Police Staff Investigator

As a trainee, you’ll receive full training, ongoing mentoring, and hands‑on experience with real investigations from day one. Whether you’re starting a new career path or looking to apply your existing skills in a meaningful way, this role offers a structured route into professional investigation with clear development opportunities. You’ll play a key role in solving cases just like any other officer. The main difference is that your focus will be on investigating crime rather than other aspects of policing.

Your journey begins with a comprehensive nine-week classroom-based training programme, followed by a structured period of mentoring and assessment. During this time, you’ll work on live investigations and complete your initial portfolio which should be completed within a year, on completion you will achieve PIP1 accreditation and be a fully qualified PSI.

The PSI role is highly varied. After completing your initial training, you’ll be involved in investigating ‘volume’ crimes these could include shoplifting, domestic abuse cases, or fraud.

Most trainee PSIs begin within our Custody Investigation Teams, giving you exposure to a wide range of incidents and ensuring you have strong support while learning the ropes.

Your responsibilities will differ from case to case but may include:

• Gathering victim and witness statements
• Reviewing CCTV footage
• Examining exhibits
• Interviewing suspects
• Preparing case files for court proceedings

While promotion opportunities within the PSI role are limited, there are plenty of ways to develop your career. You could:

• Move into a specialist team, such as Major Crime or Child Abuse
• Gain additional skills to interview more serious offenders or vulnerable victims
• Complete detective-level training to become a PIP2-accredited PSI, which also comes with a pay scale increase

You would be required to hold or study for the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP), which is the national framework developed by the College of Policing to ensure a consistent, professional standard for investigators across UK law enforcement. Rather than being a single training course, PIP provides a structured, multi-level development pathway that aligns investigative training, assessment and accreditation with the complexity of the cases being handled. Through this framework, both police staff investigators and sworn police officers are trained and assessed against the same rigorous national standards, ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and competence required to carry out effective investigations and support the criminal justice process.

Empathy and a sharp mind are naturally important. Equally, you’ll be a confident communicator in person and on paper. More practically, we’re looking for at least three QCF Level 2 passes (GCSEs), including maths and English, or relevant experience that’ll help you in the field.

You must also hold a full driving licence, be 18 or over, and either a British citizen, EU member state passport holder, or foreign national resident free from restrictions.

Core hours are 08:00-22:00 (Although some work outside of these hours maybe required)

In additional to your salary, you will receive shift allowance and weekend enhancement

If you have any questions about police staff recruitment, please email police.recruitment@hampshire.police.uk

Alternatively, please call us on 023 8045 1611. This phone line is staffed 08:30-16:30, Monday to Friday (with a voicemail facility outside of these hours).