Police Pay

PIP1 vs PIP2: The Real Difference

A clear breakdown of the College of Policing's investigator accreditation levels — and who actually holds each one.

Updated: 15 September 2026

The Short Answer

PIP1 covers priority and volume crime. PIP2 covers serious and complex investigations. Both are College of Policing accreditation levels within the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) — and neither is exclusively for warranted officers.

Why PIP exists

Before PIP, "who investigates what" in policing was largely a matter of rank and posting rather than a formally assessed, portable standard. The College of Policing's Professionalising Investigation Programme was introduced to fix that — creating a single national framework that defines investigative competence by the seriousness and complexity of the casework, independently of job title, rank or whether the person holds a warrant card.

That framework-first design is exactly why PIP2 isn't automatically detective-only: the standard describes a level of investigative skill, and any role that genuinely does that level of work can, in principle, be trained and assessed against it.

All Four PIP Levels

Level Scope Typically held by
PIP1 Priority and volume crime Response officers; some designated/civilian investigators
PIP2 Serious and complex investigations Detective constables; some civilian investigators trained to this level
PIP3 Major crime — Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) Experienced detectives, typically Detective Inspector and above
PIP4 Strategic management of the most serious/complex and organised crime Senior detectives in strategic command roles

Source: College of Policing investigation career pathway framework.

What Actually Separates Them In Practice

PIP1 Casework
  • •High-volume offences: theft, minor assault, criminal damage, low-level fraud
  • •Generally single-victim, single-suspect, with a more straightforward evidential picture
  • •Investigation timelines are typically shorter
PIP2 Casework
  • •Serious and complex offences: rape and serious sexual offences, serious violence, complex fraud, safeguarding cases
  • •Often multiple victims, suspects or evidential strands, and greater vulnerability considerations
  • •Investigations typically run longer, with more extensive disclosure and case-building requirements

The dividing line is complexity and seriousness of the casework, not the offence type in isolation — the same broad offence can sit at either level depending on its specific facts.

PIP2 isn't a detective-only accreditation

It's easy to assume PIP levels map directly onto warranted officer ranks — PIP1 for uniform, PIP2 for CID. In practice, several forces train non-warranted police staff (civilian or "designated" investigators) to PIP2 for serious and complex casework that doesn't require arrest powers, such as evidence-heavy fraud or safeguarding cases.

This means the accreditation itself is about investigative competency, not employment status. A civilian investigator with PIP2 is trained to the same standard as a detective constable — they just can't arrest, search, or use the powers reserved for warranted officers.

How accreditation actually happens

PIP1 is generally built into standard initial training for the role — response officers and volume-crime investigators pick it up as part of foundational development. PIP2 is a step up: a structured programme of legal and procedural training, commonly paired with the College of Policing's National Investigators' Exam (NIE), combined with supervised casework assessed against the PIP2 standard.

Rather than a single pass/fail test, PIP2 accreditation is typically confirmed once a supervisor or accreditation panel is satisfied — from a portfolio of real casework — that the investigator can consistently meet the serious-and-complex standard, not just perform well on one occasion. Ongoing performance and continuing professional development are then expected to maintain that status.

FAQ

What is PIP in the police?
PIP stands for the Professionalising Investigation Programme, the College of Policing's accreditation framework for investigators. It has four levels, PIP1 to PIP4, each defined by the seriousness and complexity of the cases an investigator is trained to handle.
What is the difference between PIP1 and PIP2?
PIP1 covers priority and volume crime — the high-volume, generally less complex offences most response officers and some designated investigators handle. PIP2 covers serious and complex investigations, and is the accreditation level held by detective constables and some civilian investigators trained to that standard.
Do you need to be a detective to hold PIP2?
No. While PIP2 is most commonly associated with detective constables, some forces also train non-warranted police staff (civilian investigators) to PIP2 level for serious and complex casework that doesn't require arrest powers.
What is PIP3 and PIP4?
PIP3 covers major crime investigations in the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) role, typically held by experienced detectives at Detective Inspector level or above. PIP4 covers the strategic management of the most serious, complex and organised crime investigations, held by senior detectives in strategic command roles.
How do you become PIP2 accredited?
PIP2 accreditation is workplace-based rather than a single exam. It typically combines a legal knowledge assessment — the National Investigators' Exam (NIE) — with supervised, portfolio-assessed casework demonstrating the investigator can consistently apply serious and complex investigation standards. It is confirmed by a supervisor or accreditation panel once that standard is met, not on a single test day.
Is PIP accreditation permanent once achieved?
PIP status is expected to be maintained through continuing professional development and ongoing casework performance, not treated as a one-off lifetime qualification. Forces monitor investigator performance and competence on an ongoing basis as part of the wider PIP framework.

Related Guides

Civilian Investigator Explained • Civilian Investigator Pay UK • Direct Entry Detective

PolicePay is independent and not affiliated with the College of Policing or any police force. Based on the College of Policing's published investigation career pathway framework.