A scheme aimed at gaining graduates access to careers in the Police Force is celebrating best-ever results from its detective programme.
Police Now, a registered charity that’s helped thousands of graduates find roles nationwide, had 146 participants take the National Investigators’ Exam (NIE) earlier this month.
The national pass rate was 67% but 86.3% of the Police Now trainee detectives achieved the required standard.
The results continue a long-standing trend for Police Now, with its participants exceeding the national benchmark in each of the last seven years – by an average of 15.5 percentage points.
They also include 4% of participants who received exceptional grades – double the national average.
Millie Tanner (pictured), head of Programme Delivery at Police Now, said: “These results are a testament to the dedication of our participants and the quality of our training.
“We’ve grown our programme significantly since our early years, and yet our pass rate remains impressively high.
“That doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects the commitment of our recruits and the rigour of our programme. When your cohort once again outperforms the national average, and your exceptional grade rate is double that of the wider field, you know something is working.
“Ultimately, these results represent detectives who are ready to make a real difference to victims and communities.”
Founded in 2015, Police Now recruits, trains and develops graduates with leadership potential to become exceptional police officers and detectives via its two-year National Graduate Programme.
Since launching the programme, it has recruited more than 1,200 detectives, with 67% of those identifying as female, ensuring diverse representation in investigative policing.
Josie Baldwin, 26, left her job as a secondary school teacher to join Police Now’s programme and is one of those who received an exceptional grade.
She said: “I studied a lot, but it helped that I found much of the exam content on criminal law and reading the case law genuinely interesting, which made it more enjoyable.
“Police Now also funded a revision course, and a couple of us went on a two-day course led by Paul Connor, who writes Blackstone’s Police Investigators’ Manual, and Julianna Mitchell, both of whom were incredible.
“There are genuinely so many opportunities in policing, and now that I’ve passed the NIE, I feel really excited about the different directions my career can take me.”
Fellow Police Now participant Faith Bryant, 23, also received an exceptional grade.
She said: “I’m really excited about my future and want to experience everything policing has to offer. If you find something you love and are passionate about it, you can give your best to it, which is what I plan to do.”
Millie said: “As we look to expand our programme, our focus remains on recruiting exceptional graduates who reflect the communities they serve. We’re equipping them with the tools needed to make a lasting difference.”
