Intelligence Officer

Every police recruit completes a two or three year probationary period as a general Police Constable. This gives you the skills and experience you need to progress your career. From there, you'll have the option to move into a wide variety of roles, including one as an Intelligence Officer. 

Policing is intelligence-led, so you’ll be integral to investigations and intelligence development. It’s your responsibility to make use of information from a variety of sources to support local and national crime investigations. It can be gathered from members of the public, victims, witnesses, suspects, community sources and specialist police intelligence operatives to build a picture of criminal activity.

To be a successful Intelligence Officer, you need be a good problem solver with a keen attention to detail. You, therefore, need to be a highly motivated individual, and must be able to work both on your own and as part of a team.

Here’s a bit more about what being an Intelligence Officer involves: 

•    You’ll be responsible for receiving, assessing and processing information on the intelligence system. 

•    You’ll gather, research and evaluate information to identify gaps and patterns. 

•    You’ll prepare and deliver intelligence to clearly and accurately inform decision making and provide advice on tactical options.

•    You’ll establish and maintain networks with internal and/or external partners at all levels.

•    You’ll work within all legal frameworks, key working principles, policies and guidance to ensure information and intelligence is handled and processed legally. 

•    You’ll stay in the loop with intelligence innovation and implement the latest techniques and tactics.

This is just one way your police career could take you after successfully completing your probation. Find out more about career progression.