Position Overview & Specifications

We are inviting talented people from all backgrounds to consider joining us as a Police Officer and we are delighted you are visiting our careers site to find out more about the role. There are currently the following training programmes: Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) for those that have not yet obtained a degree, and Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) for those that hold a Level 6 bachelor’s degree (or higher) in any subject.
Those that already have a BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice from a College of Policing supported university can apply to DHEP via this application or GDP via the other open vacancy. If you are more interested in a career as a detective, please check our other open vacancy for Graduate Detective Programme (GDP). Please read through the full eligibility criteria here before submitting an application: In addition to meeting general requirements on education and vetting criteria, it is important you understand the physical and mental demands of the role and must read all information regarding previous and existing medical conditions carefully before you choose to apply.
For a very informative video from our senior officers on becoming a police officer, please click here and for further information please see the role profile here. How to apply
Once you have done your research, the first stage of the application process is to click the apply icon below to register and complete your application. You will complete your personal and professional details and must submit certificate copies of the required qualifications and your driving license with your application. You will also declare any previous cautions and convictions and submit pictures of any visible tattoos for review. Once your application has been reviewed and accepted, we will be in touch with the next steps of your application journey: Recruitment steps for Police Officer (PCDA/DHEP/GDP) - please note that the interview with Northumbria Police and College of Policing's online assessments can be in different order or overlap:
  • Northumbria Police:
Registered, application not submitted Application submitted Application review Eligibility check
  • College of Policing:
National sift Online assessments
  • Northumbria Police:
Interview Conditional offer Pre-employment checks Medical Job-related fitness test Vetting DNA & fingerprints Final offer References The whole recruitment process can take several months to over a year, and unfortunately not all make it the first time, so if you are passionate about this career, please bear patient as it is a long journey with many steps to pass! Benefits In return for your dedication and experience, we offer 22 days’ leave, excluding bank holidays, increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service. We support our people inside and out of work – offering a very competitive pension scheme and discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card. Also, to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing, we’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service and access to gyms in some stations. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion At Northumbria Police we are all different and that’s our greatest strength. We draw on the differences in who we are, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We protect and serve everyone and therefore believe in including everyone. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all areas of the community as appointments are based solely on merit. If you have any questions about applying for the role of Police Constable, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team on jointeamnp@northumbria.police.uk

Terms and Conditions

Vetting Level - Recruitment Vetting (RV)

Applicants must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information and references.

Full UK manual driving license

You must have a full UK manual driving licence, but we do accommodate for applicants who don’t drive due to a disability.

Please make sure you have read through and understood the full eligibility criteria before you apply.

Thank you again for your interest and good luck with your application!

To apply for PCDA/ DHEP, click APPLY at the bottom of this page.