Specialist Roles and
Lateral Moves
How serving officers in England and Wales move sideways into firearms, CID, roads policing, the dog unit, public order, surveillance and other units: when you can apply, how internal selection works, what each unit tests, and how to prepare. Written from College of Policing guidance, HMICFRS inspections, Home Office statistics and published force policies.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Pass probation first (two years, or three on the apprenticeship). Then watch for your force's internal adverts or expression of interest windows, get your line manager's support, and apply against the role profile. Expect a paper sift, role-specific tests such as a fitness test at the unit's level, a structured interview usually marked against the Competency and Values Framework, extra vetting for some posts, and a course you must pass. There is no right to a post: each force selects against its own needs, and tenure rules are local.
What a lateral move is, and what it is not
A lateral move is a change of role at the same rank: a constable on response becoming a firearms officer, a neighbourhood officer joining the dog unit, a constable starting the trainee detective route. Nothing about your rank or your pay scale changes. Promotion is a separate track that runs through the National Police Promotion Framework (see our promotion hub).
Three things shape every lateral move, whichever unit you want:
- Postings belong to the force. A police force and its staff are "under the direction and control of the chief constable" (Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, section 2(3)). You do not own a post or have a right to a specialist role. You apply when one is open and the force selects.
- Each force runs its own process. National bodies set the standards (training curricula, fitness levels, vetting levels, accreditation), but selection is local. HMICFRS found in 2025 that even the route to becoming a detective "isn't standardised across forces".
- Role profiles set the bar. The College of Policing publishes national policing professional profiles that set out each role's purpose, responsibilities, competencies, and the "education, knowledge and experience for the role". The College says HR managers use them "in recruitment, deployment, and promotion processes". Some full profiles sit behind the College Learn login, so ask your HR or the unit for the one used in your force.
The College groups its profiles into community policing (including response and roads policing), intelligence (including covert operations and surveillance), investigation (including public protection, financial crime and family liaison) and operational support (including firearms, public order and specialist operations). If a role you want is not covered on this page, its profile family is the place to start.
When you can apply: probation and time in post
The national recruitment site run by the College of Policing is clear on the normal order: "Once you have successfully passed your probationary period, you may choose to follow a specialism (for example, CID, firearms, dog handling etc)." It says most detectives and dog handlers specialise after probation.
Probation is two years on the traditional entry and degree holder routes, and three years (the length of the apprenticeship) on the police constable degree apprenticeship, according to the same page. Some forces run entry routes that place new joiners into investigation from the start, but those are recruitment routes, not lateral moves.
Beyond probation, the rules you meet are set locally. The published examples we could read show the range:
- West Midlands Police opens its Detective Academy to constables "fully accredited at PIP1 level and signed off as competent within their probationary period" (Investigative Accreditation Policy, 2025).
- Firearms selection asks applicants to "evidence competence in general policing skills and a knowledge of relevant law and policy" (College armed policing APP). The APP sets no minimum years of service; any minimum is a force rule.
- Minimum stays after a move are common for units that invest heavily in training. British Transport Police's pack for armed transferees, for example, asks for a minimum tenure of two years. Ask whether the unit you want has one.
Many forces also look at attendance, performance and conduct before releasing an officer to a specialist course, but the thresholds are local and rarely published. Ask your HR or the unit for the selection policy, and ask your supervisor early whether you would be released.
How internal selection usually works
There is no single national process, but the published material from the College, HMICFRS and individual units follows a recognisable shape. Not every unit uses every stage, and the order varies.
| Stage | What usually happens | Published example |
|---|---|---|
| Advert or expression of interest | The unit advertises internally, or invites expressions of interest, with closing dates and essential criteria. Some units recruit in set windows rather than all year. | West Midlands Police describes its Detective Academy as "a bi-yearly process" (Investigative Accreditation Policy, 2025). NPAS says its tactical flight officer vacancies are advertised internally by forces. |
| Line manager support | Your supervisor confirms you are suitable and that the move can be released. Many forms ask for a supporting statement. | The College's armed policing APP says an AFO application should have appropriate line manager support. |
| Paper sift | Your written evidence is checked against the role profile's essential criteria: service, current deployability, skills, conduct and attendance. | NPAS's first stage is essential criteria on selection, assessed from application form evidence against the role profile. |
| Tests and assessments | Role-specific: a fitness test at the unit's level, knowledge tests, aptitude tests, practical assessments, a home check for dog handlers, a driving assessment for roads. | HMICFRS (2023) found firearms assessments usually cover use of force, conflict management and knowledge of the law, and include a fitness test. NPAS uses aircrew aptitude testing at RAF Cranwell. |
| Interview or board | A structured interview, usually against the Competency and Values Framework (CVF), sometimes with a scenario or presentation. | NPAS lists a Competency and Values Framework interview. |
| Vetting and professional standards checks | Some posts need management vetting (MV) or national security vetting on top of your recruitment vetting. | HMICFRS (2023) found firearms selection includes vetting and professional standards department checks. |
| Course and accreditation | A national or licensed course, then a period of workplace assessment or a portfolio before you are fully accredited. | NPAS ends with a 4-week TFO course. PIP2 investigators complete a portfolio after the course, usually in 6 to 12 months (College FOI, 2025). |
Two features catch people out. First, windows: many units recruit in batches tied to course dates, so missing one closing date can mean waiting months. Second, the course is part of selection. Passing the board gets you a place, not the role. You are only in post once you pass the course and any workplace assessment.
What the board is usually marked against
Most forces use the College's Competency and Values Framework (CVF) for interviews. The College says the CVF "plays a significant role in the recruitment, assessment, and development of officers and staff at every level" and can be used "when selecting applicants for a role". It has three values (courage, respect and empathy, public service) and six competencies. The College also says assessors should take account of "the specific requirements of a role", so a firearms board and a CID board will weight different things.
For firearms, the APP suggests forces consider communication, calm temperament, resilience, teamwork and co-operation, information assimilation and decision making under pressure. That list is a useful guide for any operational specialist board.
Every major unit at a glance
This table brings together what we could verify for each unit. Fitness levels are the College of Policing's recommended standards; forces decide how to apply them. Where a cell says "set by each force", we found no national rule.
| Unit | What it does | Selection elements we could verify | College fitness level (15m test) | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firearms (AFO, ARV) | Armed response and planned armed operations | Documented application and selection process, line manager support (APP); familiarisation, written application, assessment, fitness test, vetting and PSD checks (HMICFRS 2023) | AFO 7.6, ARV 9.4, dynamic intervention AFO 10.5 | Firearms selection |
| CID (detective constable) | Serious and complex investigation at PIP level 2 | Force selection, PIP1 competence, NIE pass, PIP2 programme, portfolio (College PIP policy 2023) | No specialist level listed | Becoming a detective |
| Roads policing | Road safety, enforcement, serious collisions, pursuits | Set by each force; driver training to the level the post needs | No shuttle level listed (police drivers have a treadmill standard of 11 min 20 s) | Roads selection |
| Dog unit | General purpose and specialist search dogs | Set by each force; usually includes a home suitability check because the dog lives with you | Dog handler 5.7 | Dog handler |
| Public order (PSU, TSG) | Protest, disorder, events, planned operations | Set by each force; public order training to the level needed | Police support unit 6.3 | TSG and public order |
| Surveillance | Covert observation to gather intelligence and evidence | Pre-selection, advanced driver training and a pass or fail course against national standards (BTP officer, College article 2024) | Not listed | Surveillance and covert |
| Undercover | Deployments under a concealed identity | Volunteer, then selection, vetting, training and accreditation; personality or psychological assessment (College undercover APP) | Not listed | Undercover section |
| Air support (NPAS) | Tactical flight officer on police helicopters and aeroplanes | Application, aptitude testing at RAF Cranwell, CVF interview, 4-week TFO course; officers are seconded (NPAS) | Air support 6.4 | Below |
| Counter terrorism policing | Investigation, intelligence, Prevent, surveillance | Advertised on the CTP careers site or force sites; national security vetting can take six months or longer (CTP) | Depends on the role | Below |
| Mounted, marine, divers, cyclists | Specialist operational support | Set by each force | Marine 5.4, mounted 5.7, cyclist 5.8, divers 6.8, marine tactical 7.2 | Below |
Firearms: AFO and ARV
An authorised firearms officer is "a police officer who has been selected, trained, accredited and authorised by their chief officer to carry a firearm operationally" (College armed policing APP). At 31 March 2026, 6,558 officers in England and Wales were authorised to use a firearm, according to the Home Office.
HMICFRS inspected nine forces in 2023 and found every one had fewer armed officers than the number set in its own armed policing strategic threat and risk assessment. It also heard that the role "was becoming less popular", which officers put down to the extra responsibility, scrutiny and the effect on work-life balance. For an applicant, that means vacancies, but also a role that asks a lot: HMICFRS says most AFOs complete about 120 hours of training a year.
Selection, per HMICFRS, "generally includes familiarisation sessions, followed by a formal written application and an assessment", usually on use of force, conflict management and knowledge of the law, with a fitness test, vetting and professional standards checks. The College recommends Level 7.6 for AFOs and 9.4 for ARV officers.
Our full guide covers the stages, the initial firearms course, the Metropolitan Police's published course pass rates and a preparation plan: firearms officer selection and the initial firearms course. For the role itself, pay and the tiers above AFO, see firearms officer explained.
CID: becoming a detective constable
Detective constables work at PIP level 2, the College of Policing's level for "serious and complex investigations". The College's PIP policy (2023) sets the pathway: selection by your force, competence at PIP1, a pass in the National Investigators' Exam (NIE), the PIP2 investigator programme, then workplace assessment and a portfolio. Only those signed off can use the title of substantive detective.
Demand is high. HMICFRS reported in 2025 that the number of accredited PIP2 investigators rose from 20,356 to 22,832 between March 2018 and March 2024, but the shortfall rose from 4,353 to 9,441 over the same period. Some forces support applicants with paid study leave, coaching and crammer courses; others, HMICFRS found, did nothing until officers had passed the NIE at their own expense. Ask what yours offers.
Read the full route, timings and what happens if you fail the exam: how to become a detective as a serving officer. For the exam itself, see the NIE hub.
Roads policing
Roads policing units deal with road safety, enforcement, serious and fatal collisions and pursuits. The selection bar is mostly about driving: a roads post usually needs higher-level police driving qualifications than response, and the course places that lead to them are limited. The College has no specialist shuttle-run level for roads officers, though its treadmill table lists a standard for police drivers (11 minutes 20 seconds).
See roads policing selection and police driving courses for the driver training levels, the legal standard police drivers are now judged by, and how selection works. The day-to-day role is covered in roads policing explained.
Dog unit
Dog handling is unusual because the job comes home with you: police dogs normally live with their handler, so selection usually includes a check of your home and household as well as the usual sift, interview and fitness test. The College recommends Level 5.7 for dog handlers. It is also the only specialist role with a national allowance written into the allowances determination; see our specialist role pay comparison for the current figure.
Our police dog handler guide covers selection, the home check, the course and life with a police dog.
Public order: PSU and TSG
Public order officers police protest, disorder, football and major events, usually as part of a police support unit (PSU). Some forces have full-time units, such as the Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group (TSG); in others, public order is a skill officers hold alongside their main role and are called on when needed. The College recommends Level 6.3 for police support unit officers.
Read TSG and public order selection for the levels of public order training, what full-time units look for and the fitness standard.
Surveillance and covert roles
Most covert work is not publicised, for good reason, so we only describe what official sources say. A British Transport Police surveillance officer, writing for the College of Policing in 2024, described joining through "a robust, national process" that includes "pre-selection, advanced driver training and attendance on a pass/fail course with assessment against national standards", after which "successful candidates become licensed surveillance operatives".
Undercover officers "volunteer for selection, vetting, training and accreditation", according to the College's public undercover APP, and selection includes a personality or psychological assessment. See surveillance and covert roles.
Other units: air support, counter terrorism, protection and more
Air support (NPAS tactical flight officer)
The National Police Air Service says tactical flight officers "are Police Constables or Police Staff", that "a background in aviation is not required", and that relevant operational policing experience is desirable. Its stages are: essential criteria assessed from your application against the role profile, a cognitive skills assessment with aircrew aptitude testing at RAF Cranwell, a Competency and Values Framework interview, and an aviation foundation course. The process ends with a 4-week TFO course. Police officers are seconded; staff are employed by West Yorkshire Police, which hosts NPAS. The College recommends Level 6.4 for air support.
Counter terrorism policing
Counter Terrorism Policing advertises roles, including constable posts, on its own careers site and on force websites. Its common questions page says security vetting "may take up to six months – or longer", and that national security vetting needs UK residency of "a minimum of five years at SC level and 10 years at DV level". It also notes that management vetting may still be needed depending on the region.
Protection
In a 2024 FOI answer, the Metropolitan Police described the selection route into its Protection Command as a "written application, assessment centre, One Stop Shop (medical & fitness tests)", followed by a Taser course and a 5-week firearms course. Protection roles elsewhere follow their own force processes.
Mounted, marine, divers and cyclists
These are smaller units and not every force has them. The College lists recommended fitness levels for each: marine police unit 5.4, mounted branch 5.7, police cyclist 5.8, police divers 6.8 and marine tactical skills 7.2. Selection details are local, so speak to the unit.
Secondments
Some moves are secondments to national bodies or other organisations rather than postings within your force. See police secondments explained.
Choosing a unit: what each asks of your life
Selection panels ask whether you understand the demands of the role, and so should you before you apply. This table sets out the commitments the official sources describe for each unit. It is a starting point for the conversation with the unit, not a full list.
| Unit | Commitments the official sources describe |
|---|---|
| Firearms | About 120 hours of training a year (HMICFRS 2023); annual medical and fitness tests (College AFO profile); scrutiny of every decision, which officers told HMICFRS made the role less popular, alongside its effect on work-life balance |
| CID | NIE study (the College recommends at least 14 weeks), then a portfolio usually taking six to twelve months; annual CPD to stay accredited |
| Roads policing | Driving qualifications to keep current (refreshers every three to five years); serious and fatal collision work |
| Dog unit | The dog lives with you: kennel and boundary security at home, a home risk assessment, and an annual 5.7 fitness test (NPCC Police Dog Standard 2024) |
| Public order | Short-notice mobilisation for events and disorder, including mutual aid to other forces (HMICFRS 2024); 6.3 fitness |
| Surveillance | Deployments that can change at short notice and long hours (BTP officer, College 2024) |
| Undercover | Regular psychological assessment, annual code of conduct, CPD or deployment every 12 months to stay active (College undercover APP) |
Check these before you apply. An attachment of a few shifts, or a conversation with two or three people already in the unit, will tell you more than any advert.
Specialist moves for sergeants and inspectors
Lateral moves are not only for constables. Supervisors and managers move into specialist units too, and some specialist roles exist only at supervisory rank. The selection rules are different:
- Firearms command. The College's armed policing APP says forces "should have an auditable selection process" for strategic and tactical firearms commanders "that is not based purely on rank". Commanders and tactical advisers "must undergo annual commander/tactical advisor refresher training" and "must be formally re-accredited at least every five years". HMICFRS found in 2023 that some forces gave officers the initial tactical firearms commander role "simply due to their rank or posting", for example inspectors posted to the force control room.
- Public order command. Bronze public order commanders and advisers "must complete first aid training, public and personal safety training, a multistage fitness test (or approved alternative) to level 6.3 and Level 2 public order training annually" (College POPS APP).
- Investigation supervision. Detective sergeants and inspectors work at PIP2 supervisor or manager level, with their own development programme and portfolio. West Midlands Police, for example, runs a five-module Investigation Supervisor and Managers Development Programme.
- Vetting. Firearms commanders and advisers, and public order commanders and advisers, are among the posts the College's vetting APP lists as needing management vetting.
If you are moving into a specialist unit on promotion, your force may post you rather than run a competition. The College's roads policing pathway warns that it "may not be possible to progress through the ranks within a particular job family, as forces may assign newly promoted individuals or those in acting posts, in line with organisational need". See the promotion hub.
Writing the application
The paper sift is where many applications fail, usually because the evidence does not match the role profile. Our practical guidance:
- Answer the criteria in the order they are listed. Use the advert's own headings so the sifter can tick each one off.
- One example per criterion, recent and specific, with what you did, why and what changed.
- Show the link to the unit. End each example with a sentence on why that skill matters in the role you want.
- Get your supervisor's statement right. Give them your examples and the criteria, and ask them to comment on the same points.
- Check the essentials before you start. Fitness level, driving qualifications, vetting level, service: if you do not meet an essential criterion, ask whether it can be met by the course date before spending time on the form.
Part-time working, flexible working and adjustments
Part-time and flexible working do not automatically rule you out of a specialist role, and the official guidance says so in places:
- The College's PIP policy says "part-time working shouldn't be a barrier to completing the programme within the expected time".
- The College's CVF guidance says "reasonable adjustments should always be made for people who have disabilities that have an impact on their ability to demonstrate the competencies", in line with equality legislation.
- A BTP surveillance officer writing for the College in 2024 said the team "can, and do accommodate flexible working", despite unpredictable deployments.
- The College's fitness standards include treadmill alternatives designed for officers with lower limb injuries; forces decide when to offer them.
Some roles are harder to fit around fixed commitments than others (24/7 armed response, on-call units, a dog at home). Ask the unit directly what working patterns it can support, and ask HR about adjustments for any part of the selection process, before you apply.
Fitness standards by specialist role
The College of Policing's job-related fitness standards set a recommended level for each specialist role, based on physiological data from officers doing training exercises that replicated the role's real demands. The College says forces decide when to offer the treadmill alternative, which is designed for officers with lower limb injuries. Its page notes that it is under review because of the new national public and personal safety training curriculum.
| Role | 15m shuttle run level | Treadmill alternative (CTPWT) |
|---|---|---|
| Officers who need personal safety training | 5.4 | 10 min |
| Marine police unit | 5.4 | 11 min 40 s (marine police) |
| Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear | 5.4 | 10 min |
| Dog handler | 5.7 | 10 min 20 s |
| Mounted branch | 5.7 | 10 min 20 s |
| Police cyclist | 5.8 | 10 min 20 s |
| Police support unit (public order) | 6.3 | 10 min 40 s |
| Air support | 6.4 | 10 min 40 s |
| Police divers | 6.8 | Not listed |
| Marine police (tactical skills) | 7.2 | Not listed |
| Authorised firearms officer (AFO) | 7.6 | 12 min |
| Armed response vehicle (ARV) | 9.4 | CTPRT run test, 8 min |
| Dynamic intervention AFO | 10.5 | CTPRT run test, 10 min |
| Police drivers | Not listed | 11 min 20 s |
Level 7.6 and above is a big step from the 5.4 every officer needs for personal safety training. If you are aiming at firearms or public order, start training months before the advert. Our specialist fitness standards guide has a phased plan from 5.4 upwards.
Vetting for specialist posts
Every officer holds recruitment vetting (RV). Some specialist posts need management vetting (MV) on top. The College's vetting APP (May 2025, 5.4.2.f) gives examples of posts needing MV, including:
- authorised firearms officers, and firearms commanders and advisers
- public order and public safety commanders and advisers
- informant handlers, and staff in counter corruption and counter terrorism
- people with access to sensitive intelligence as part of an investigation, for example in serious and organised or major crime units
MV clearance lasts seven years and is maintained through annual integrity and vetting reviews (5.4.2.g). It adds full financial checks, and it needs five years' UK residency immediately before applying, against three for RV (5.3.2.c). Some counter terrorism and protection posts also need national security vetting (SC or DV).
If your finances, associations or circumstances have changed since you joined, it is better to raise them before a specialist application than to have them found during it. See police vetting levels explained.
Tenure: how long you stay, and how long you must
Tenure means two different things in specialist policing, and both are set locally:
- A minimum stay after an expensive course, so the force gets a return on the training. BTP's armed transferee pack asks for two years, for example.
- A maximum stay in a high-pressure or high-risk unit, after which you rotate out. The College's undercover APP says "a fixed-term tenure cannot meet the needs of all undercover units and operatives" and uses a risk-based tenure policy instead.
For detectives, the College told an FOI requester in May 2025 that it holds no information on any "nationally mandated tenure, statement of expectation, or minimum period of retention" after PIP2 accreditation. Its view is that an accredited PIP2 investigator "is deployable to any PIP 2 role subject to the essential criteria for the role". Any tenure rule you meet in CID is a force decision.
- Is there a minimum period I must stay after the course?
- Is there a maximum tenure, and what happens at the end of it?
- Would I keep the qualification if I moved back to another role?
- What is the shift pattern and on-call commitment?
- How long is the wait for the next course after selection?
Pay: what changes and what does not
Your basic pay stays on your rank's scale. What can change is overtime, unsocial hours, on-call days and, in some forces, a discretionary payment. Only the dog handler's allowance is a national allowance tied to a specialist role. HMICFRS found in 2025 that some forces pay detective incentives: Kent gives officers an annual payment as an incentive to become detectives, and a senior Essex officer said detective constables in certain roles get an extra £1,200 a year. The Metropolitan Police said in a 2023 FOI answer that its specialist firearms command "does not provide additional payments specifically for being an AFO".
Compare roles with your own hours in our specialist role pay calculator.
How to prepare: a 12-week plan before the advert
This is our practical guidance, not an official process. It works for most operational units, and the supporting guides add the unit-specific detail.
- Weeks 1 to 2: get the facts. Ask HR or the unit for the role profile, the selection policy, any minimum service or tenure rule, the fitness level and the next likely advert date. Ask whether the unit offers attachments or familiarisation sessions (HMICFRS found firearms units commonly run familiarisation sessions).
- Weeks 1 to 12: fitness. Test yourself against the unit's level now, not the week before. If you are more than a level short, build up gradually and retest every few weeks.
- Weeks 2 to 6: build an evidence log. For each CVF competency, write down two or three recent, specific examples from your own work: what you did, why, and what changed. Choose ones relevant to the unit: decisions under pressure for firearms, investigative thinking for CID, risk on the road for roads.
- Weeks 3 to 8: close the knowledge gap. Firearms boards test use of force law and conflict management; CID depends on the NIE syllabus; roads expects road traffic law. Read the relevant APP module and the law that the unit uses most.
- Weeks 6 to 10: talk to your supervisor. You will need their support on the form, and they may need to plan your release. Ask them to look at your evidence and challenge it.
- Weeks 8 to 12: rehearse out loud. Practise answers to likely questions in a structured way (situation, task, action, result), timed, and ask a colleague in the unit to run a mock board.
Our original practice set is in specialist role interview questions and answers.
If you are not selected, or do not pass the course
Not being selected is common and usually not a judgement on your career. Ask for feedback against each stage, then fix the weakest one before the next window. Most units let you reapply, though some set a gap.
Failing a course normally means you return to a role you are trained for; your police career continues. Some published rules are firmer, and you should know them before you start:
- The College's PIP policy says people who fail the NIE or do not demonstrate competence should get a development plan and support, but if they still cannot meet the requirements they "should be removed from a PIP 2 role". After a second NIE fail, line managers should discuss whether the PIP2 route is the most suitable one.
- West Midlands Police allows an NIE resit at the next sitting, holds a development meeting after a second fail, allows no further attempt "within 18 months", and re-posts officers to a PIP1 role after a third fail.
Firearms authorisation is kept up through ongoing training and assessment. If an authorisation lapses, the officer returns to unarmed duties. Ask your unit how it handles failed requalification.
Myths about specialist selection
- "You need years in the job first." Often, but not always as a national rule. Probation is the usual minimum; any further service requirement is local. Check the advert.
- "Specialist roles pay more." Basic pay is the same as any officer of your rank. Any difference comes from overtime, on-call, local payments or, for dog handlers, the national allowance.
- "The board is just a chat." Most are structured and marked, usually against the CVF and the role profile. Treat it like a promotion board.
- "Pass the course and you are set for life." Many roles need continuing training and reassessment: HMICFRS says AFOs attend annual mandatory training, and PIP2 investigators must complete annual CPD to stay accredited.
- "A qualification transfers between forces automatically." Each force runs its own selection. Moving force does not guarantee you a post in the same unit.
What we could not verify
We left these out because we could not confirm them from an official source on 18 October 2026:
- Any national minimum length of service for firearms, roads, dog, public order or surveillance selection. Where these exist, they are force rules.
- Pass rates for specialist boards or selection days. The only course pass rates we found are the Metropolitan Police's figures for all its firearms courses, covered in the firearms guide.
- The full text of most College professional profiles, which sit behind the College Learn login.
- Course lengths for most units, other than those named on this page from official sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a police officer apply for a specialist role?
Usually once you have passed probation. The national recruitment site says that once you have successfully passed your probationary period you may choose a specialism such as CID, firearms or dog handling, and that most detectives and dog handlers specialise after probation. Probation is two years on the traditional and degree holder routes and three years on the apprenticeship. Some units also ask for a minimum time in your current post, which is set locally.
Is a lateral move the same as a promotion?
No. A lateral move changes your role, not your rank. You stay on the pay scale for your rank, and promotion still runs through the National Police Promotion Framework. Some specialist posts bring allowances or more overtime, but only the dog handler's allowance is a national allowance tied to a specialist role.
Do I have a right to move into a specialist unit?
No. A police force is under the direction and control of its chief constable (Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, section 2), so postings are a force decision. You apply when a vacancy or expression of interest window opens, and the force selects against the role's criteria and its own needs.
What is a specialist board marked against?
Most forces use the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework (CVF) for interviews, alongside the essential criteria in the role profile. The College says the CVF plays a significant role in the recruitment, assessment and development of officers and staff at every level, and that it can be used when selecting applicants for a role.
Which specialist roles need higher vetting?
The College's vetting guidance lists authorised firearms officers, informant handlers, counter-corruption and counter-terrorism staff, people with access to sensitive intelligence in serious and organised or major crime units, and firearms and public order commanders among the posts needing management vetting (MV). MV adds full financial checks, lasts seven years and needs five years' UK residency.
How fit do you need to be for specialist units?
The College of Policing recommends 15m shuttle run levels by role: 5.7 for dog handlers and mounted officers, 6.3 for police support units, 6.4 for air support, 7.6 for authorised firearms officers, 9.4 for armed response vehicle officers and 10.5 for dynamic intervention AFOs. Forces decide how they apply them.
How long do you have to stay in a specialist post?
There is no single national rule. Tenure and minimum stay rules are set by each force and unit. The College of Policing told an FOI requester in 2025 that it holds no nationally mandated tenure or minimum retention period for PIP2 investigators, and its undercover guidance uses a risk-based approach rather than a fixed term. Ask for your force's policy before you apply.
What happens if I fail the course for a specialist role?
Usually you return to a role you are trained for, and your police career continues. Units differ on whether and when you can reapply. For detectives, the College's PIP policy says people who fail the NIE or do not show competence should get a development plan and support, and should be removed from a PIP2 role if they still cannot meet the requirements; West Midlands Police re-posts officers to a PIP1 role after a third NIE fail.
Can police staff apply for specialist roles?
For some. NPAS tactical flight officers can be constables or police staff, and the National Investigators' Exam is open to police staff investigators selected for PIP2. Armed, public order and dog roles need a warranted officer. Check the advert.
Does my force's selection process apply if I transfer?
No. Each force runs its own selection, and a qualification from one force is not a guaranteed post in another. Some forces run separate routes for officers who already hold a role, such as armed transferee schemes for currently deployed firearms officers.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 18 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.
- joiningthepolice.co.uk (College of Policing): Common questions : specialising after probation; probation two years, three on the apprenticeship (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, section 2, legislation.gov.uk : a force is under the direction and control of the chief constable (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework (CVF) : use in recruitment, assessment and selection (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Policing professional profiles : national role profiles, use in recruitment, deployment and promotion; profile families (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing APP: Issue and carriage of firearms (selection of AFOs) : documented selection process, line manager support, suggested characteristics (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS: An inspection of how effective police forces are in the deployment of firearms (July 2023) : selection stages, about 120 hours' training a year, fewer armed officers than APSTRA, role less popular (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Home Office: Police use of firearms statistics, April 2025 to March 2026 (2 July 2026) : 6,558 officers authorised to use a firearm at 31 March 2026 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: PIP programme policy 2023 (PDF) : PIP levels and the PIP2 pathway (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing FOI response FOIA-2025-080 (29 May 2025, PDF) : no national PIP2 tenure; portfolio 6 to 12 months; annual CPD (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS: An inspection into how effectively the police investigate crime (2025) : PIP2 numbers and shortfall; route not standardised; force support (accessed 18 October 2026)
- West Midlands Police: Investigative Accreditation Policy v1.0 (2025, PDF) : Detective Academy eligibility and timing; NIE resit rules (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Job-related fitness standards : recommended levels for specialist roles and treadmill alternatives (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing APP: Armed policing, command (updated 25 August 2026) : commander selection not based purely on rank; annual refresher; re-accreditation at least every five years (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing APP: Public order public safety, curriculum and training : bronze commander and POPSA annual requirements (accessed 18 October 2026)
- NPCC Police Dog Standard v1 (2024, PDF) : handler selection set by chief constables; annual 5.7 fitness test; kennels and home risk assessment (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Roads policing career pathway : progression within a job family (accessed 18 October 2026)
- HMICFRS: Police response to the public disorder in July and August 2024, tranche 1 (December 2024) : national mobilisation of public order officers (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : MV posts (5.4.2.f), validity (5.4.2.g), residency (5.3.2) (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Working in surveillance (Going equipped, 7 August 2024) : BTP surveillance selection: pre-selection, advanced driving, national pass or fail course (accessed 18 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Undercover policing APP (public version, February 2021, PDF) : volunteers, selection, psychological assessment, risk-based tenure (accessed 18 October 2026)
- National Police Air Service: Tactical Flight Officer : who can apply, selection stages, 4-week course, secondment (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Counter Terrorism Policing: Careers common questions : vetting time and residency for SC and DV (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police FOI 01.FOI.24.040009 (September 2024) : Protection Command selection: written application, assessment centre, medical and fitness, Taser and 5-week firearms course (accessed 18 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Practice, fitness and pay
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or produced by the College of Policing, the Home Office or any police force. Specialist selection is run by each force (or regional collaboration) and criteria, tenure rules, fitness standards and course lengths differ, so check your force's current advert and policy before you apply. Practice questions on this site are original PolicePay material, not real selection or exam content. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.