If I am hired as a police officer, can I go directly into a specialty section or work on Forensics, like Crime Scene Investigation?
No, you will (most likely) be assigned to general duty in the Patrol Division. Expect to serve at minimum 4 years (until you become a First Class Constable), if not more, in general duty before you can apply for specialty sections. The larger the police service you are with the more opportunity there is for specialty work earlier in your career. However, do not overlook small departments. Even though you may serve longer in general duty, your investigative skills can develop quicker as you will carry and investigate most of your files from start to completion. In larger departments the responding member often takes the initial complaint and preliminary investigation and hands the follow-up investigation off to another unit. Back to Questions….
