Police Now

A Decade of Transformation

Celebrating 10 years of Police Now’s innovation in policing.

Highlights of the decade

Partnering with 37 out of 43 forces across England and Wales, we have recruited 3,471 officers and were the first to introduce direct pathways into neighbourhood policing, detective, counter terrorism and economic crime.
We have had over 90,000 applications since launch, with female participants and those from ethnic minority backgrounds consistently recruited at rates above the national average.
We have developed a leading graduate employer brand that attracts candidates who never considered policing, earning a place in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers for 8 years running.
Police Now recruitment has been proven to be 2.8x more cost-effective than traditional methods (based on a comparison of Police Now performance and the overall Police Uplift Programme results).

A trusted and award-winning brand

We have won more than 45 awards, recognising our diversity and inclusion strategies, innovative marketing campaigns and recruitment process and our two-year training and development programmes.

Delivering social and economic value

Independent analysis shows that Police Now offers exceptional value – both socially and economically.

Over the past 10 years...

£1 investment in Police Now

=

£13.77* Value of return to the public

*Based on societal cost savings linked to crime reduction, recruitment and community impact.

Doing more with less

Police Now recruitment has been proven to be

2.8x

more cost-effective than traditional methods (based on a comparison of Police Now performance and the overall Police Uplift Programme reults).

Driving change

We’ve spent the last ten years bringing smart, values-driven graduates – many who never previously considered policing – into forces across the country

21%

of Police Now’s 2025 intake identify as from an ethnic minority background – more than double the national average of 10% (April 2024–March 2025).

60%

of Police Now’s 2025 intake identify as female – significantly above the national average of 38% (April 2024-March 2025)

58%

of participants recruited in 2025 had not planned to apply to policing until they discovered the opportunities offered by Police Now.

25%

of the Fast Track to Inspector intake were Police Now alumni (despite representing just 1.5% of all police constables.)

73%

of Police Now participants achieve a first-time pass rate on the National Investigators’ Exam (NIE) after just 10 weeks service – 18 percentage points above the national average (2025 data).

17%

increase in young people’s confidence in the police in communities with a Police Now participant compared to similar communities without a Police Now presence.

Footnotes

Showcasing our outstanding participants

The following case studies found in the report highlight some of our exceptional participants who are driving change and leading with and without rank.

Explore more impact

Find more reports and data exploring our ongoing impact on our Impact and Insights page

Police Now

A Decade of Transformation

Accessibility title here

A trusted and award-winning brand

Delivering social and economic value

£1 investment in Police Now

=

£13.77* Value of return to the public

2.8x

Driving change

21%

60%

58%

25%

73%

17%

Showcasing our outstanding participants

"There's a space for young brown women in policing - and we have so much to bring."

After working as a social worker, Tary stepped into policing through Police Now’s detective specialism.

"Police Now taught me that leadership isn’t about rank – it’s about mindset."

Katie is one of the first officers trained by Police Now to reach superintendent rank

“I changed the way our officers think about Violence Against Women and Girls."

Since joining, Upile has made a powerful impact on victim support, community safety and the culture of policing.

"Victims tell me I made them feel believed. Securing justice for them is what drives me."

Caroline was a secondary school music teacher before discovering Police Now’s detective specialism.

“I used to be wary of the police. Now I'm one of them - helping rebuild trust where I grew up."

Jake works on the same streets he once walked as a kid as a Neighbourhood Beat Manager.

"I never saw myself in policing - now I'm playing my part in shaping its future."

Now seconded to lead Police Now’s detective specialism, Millie is helping to shape the future of UK policing.

"The level of trust and responsibility I was given was huge, and it pushed me to grow fast."

When James started the academy, he expected to be sat in a lecture. Instead, he was sat around the table with experienced officers, encouraged to ask questions and lead from day one.

"Police Now gave me the support I needed to transition from the corporate world into policing."

Last year, Olivia led an investigation that brough a violent rapist to justice, earning her a national Police Now Alumni Award.

"The programme encourages us to challenge ‘the way it’s always been done’ and step up as leaders."

Kiran is an award-winning sergeant, and the face of West Midlands Police's successful Operation Elevate.

"I'm helping to bridge the gap between policing and those on the outside calling for change."

Tamsin's decision set her on a path to becoming an influential voice in UK policing and justice.

"I've been able to feed into the Commissioners New Met for London plans."

Yolanda worked in a police staff role before deciding to join the frontline as an officer.

Explore more impact

Dorset Police

Scott Chilton

Chief Constable

National Graduate Leadership Programme

National Detective Programme