Police Staff: Roles Beyond Sworn Officers

Police staff are civilian employees of police forces who perform a wide range of roles that do not require the powers of the office of constable. There are approximately 65,000 police staff in England and Wales, compared to approximately 145,000 police officers. Police staff roles are essential to the functioning of modern policing.

Control room operators answer 999 and 101 calls, grade incidents, and dispatch officers. They are often the first point of contact with the public and their decisions about call grading directly affect the speed of police response. Crime scene investigators (CSIs, formerly known as scenes of crime officers or SOCOs) are civilian specialists who attend crime scenes to gather forensic evidence: fingerprints, DNA, fibres, footwear marks, and digital evidence. They are trained in forensic science and evidence recovery techniques.

Intelligence analysts analyse data from police databases, open sources, and other intelligence to identify patterns, trends, and threats. Their work supports tasking and coordination, helping senior officers decide where to deploy resources. Digital forensic examiners extract and analyse data from phones, computers, and other devices. Financial investigators trace the proceeds of crime and support confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Police staff investigators are civilian investigators who handle volume crime investigations (such as burglary and fraud) that do not require the powers of a constable. They can interview witnesses and suspects (though suspects are interviewed under caution by arrangement, not under arrest) and prepare case files. Detention officers operate custody suites, performing many of the functions previously carried out by constables. Designated detention officers have powers conferred under the Police Reform Act 2002, including the power to take fingerprints and DNA samples.

The trend towards civilianisation has been driven by the principle that officers should not be performing roles that could be done by civilian staff at lower cost, freeing officers for frontline duties. However, there are concerns about terms and conditions: police staff do not have the same employment protections as officers (who cannot strike) and are subject to normal employment law, including redundancy.