Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

Scheme has been hailed as way to tackle under-resourcing of investigation teams.

A trainee hired under the Met Police’s flagship direct entry detective programme was dismissed at a privately held misconduct hearing, Police Oracle can reveal.

The trainee DC traveled without a valid ticket on a train and gave misleading accounts of the situation.

The officer had also not passed the national investigators exam (NIE) after two attempts, Police Oracle understands. This meant he could not re-take the test for another 18 months despite being recruited as a detective.

His travel took place just days after the scheme – which is also known as pathfinder for detective constable pathway – got underway last summer.

It sees officers who have not previously walked the beat become warranted officer detectives after intensive investigation training. The first cohort of 20 were all experienced special constables. The programme is unconnected to direct entry to specific ranks.

At a recent special case hearing Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball ordered the former special out of the force. The Met said this was held in private in order to “prevent the disclosure of non-relevant personal information”.

Another officer in the same cohort also failed the NIE twice. She is now in training to become a uniformed PC.

Seventeen of the pathfinder detectives from the first cohort have passed out and are on boroughs being trained by experienced coaches, including retired detectives.

Around another 50, not recruited from the special constabulary, have joined the Met and are undergoing initial training.

In January Commander Richard Smith hailed the scheme as an example of what the force is doing to tackle problems with resources for detectives.

At a press conference on a plan to tackle disclosure failings he told Police Oracle: "The wider issues of detective recruitment are being addressed within the Met and you'll be aware of some of the [initiatives] we have within the Met such as direct entry from our special constabulary to become detectives.”

In response to questions about what will happen to future trainee detective constables if they fail their NIE twice, a Met Police spokesman said a module for them to retrain in uniform is being designed.

But they added: “We have made the positon clear and it is worth highlighting, that every instance is assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent upon their overall performance against the National Occupational Standards.

“However, broadly, if someone is unsuccessful in the NIE a second time, they may be offered a transition to a uniform role.

“Given that they would have completed a foundation learning element which is essentially an IDLDP [initial learning] course and they would have already been performing a policing role.

"A uniform transition module is currently being developed.”

View On Police Oracle

 

 

[MerseyLLB 8,426]

Not good enough to be a detective so well bump you back to uniform?

How about thank you SNLR?!?

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Not good enough to be a detective so well bump you back to uniform?
How about thank you SNLR?!?

That's what happens to every other cop who fails their detective training. Same as other specialisms.
If it was a case of try a specialism and if you're not up to it then here's your P45 then no one would ever try.

[bensonby + 3,503]

22 minutes ago, Reasonable Man said:

That's what happens to every other cop who fails their detective training. Same as other specialisms.
If it was a case of try a specialism and if you're not up to it then here's your P45 then no one would ever try.

 But it’s rather different as these people were recruited specifically as detectives.

Why don’t they just open up the NIE to members of the public and then make it a prerequisite for applying for a direct-entry DC role? You could do the same with OSPRE (or whatever the new name is) exams and make that a prerequisite for direct entry Insp/Supt posts.

[James255 + 26]

It's stupid that this scheme is subject to the London residency requirement. They're looking for graduates!

[Beaker 817]

It's stupid that this scheme is subject to the London residency requirement. They're looking for graduates!

There is no city but London, and everyone obviously wants to live there.

[MerseyLLB 8,426]

13 hours ago, Reasonable Man said:

That's what happens to every other cop who fails their detective training. Same as other specialisms.
If it was a case of try a specialism and if you're not up to it then here's your P45 then no one would ever try.

Not necessarily. There are plenty of PC investigators not on the pathway but who have proven their competency as a police officer but might fail the NIE. 

I had similar thoughts when certain forces encouraged failed PC applicants to become Special Constables and/or PCSOs.

As has been mentioned this is comparing chalk with cheese. Recruiting people to direct entry detective schemes should be about people who are exceptional in skills/knowledge of investigation. If you don't meet the standard...thank you very much...goodbye. 

 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Not necessarily. There are plenty of PC investigators not on the pathway but who have proven their competency as a police officer but might fail the NIE. 
I had similar thoughts when certain forces encouraged failed PC applicants to become Special Constables and/or PCSOs.
As has been mentioned this is comparing chalk with cheese. Recruiting people to direct entry detective schemes should be about people who are exceptional in skills/knowledge of investigation. If you don't meet the standard...thank you very much...goodbye. 
 

But they've successfully completed the equivalent of the IDLDP and, it says, if they have reached the NOS standards then they will be offered the uniform role.
Why chuck out a candidate who has proved they have the required basics and the force has already invested a lot of training in to replace them with someone starting from scratch - who may or may not pass their IPLDP?

[Growley + 2,436]

9 hours ago, MerseyLLB said:

Not necessarily. There are plenty of PC investigators not on the pathway but who have proven their competency as a police officer but might fail the NIE. 

I had similar thoughts when certain forces encouraged failed PC applicants to become Special Constables and/or PCSOs.

As has been mentioned this is comparing chalk with cheese. Recruiting people to direct entry detective schemes should be about people who are exceptional in skills/knowledge of investigation. If you don't meet the standard...thank you very much...goodbye. 

 

I never agreed with failed PC applicants being offered the role of special, purely because you're telling someone they're good enough to do the job and handle the responsibilities... they're just not good enough to get paid to do it.

That being said, I do think it is a huge waste of resources in selection and training to chuck people out because they fail the specific detective pathway. Theoretically they've met the selection standards to be a constable, and indeed are already constables; they've just failed a pathway into a specialised role. To me at least, it makes more sense to recognise that they could be put to use elsewhere.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Growley

[Mac7 808]

I thought this was about recruiting Detectives directly into the Met and bypassing the uniform stage? I’m not sure they should be offered a PC role. What does this say to career PC’s? “Sorry, you’re not good enough to be a DC but you can have the lesser role of PC!?!” If they want to be a PC after failing the NIE then they should re apply. What happens with DE Inspectors who fail there exam? Will they be officered the lesser PC role as well?

If you apply for a specific role but fail to make the grade I don’t see that you should offered an alternative role.

[Growley + 2,436]

11 minutes ago, Mac7 said:

I thought this was about recruiting Detectives directly into the Met and bypassing the uniform stage? I’m not sure they should be offered a PC role. What does this say to career PC’s? “Sorry, you’re not good enough to be a DC but you can have the lesser role of PC!?!” If they want to be a PC after failing the NIE then they should re apply. What happens with DE Inspectors who fail there exam? Will they be officered the lesser PC role as well?

If you apply for a specific role but fail to make the grade I don’t see that you should offered an alternative role.

Who's saying PC is a lesser role? 

[Mac7 808]

To me, that’s what it implies.

 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

I thought this was about recruiting Detectives directly into the Met and bypassing the uniform stage? I’m not sure they should be offered a PC role. What does this say to career PC’s? “Sorry, you’re not good enough to be a DC but you can have the lesser role of PC!?!” If they want to be a PC after failing the NIE then they should re apply. What happens with DE Inspectors who fail there exam? Will they be officered the lesser PC role as well?

If you apply for a specific role but fail to make the grade I don’t see that you should offered an alternative role.

I don't agree with your term 'lesser' but, yes, they should be offered the alternative role. They have already passed a tough selection process and vetting to show they are the right sort of person to be a police officer. Why waste a lot of time and effort, and potentially lose a good candidate?

[Growley + 2,436]

To me, that’s what it implies.
 

Sounds more like insecurity.

I'm no lover of detective work, but the fact is it has a higher standard of qualification for entry than the PC role. If someone meets the selection criteria for a PC, but can't pass the exam to become a DC, then it makes sense to let them be a PC.

[Mac7 808]

Sounds more like insecurity.

I'm no lover of detective work, but the fact is it has a higher standard of qualification for entry than the PC role. If someone meets the selection criteria for a PC, but can't pass the exam to become a DC, then it makes sense to let them be a PC.

Insecurity? Can you explain.

So if you can pass the entry for a higher role within an organisation, but fail the professional qualification, you should be offered a a lesser role? I don’t think they should.