and be ready to explain |
| Gambling or crypto losses | Not mentioned by Police Now | Be honest on the forms; vetting looks at whether debt could make you open to pressure |
For the detail, see can I join the police with debt? and the free vetting evidence builder.
Pay
Your force pays you, from day one, on the national constable scale plus any location pay. Our figures use the 2026/27 scale from 1 September 2026.
- Dorset Police: £32,255 in year one on pay point 1, with no location pay. The Government's announced figure for point 1 is £32,256; our data rounds the 3.5% rise down by £1.
- City of London Police (the 2025 pilot force): £42,334 on point 1 with London Weighting and the London Allowance. Whether City starts recruits on point 1 or 2 is not confirmed.
| Year | Pay point | Dorset gross | Dorset take-home a month | City of London gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Point 1 | £32,255 | £1,904 | £42,334 |
| Year 2 | Point 2 | £33,609 | £1,964 | £43,688 |
| Year 3 | Point 3 | £34,972 | £2,024 | £45,051 |
| Year 4 | Point 4 | £36,335 | £2,083 | £46,414 |
| Year 5 | Point 5 | £39,058 | £2,177 | £49,137 |
| Year 6 | Point 6 | £44,544 | £2,414 | £54,623 |
| Year 7 | Point 7 | £52,015 | £2,746 | £62,094 |
Take-home is our estimate after income tax, National Insurance, the police pension, a Plan 2 student loan and Federation subscriptions, assuming one pay point a year and no overtime. Use the Police Now salary calculator for your own figures.
Police Now's Dorset job description gives a starting salary of £31,164. That is exactly pay point 1 on the 2025/26 scale (Home Office Circular 011/2026). The 3.5% award from 1 September 2026 lifted point 1 to about £32,256. It does not mean economic crime trainees start below neighbourhood officers: the same job descriptions give North Wales Neighbourhood £32,256, which is the new figure.
On promotion to sergeant, Dorset pay on 2026/27 rates would be £55,443 (sergeant point 2). See Police Now salary for every force.
After the two years
Police Now's 2024 announcement says detective recruits reach full operational competence and PIP2 by the end of the two years. That lets you use the title detective constable. From there the usual detective career options apply:
- Stay in economic crime and build experience in fraud and financial investigation.
- Promotion through the sergeant exam and board. See our promotion guides.
- Move to other detective work through your force's internal processes.
Police Now does not publish a minimum period you must stay in economic crime after the programme, or any bond or repayment terms. We found none, which is not the same as there being none: ask.
Economic Crime vs Detective vs Counter Terrorism
| Economic Crime | Detective | Counter Terrorism | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Fraud, money laundering, cybercrime and financial exploitation | Serious crime in CID and specialist teams | Terrorism: intelligence, investigation and prevention |
| Academy | Detective pathway (13 weeks) | 13 weeks | 13 weeks |
| NIE | Detective pathway | Yes | Yes |
| Nationality | British, settled or leave to remain (Dorset) | Settled status or ILR | UK national (dual with British element considered) |
| Residence | 3 years | 3 years | 5 to 10 years |
| Vetting | Counter terrorist check depending on force; managed vetting in some forces | Counter terrorist check; managed vetting in some forces | Up to Developed Vetting |
| Forces so far | City of London (2025 pilot); Dorset (March 2027) | North Wales (March 2027); several forces in 2025 | Met; West Midlands; Greater Manchester (North West) |
See the detective programme guide and Police Now Counter Terrorism.
Other ways into fraud and economic crime work
Police Now is not the only route. If the timing or the forces do not suit you:
- A force's own detective entry, through the national process (National Sift, online assessment centre and force interview), then a move into economic crime. See which forces are recruiting.
- Civilian investigator roles: many forces employ police staff investigators, including in fraud and financial investigation. See civilian investigator explained and civilian investigator pay.
- Join as a constable and specialise later through your force's internal selection for economic crime or financial investigation posts.
Who the Economic Crime route suits
It tends to suit graduates who:
- enjoy working with numbers, data and documents more than front-line response;
- are patient: fraud cases can be long and paper-heavy;
- care about victims who are often vulnerable or embarrassed;
- are comfortable learning technology and online investigation;
- can live in or move to the force Police Now offers in their window.
It is a poorer fit if you want a fast-moving, uniformed role. If you are unsure about a graduate route at all, compare Police Now vs DHEP vs PCDA and read is Police Now worth it?
How to prepare for the next window
- Check eligibility with the free eligibility checker.
- Get your own finances straight before vetting: check your credit file and deal with any arrears.
- Build two or three data and finance examples for the interview (see the prompts below).
- Practise an investigative report against the clock with our written exercise examples.
- Try the scenario questions in the free Police Now practice test (it has a Detective set).
- Train for the bleep test: how to train for level 5.4.
- Read up on the NIE so the academy is not your first sight of it: NIE hub.
Building relevant experience while you wait
Police Now does not ask for financial experience, but the assessment centre rewards real examples. With the window expected early 2027, there is time to build some:
- Data skills: get comfortable with spreadsheets (sorting, filtering, pivot tables, lookups). It is the everyday tool for following money.
- Work or volunteering that involves money or checking: finance, audit, claims, customer fraud teams, compliance or a charity treasurer role.
- Helping victims: volunteering that supports older or vulnerable people gives you examples of the human side of fraud.
- Writing: practise turning a messy set of facts into a short, accurate summary. That is the investigative report exercise.
- Special constable: volunteering as a special gives you policing experience; see becoming a special constable.
None of these is required. Only describe what you have actually done.
Practice interview prompts for Economic Crime applicants
These prompts are original PolicePay practice material, not Police Now's questions. Police Now does not publish its interview questions. Each is mapped to the Police Now competency it most closely tests.
| Prompt | What a strong answer covers | Competency |
|---|---|---|
| Why economic crime? | What draws you to fraud and financial crime; what you know about the harm it causes; why Police Now | Motivational alignment |
| A time you found an error or anomaly in data | What you were looking at, how you spotted it, what you did and what changed | Analyse critically |
| A time you explained something complex to a non-expert | The topic, who it was for, how you made it clear, how you checked they understood | Written communication and emotional awareness |
| A time you supported someone who had been taken advantage of | What happened, how you helped, how you kept their trust | Emotionally aware |
| A time you worked with another organisation to solve a problem | The shared goal, different priorities, how you kept it moving | Collaborate |
| A time you had to learn something technical quickly | What, why, how you learned it, what you did with it | Innovative and open-minded |
| A time you owned a mistake | What went wrong, what you did, what you learned | Take ownership |
Answer out loud in two to three minutes with a real example, using situation, task, action and result. Check a written-out answer with the free STAR answer checker and see Police Now interview questions for more.
Practice written exercise: a fraud summary
This is an original PolicePay practice task, not a Police Now exercise. It is written in the style of an investigative report: short, factual and organised. Give yourself 20 minutes.
Mrs Patel, 78, reports that she has lost £6,400. Over three weeks she received calls from a man saying he was from her bank's fraud team. He told her that her account had been compromised and that she must move her money to a "safe account". She made four transfers: £400, £1,500, £2,000 and £2,500. On the last call he asked her to keep it secret from the branch staff. Her grandson noticed the transfers and brought her to the police station. She has her bank statements and the phone number the caller used. She is upset and embarrassed and asks whether she will get her money back.
Your task: write a summary for your supervisor covering what happened, the evidence, the risks and your next steps.
A planning outline (one good way to structure it):
- Summary in two lines: who, what, how much, over what period.
- The facts in order: dates of calls and each transfer, with amounts. Check the total adds up (it does: £6,400).
- Evidence held and needed: statements, the caller's number, the receiving account details from the bank, call records.
- Risks: further contact from the caller; a repeat attempt; Mrs Patel's wellbeing.
- Immediate actions: contact her bank to report the fraud and ask about recovery; record the crime; safeguarding referral if needed.
- Victim care: reassure her without promising the money back, explain what happens next, give a point of contact.
What assessors look for in a task like this: accurate figures, a logical order, plain English and attention to the person, not just the money. For more practice, see our written exercise examples.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Economic crime | Police Now's definition: illegal activity involving money, finance or assets, committed for financial or professional advantage. Also called financial crime |
| Fraud | Dishonestly making a false representation, failing to disclose information or abusing a position, to make a gain or cause a loss (Fraud Act 2006) |
| Money laundering | Dealing with criminal property so that it looks legitimate |
| National Lead Force | City of London Police's role for economic crime: national strategy, coordinating the response and investigating the most serious cases |
| NCA | National Crime Agency, one of the partners Police Now names |
| NIE | National Investigators' Exam: the College of Policing exam for trainee detectives |
| PIP1 and PIP2 | Professionalising Investigation Programme levels: volume crime (PIP1) and serious and complex investigation (PIP2) |
Myths about Police Now Economic Crime
- "You need a finance degree." No. Any subject at 2:2 or above.
- "It pays less than Neighbourhood." No. The £31,164 in the job description is last year's scale; pay depends on the force, not the specialism.
- "It is only in London." The pilot was with City of London Police, but the March 2027 role was in Dorset.
- "There is no exam." Economic Crime follows the Detective pathway, which includes the NIE.
- "Developed Vetting is needed." Not on Police Now's vetting page; that is for Counter Terrorism only.
Questions to ask Police Now before you apply
- Which forces offer Economic Crime in this window and where would I be based?
- Is the academy the full 13-week detective academy and when exactly do I sit the NIE?
- Which vetting levels does this force need: the counter terrorist check, managed vetting or both?
- Which team would I join after the academy and when does the economic crime work start?
- What pay point does the force start me on?
- Is a driving licence required?
What we could not verify
- The academy length, NIE timing and PIP stages specifically for Economic Crime. Police Now's Economic Crime pages do not give them; we rely on its statement that the route follows the Detective pathway.
- Which forces will offer Economic Crime in the March 2028 window.
- How many Economic Crime places there were for March 2027.
- Whether City of London Police starts recruits on pay point 1 or 2.
- Whether a driving licence is needed at Dorset; the job description does not mention one.
- The source of Police Now's "over half of all recorded crime" figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Police Now Economic Crime programme?
It is one of the four specialisms on Police Now's two-year National Graduate Programme. Police Now's programme page says it follows a similar structure to the Detective pathway, so you train as a detective at Police Now's academy, sit the National Investigators' Exam and work as a trainee detective, with economic crime (fraud, money laundering, cybercrime and financial exploitation) as your focus.
Are Police Now Economic Crime applications open?
No. The March 2027 entry has closed. Police Now says applications for the March 2028 start open early next year and you can register interest by region. The March 2027 Economic Crime role was with Dorset Police. Police Now has not said which forces will offer Economic Crime in the March 2028 window.
Which forces offer Police Now Economic Crime?
It started as a pilot with City of London Police, the national lead force for economic crime: 12 trainees attested in March 2025. Police Now's March 2027 Economic Crime job description was with Dorset Police. Police Now has not named the forces for March 2028.
How much does Police Now Economic Crime pay?
Pay is set by the force. At Dorset Police, a new constable on pay point 1 receives £32,255 a year on our 2026/27 figures (the Government's announced figure is £32,256). Police Now's Dorset job description says £31,164, which is point 1 on the 2025/26 scale, before the 3.5% award from 1 September 2026.
Do Police Now Economic Crime trainees sit the NIE?
Police Now's Economic Crime pages do not mention the NIE. Its programme page says Economic Crime follows a similar structure to the Detective pathway, which includes the National Investigators' Exam and its November 2024 announcement of the stream described the 13-week academy ending with the NIE. Confirm with Police Now when you apply.
Do I need a finance or accounting degree?
No. Police Now accepts a First, 2:1 or 2:2 in any subject. Its Economic Crime page asks for an interest in data, finance and technology and the ability to manage complex data and spot patterns, not a particular degree.
What does an economic crime detective do?
Police Now's Dorset job description describes protecting people, businesses and communities from fraud, cybercrime and financial exploitation, through investigations into fraud, money laundering and organised criminal networks and proactively identifying offenders to prevent further harm. Its Economic Crime page lists tax evasion, money laundering, online fraud, identity fraud and bribery and corruption.
Is economic crime a big part of crime in the UK?
Yes. Police Now's page says over half of recorded crime in the UK is economic crime, without citing a source. The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 4.5 million fraud incidents and 798,000 computer misuse incidents in the year ending March 2026, out of 9.6 million headline crime incidents: together a little over half.
What vetting does Economic Crime need?
Recruitment vetting for everyone. Police Now's vetting page says the counter terrorist check is often required for Economic Crime depending on the force and managed vetting (a closer look at family and finances) in certain forces. Developed Vetting is only for Counter Terrorism.
Can I work for City of London Police through Police Now?
City of London Police took Police Now's first economic crime trainees in March 2025. Its listing on Police Now's site still describes that March 2025 pilot. Whether it recruits through Police Now again depends on the next window; Police Now has not said.
How long is the Police Now Economic Crime programme?
Two years, on a permanent contract, according to the Dorset job description. It starts with Police Now's residential academy, which is 13 weeks on the Detective pathway.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police Now: Economic Crime : definition; crime types; skills; partners; City of London Police as national lead force and its units; eligibility summary; "over half of all recorded crime" claim (read 21 October 2026) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now: Economic Crime job description (Dorset Police, March 2027) : £31,164 starting salary paid from day one; two years, permanent; 22 days' leave rising to 30; Police Pension Scheme; British citizen or settled or leave to remain status; responsibilities; selection stages (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now: National Graduate Programme : Economic Crime follows a similar structure to the Detective pathway; 13-week detective academy; NIE stage; March 2028 window opens early next year (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now: Detective : eight detective stages; 13-week academy; NIE after force integration (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now: Vetting process : counter terrorist check often required for Economic Crime depending on force; managed vetting in certain forces; one to three months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now: When will applications next open? : early next year, for a March 2028 start (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now application portal (March 2027) : March 2027 entry closed (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now news: pilot detective training for economic crime (4 November 2024) : economic crime stream piloting with City of London Police from March 2025; over 250 applications; 13-week academy ending in the NIE; full operational competence and PIP2 by the end (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Now news: over 145 trainee detectives attested (17 March 2025) : 12 economic crime trainees for City of London Police among 148 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- ONS: Crime in England and Wales, year ending March 2026 (23 July 2026) : 4.5 million fraud incidents, 798,000 computer misuse incidents and 9.6 million headline crime incidents in the CSEW (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: NIE candidate handbook 2026 : NIE format, pass mark and resit rules (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 011/2026: Annex F : 2025/26 point 1 £31,164, used to explain Police Now's job description figure (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Reported Government announcement of the 2026/27 police pay award (15 July 2026) : constable point 1 £32,256 from 1 September 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
More for graduate applicants
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Now, the College of Policing or any police force. It does not recruit or assess applicants. Police Now sets its own eligibility, selection and programme content and changes them between cohorts: check Police Now's own pages and your invitation before relying on anything here. Practice material on this page is original PolicePay material, not Police Now's. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.