UK, especially British Officers - US Cop moving to the UK question

[TexasAggieOfc]

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with being a US Officer moving to the UK and joining the Police Service. I'm not really picky about location, just curious about, well, everything. Any advice is appreciated!

[Cockney Corner.]

I don't personally know anyone from the US who has joined the Babylon over here but if there's anything about policing in the UK you interested in, PM me or post it up and I'll try to help.

[TexasAggieOfc]

pvt msg sent

[MrHappy]

Don't know anyone from the US either i'm afraid (plenty of other countries though), but i'll extend the same offer if you want any questions about the old bill answered you can contact me aswell.

There are however numerous hoops you have to jump through, have to have ILR in your passport, have to be here 3yrs before you apply etc - have to actually have a visa to enter the country, which is not particularly that easy.

[cgh6366]

Have to be here 3yrs before you apply etc.

I have dual citizenship and looked into it, but most everywhere I looked had that requirement - had to be living "in country" for at least 2 years. I'd be curious if anywhere had different requirements.

[MrHappy]

I have dual citizenship and looked into it, but most everywhere I looked had that requirement - had to be living "in country" for at least 2 years. I'd be curious if anywhere had different requirements.

It possibly depends is the technical answer for it...

Two different types of police forces in the UK, Home Office (Normal police that are responsible for county level policing, ie who would turn up at your door should you ring 999) and non-Home Office.

Non Home Office forces tend to have some sort of speciality, be it the Ministry Of Defence Police who look after the various defence estate across the country, British Transport Police who look after the railway, or the UK Civil Nuclear Constabulary who you guessed it look after nuclear establishments.

Generally HO forces all have the same hoops to jump through (the 3yrs thang) but non HO forces are free to adopt what recruitment policies they want, and looking at the CNC website it says;

To enable us to conduct the necessary level of security clearance,
you must also be residing in the UK and either have:
• Resided in the UK for the last 10 years.
• Resided in a country where such checks can be undertaken for
the last 10 years. Please note that overseas checks will take
considerably longer than similar checks in the UK.

(My bold), now I would say the USA would be easier than most countries to check vetting history, so you may be in luck there.

Benefit of the CNC is that you are armed pretty much all of the time, bad points are you are basically walking round a nuclear site all day and don't really have that much contact with the public, arrests etc. One thing good about them though is the escorting of nuclear loads up and down the country, the big convoys they have sure look fun.

Or you can join the CNC, do your two years probation then transfer out to a Home Office force and get a job there easy as anything!

[TexasAggieOfc]

First, I'd like to thank the British for their religious intolerance. Without, I wouldn't have the day off today to eat too much!

Thanks for the heads up on the BTP and the CNC, I'll definately look into them.

I'll just repost the questions I asked Cockney, and anyone who'd like to answer can. I appreciate it!

It's important to note that we do not want to live in London (or Wales and Scotland for that matter, but that's more because of a language issue, I can't imagine my Texas accent trying to talk to the Welsh!).

How are the PCSOs viewed in relation to the POs?

Can you transition from PCSO to PO after a time?

How is the pay compared to the cost of living?

What is the deal with Freemasons and England? I didn't see anything on the Police Service sites, but I known on the Prison Service website they said you had to declare Freemason membership. Is it frowned upon to be a Freemason or is it frowned upon to not be one?

Any other advice?

Thank you and stay safe!

[MrHappy]

It's important to note that we do not want to live in London (or Wales and Scotland for that matter, but that's more because of a language issue, I can't imagine my Texas accent trying to talk to the Welsh!).

Good to know someone else appreciates there is more to life than london!

How are the PCSOs viewed in relation to the POs?

It varies between forces, stations and shifts - some love them, some hate them. Some are worth their weight in gold, some I would'nt trust to wash the dishes. A good one knows their role, does not do any more

Can you transition from PCSO to PO after a time?

Some forces are attempting to introduce a shortened entry procedure for previous PCSO's to become police officers...think Hampshire being one of them. Don't know how it will go personally, they are meant to be different jobs - there is no automatic transition.

How is the pay compared to the cost of living?

That unfortunately varies, pay outside London has a London weighting as it is more expensive to live in London. For the rest of the UK police officer pay is exactly the same, it'll depend where you move to - the south coast being more expensive to live generally than up north. PCSO's are paid slightly differently aswell as they are on a contract rather than hold the office of constable. It'll depend on if you have kids, what other money comes in and all sorts of factors...

What is the deal with Freemasons and England? I didn't see anything on the Police Service sites, but I known on the Prison Service website they said you had to declare Freemason membership. Is it frowned upon to be a Freemason or is it frowned upon to not be one?

Bit before my time but believe there was a bit of a scandal in the late 80's/early 90's with them. Not one myself but know a few officers that are, don't seem to be any issues with them - although I don't think its made as public as it used to be.

Any other advice?

Get a good set of pens and ready for paperwork!

[TexasAggieOfc]

Thanks MrHappy!

Now, if I'm going to move, I guess I should pick a Soccer, Cricket, and Rugby team to follow... any suggestions?

[PC Plum]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasAggieOfc
It's important to note that we do not want to live in London (or Wales and Scotland for that matter, but that's more because of a language issue, I can't imagine my Texas accent trying to talk to the Welsh!).

The language (local accent will only take a matter of time to get used to) shouldn't really be a problem. Go and live anywhere you fancy living. I think it will be more of a problem for you to understand some accents than for you to be understood.


Quote:
How are the PCSOs viewed in relation to the POs?

Generally in agreement with Mr. Happy. I coldn't do my job without mine. PCSOs in different forces have differing levels of responsibility. Cambridgeshire PCSOs can investigate lower level crimes (although not arrest). Other forces they are just a yellow jacket on the street, allowed to do know more than talk to people.

Quote:
Can you transition from PCSO to PO after a time?

Again, mr Happy is correct. Cambridgeshire are fast tracking Police Staff into the job as they require less training.


Quote:
How is the pay compared to the cost of living?

You don't have to live in London to benefit from the extra pay. You can still work there. THe Metropolitan Police have free train travel upto 70 mile radius of the capitol. This means you can live as far north as Peterborough in Cambridgeshire and travel into work for free. Many of my colleagues have joined the Met for this reason.


Quote:
What is the deal with Freemasons and England? I didn't see anything on the Police Service sites, but I known on the Prison Service website they said you had to declare Freemason membership. Is it frowned upon to be a Freemason or is it frowned upon to not be one?

I think you have to let the constabulary know what groups you are a member of if it will affect your ability to do your job. Undue pressure etc. Membership of some political parties also prohibit you from joining the job. I think thre is general wariness of the Masons, people don't know what it is about and therefore distrust Masons.


Quote:
Any other advice?

Choose Wisely. There is a huge difference in the way some forces operate and look after thier staff.

[MrHappy]

Choose Wisely. There is a huge difference in the way some forces operate and look after thier staff.

Never a more true word said - up and down the country there are what 50 odd forces, most of which have the same training, the officers of which will follow the same law and have the same powers of arrest. A Sgt who I work with now transferred to our neighbouring force after spending 25yrs with us for a bit of a pre-retirement wind down, spent 12mths there and had to leave..believe his quote was "outranked by civvys", transferred back, lost his rent allowance and all sorts of things like driver grade, public order quals (was a trainer), computer access the works.

What happens is each of those 50 forces will have a slightly different way of internally operating, some forces way of working are completely and utterly bizarre.

As a quick example, go to a domestic - verbal argument only, no offences, complaints - usual routine stuff. My force you would fill out a 3 page document, of which the last page is a tick box questionaire, send it off in the post to the domestic violence unit, last I will have any involvement with it. My neighbouring force have a 9-10 page book with the most bizarre questions and details you have ever seen for the same incident, and will have to do follow up enquiries/visits, no consistency in some areas at all.

Dare I say it, only going on what I have experienced, the larger forces are better for the less paperwork - may not be true but certainly the case when I've been with officers from my neighbouring forces who are amazed at how little we have to write up, but we have more jobs to go to...not sure whats for the best really.

Now, if I'm going to move, I guess I should pick a Soccer, Cricket, and Rugby team to follow... any suggestions?

Cricket - not my cup of tea, can't imagine anything more boring. Football/Soccer - Notts Forest supporter myself, pick your local team and if you get lucky you get put on mutual aid inside the ground and get to watch it for free!!

[Sleuth]

Gents, you have no idea how different the hundreds of police forces in the US are. One local force in my area seems to try to not arrest people, even for domestic violence assault. The next town over, it seems people go to jail for raising their voice. And they are in the same county and State, it varies even more from state to state.

[TexasAggieOfc]

Another question for y'all:

Any chance of a Texas LEO riding along with a UK agency during a trip across the pond?

[MrHappy]

TexasAggieOfc, some forces do and should'nt have a problem, i'll see if I can make a list (mine for example don't, don't think the met do either)...where abouts are you visiting and i'll try and find something nearby..

[TexasAggieOfc]

Manchester and Birmingham for sure... and the surrounding areas... we're starting to look North and West