Detective
Detective Entry Routes
Direct-entry and degree-holder detective programmes that take you into investigative work without first spending years in uniform.
Also searched as direct entry detective, detective constable jobs, dc dhep. We currently see 8 forces referencing this route, with 5 live adverts we can read directly.
Length
Two years to substantive detective constable, in most schemes
Who it's for
Graduates and experienced professionals who want to work in CID, safeguarding or major crime rather than response policing.
Pay
£33,969 from day one, more with allowances
What you need
- A degree, for the DHEP detective variant
- Some forces accept significant investigative or analytical experience instead
- The same vetting, fitness and medical standards as any constable
Worth knowing first
- You are a warranted constable first — expect uniform time regardless of the badge
- The National Investigators' Exam sits inside the programme and it is a genuine hurdle
- Windows for these are short and often force-specific
Forces advertising Detective
Filtered to forces where our last check found this route. Forces whose systems block automated reading won't appear here even if they are recruiting — the full board shows every force with its data source.
69
live vacancies we can read
4
forces with a readable job feed
5
forces confirmed recruiting
Last checked today. We check every force twice a day and show you exactly where each answer came from.
Showing 8 of 43 forces
West Midlands Police
Read from West Midlands Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
South Yorkshire Police
Read from South Yorkshire Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Cleveland Police
From Cleveland Police's own job board — 5 of 11 shown, checked today.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Greater Manchester Police
Read from Greater Manchester Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Derbyshire Constabulary
Read from Derbyshire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Leicestershire Police
Read from Leicestershire Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
City of London Police
Read from City of London Police's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£42,331
incl. £8,362 allowances
≈ £2,454/mo take-home
Detective questions
What is Detective Entry Routes? +
Direct-entry and degree-holder detective programmes that take you into investigative work without first spending years in uniform.
Who is Detective for? +
Graduates and experienced professionals who want to work in CID, safeguarding or major crime rather than response policing.
How long does Detective take? +
Two years to substantive detective constable, in most schemes. You are a warranted constable first — expect uniform time regardless of the badge.
What do you need to apply for Detective? +
A degree, for the DHEP detective variant. Some forces accept significant investigative or analytical experience instead. The same vetting, fitness and medical standards as any constable.
What does Detective pay? +
Detective entrants are paid the standard police constable salary — £33,969 a year on the national scale, more in forces that pay a London or South East allowance. That is roughly £2,027 a month after tax, National Insurance and the police pension contribution.
Compare the other routes
PCEP
Around two years to confirmation as a constable
PCDA
Three years, ending in a degree and confirmation as a constable
DHEP
Two years to confirmation as a constable
Transferee
Typically three to six months from application to start date
Rejoiner
Often faster than initial entry — a shortened conversion rather than a full programme
Specials
Ongoing, with a minimum commitment of around 16 hours a month
PCSO
Permanent role with an initial training period of a few months
Staff
Permanent and fixed-term contracts