Recruitment for Police Officers is currently closed. It may reopen in autumn 2018, subject to numbers recruited through the last campaign and operational demand. We will update this page in 2018 in due course.
A police officer's job is to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
Working as part of a close team, you'll help to serve and protect our diverse communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.
You'll deal with different situations every day, working with the public to build confidence and trust. The job can be demanding and unpredictable, but is highly rewarding and you can make a real difference to the local community.
You will play a key role supporting victims and witnesses and reassuring victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.
People will look to you for guidance and protection from such experiences, so you will need to be able to see things from their perspective, tailoring your approach to address their needs and fears.
You must enjoy thriving on challenges and be willing to work hard to learn the skills necessary for this difficult but critical role. Every day when you put on your uniform and go to work, you will be making life safer and more secure for your friends and neighbours and the communities you serve.
Through comprehensive training you will learn to:
- Protect the public from violence
- Provide a reassuring presence in the community
- Support victims of crime and offer help to those who have witnessed crimes
- Investigate complex crimes using a mixture of cutting-edge technology and time-proven traditional methods
What's in it for you?
In return for your hard work you will:
- Have a rewarding job where no two days are ever the same
- Be constantly challenged and always learning
- Be valued for your contribution to your community
- Be well paid and have an excellent benefits package
- Have continual opportunities for advancement
Basic guidelines for applicants
As you might imagine, applicant guidelines are fairly comprehensive, but here are a few highlights:
- applicants should be between 18 and 57 (the normal age for officer retirement is 60, new recruits must undertake a two-year probationary period)
- there are no minimum or maximum height requirements
- applicants must be either a British Citizen, a citizen of the EU or other states in the EEA, or a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national with indefinite leave to remain in the UK
- although applicants may still be eligible to join the police service if they have minor convictions/cautions, there are certain offences and conditions that will make them ineligible. If you are at all unsure, contact your chosen force for more information
- applicants must physically and mentally be able to undertake police duties
- if an applicant has tattoos they should not cause offence. Tattoos are unacceptable if they are particularly prominent, garish, offensive or undermine the authority of the role of Police Constable. They are considered on a case-by-case basis
- applicants will have their financial status checked. These are carried out because officers have access to privileged information, which may make them vulnerable to corruption. Applicants with outstanding County Court Judgments, who have been registered bankrupt with outstanding debts will be rejected. If you have any discharged bankruptcy debts then you will need to provide a Certificate of Satisfaction with your application.
- applicants may only apply to one force at a time. Your application will not be accepted if you have previously applied unsuccessfully to a police force that requires candidates to undertake the Police SEARCH or the College of Policing PCSO Recruit assessment process within the past six months.
Educational requirements
Applicants must be able to prove the following qualifications:
- Level 3 qualification (A Level Grade A*- E) or above, in any subject or equivalent
(please see equivalencies table for further information) [79.59KB] - GCSEs A*- C in English Language or Literature or equivalent including GCSE Level 2 English Language or Literature (from August 2017), CSE English Grade 1, O Level English Grade C or above
- GCSE Maths A* - E, or functional/numeracy skills Level 2 or equivalent including GCSE Level 2 Maths (from August 2017)
Wiltshire Police will also accept some key criteria or relevant experience instead of the Level 3 qualification. However applicants must still have the GCSEs as detailed above.
Applicants will be required to submit original copies of their educational qualifications, these will be returned.
