To join the police force in any capacity requires a lot of personal responsibility and integrity on your behalf. It demands from you the ability to put the citizens first and to ensure that the law is felt and properly dealt if need be.
The role of a traffic officer is to regulate the roads and stay constantly vigilant for any irregularities. You will have to monitor and maintain a presence on the road to ensure everything runs smoothly.
If you think you have what it takes, here’s how to sign up for the force.
Eligibility Requirements
There are a few requirements you’ll need to meet to join the police force in the UK. To begin with, you have to be 18 years of age or older and have lived in the UK for the last three years. The only exception to this will be if you have served abroad while in the British armed forces.
You will also have to be a British citizen, a citizen of the European Union, a citizen of Switzerland, or a foreign citizen with indefinite leave to stay in the UK. This is to ensure you are familiar with the laws and that you will always be on demand for emergencies.
You will also need a relatively clean criminal record and not possess any offensive tattoos or debt problems. You will more than likely need a driver’s license, and you will also need to pass a full medical, fitness, and eyesight test.
Qualifications
While you don’t require any formal qualifications to become a traffic officer, an A-Level or equivalent is recommended, as this will boost your chances of being selected. This isn’t a strict necessity, but it is something to consider nonetheless.
If you are a returning officer or have worked in a different division beforehand, you will have the necessary qualifications to re-join, based on your past experience as an officer.
For those who don’t have any past experience, you will have to complete an application form. This form verifies whether or not you have the necessary skills and meet the minimum eligibility requirements. This application form acts as your formal qualification when applying for your position.
Experience Needed
No prior experience is required to become a traffic police officer, but it most certainly helps. If you have any experience in law or have served as an officer of the law in another division, the transition into becoming a traffic officer will go much more smoothly.
When applying, it is also useful to include any past experience if you think it is applicable in some way. Should you make your case and prove your skills learned from these experiences valuable, you are much more likely to be hired.
Payscale
In the beginning, a traffic officer can expect to earn about £23,000 per year, but with experience, extra shift pay, and promotion, this can reach £40,000 per year.
This equates to roughly £1,916.67 a month, which isn’t the greatest pay to start off with, but it can grow with time and effort.
How To Apply
The application process is relatively easy to follow and doesn’t demand too much of you. You’ll first have to complete an application form and diversity questionnaire, which will determine your eligibility for the job.
Once completed, turn it in to your Highways Agency so they can thoroughly check it to see the validity of your skills and experience.
Once all your forms are processed and everything checks out, you will be invited to attend an assessment center. There, they will test you and put you through various interviews and role-playing seminars.
This is to get an idea of your hands-on skills and techniques and to assess what your aptitude might be for specific scenarios.
Should you pass all the assessments, you are qualified to become a traffic officer in the UK!
Summary
It isn’t challenging to get a job as a traffic officer in the UK. All it takes is a little guidance to start you on the right path, and we hope this article has given you some pointers on what you need and where you need to go to become a traffic officer!
