Page Content
Job profiles
Scenes of crime officer
Hours
30-40 per week
Starting salary
£16,000 + per year
If you want to help solve crimes and you enjoy using your observation skills, this could be ideal for you. Scenes of crime officers (SOCOs) locate, record and recover evidence from crime scenes. They are also known as crime scene examiners and crime scene investigators (CSIs).
SOCOs work alongside uniformed and plain clothed police officers during the investigation of a crime. Depending on which Home Office force employs them, they can be warranted police officers or police staff.
Entry requirements vary between police forces. You may be accepted if you have a minimum of between three and five GCSEs or the equivalent, preferably including English, maths and a science subject.
To do this job you will need excellent attention to detail. You’ll also need to record and report information. Sometimes you’ll need to remain calm in unpleasant and distressing situations.
WorkDesc
The work
SOCOs recover evidence from all types of crime, ranging from burglary and vehicle theft (known as volume crime) to murder and rape. Assistant SOCOs or volume crime scene investigators (VCSIs) deal with volume crime.
As a SOCO, your tasks would include:
- preserving and protecting the crime scene so that evidence can be recovered and recorded without being lost, spoilt or destroyed
- finding out what evidence is needed, deciding the best way to recover it and collecting it as required
- recording the scene using photography and video
- searching for evidence footprints and for marks left by tools or weapons
- developing, recording and capturing fingerprint evidence
- locating, recording and recovering evidence such as fibres, blood, hair, paint or glass using various techniques
- putting samples into protective packaging and sending them for analysis
- keeping written records, producing statements and updating systems with details of evidence.
You may need to give evidence in court or attend post-mortems.
HoursDesc
Hours
SOCOs provide services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which means you would usually work shifts and be part of an on-call rota.
The job can be physically demanding and involve working at heights, in confined spaces, and being outdoors in all weather conditions. Some of your work will be unpleasant or distressing.
You would spend most of your time out on investigations, but would write up reports, process recovered evidence and prepare statements at a police station.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries for assistant SOCOs and volume crime scene examiners can be around £16,000 a year.
SOCOs can earn between £17,000 and £26,000 a year. Senior SOCOs can earn from £26,000 to over £30,000 a year. There may be an additional allowance for working shifts, and there are additional allowances for those working in London.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Entry requirements vary between police forces. You may be accepted if you have a minimum of between three and five GCSEs (A-C) or the equivalent, preferably including English, maths and a science subject. However, forces often ask for A levels (or equivalent qualifications) and some will expect you to have a degree in a science-related subject. You should check entry requirements with the police force for the area you want to work in before staring a course.
All police forces will carry out a check on your background and employment history. This might include checking on your close family members. A criminal record may not always prevent you from being employed in the police service but you must declare any convictions.
You will need normal colour vision, and will usually need a driving licence. You would need to show that you have scientific ability, either through qualifications or experience. Qualifications or experience in photography can also be useful, and may be essential for some forces. It may help you when looking for work if you have experience of dealing with the public and working in sensitive situations.
In some police forces you will start as an assistant scenes of crime officer (or volume crime scene examiner), recording, recovering and collecting forensic evidence from crimes such as burglaries and theft from vehicles. With development and further training, you may then be able to progress to working as a SOCO.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Once you start work as a trainee SOCO, you will spend several weeks working with experienced colleagues in your own force.
You may then start the Initial Crime Scene Investigator Training Course at the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in County Durham, or other training establishment. The training takes four weeks, and qualifies you to undertake volume crime scene investigation.
When you have successfully completed your initial training, you may be selected to do a further five-week training programme with the NPIA, which will qualify you as a full SOCO /CSI.
See the NPIA website for more information.
The NPIA also offers the National Fingerprint Examiner training programme for people specialising in this area. It also offers specialist short courses, such as fire investigation, dealing with major disasters, facial identification techniques and management training.
During your career as a SOCO, your employer will usually expect you to attend two-week NPIA courses every five years, to refresh your knowledge and skills and keep up to date with new developments.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a SOCO, you will need to have:
- a methodical and patient approach
- exceptional attention to detail
- keen observational skills
- the ability to record and report information accurately (spoken and written)
- teamwork skills
- the ability to remain calm in unpleasant and distressing situations
- an understanding of the need for confidentiality
- a good level of physical fitness
- the ability to use computers and scientific equipment.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Police Service Recruitment 
http://policerecruitment.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Skills for Justice
Centre Court
Atlas Way
Sheffield
S4 7QQ
www.skillsforjustice.com
Policing Professional Framework (FPP)
www.skillsforjustice.com/PPF
British Transport Police
www.btp.police.uk
National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
Harperley Hall
Fir Tree
Crook
County Durham
DL15 8DS
www.npia.police.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You would find most jobs with regional police forces, and individual forces advertise their own vacancies. Competition for vacancies is strong.
You could also work for the British Transport Police.
With experience, you may be able to progress to senior or principal officer with responsibility for managing a team. You could complete further training to manage investigations at major incidents.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
Forensic science is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: police and law enforcement; prosecution service; courts and tribunals; custodial care; community justice; plus fire and rescue services. The UK justice sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. The purpose of the sector is to reduce crime and re‐offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.
Forensic science organisations aid investigative and criminal justice processes across the UK justice sector. The services offered include: scene examination; chemistry; biology; DNA; drugs; fingerprints; and specialist services, such as toxicology, firearms, documents and handwriting analysis.
Employment in the forensic science industry has grown at an unprecedented rate over the last ten years, due largely to advances in technology, such as the National DNA Database, and an increased reliance on forensic techniques by police forces for minor crimes. Although many are employed in the private sector, the majority of staff working in the UK forensic science industry work within police forces. The private forensic science sector consists of organisations which are either: non‐departmental government bodies; and commercial providers. The non‐department government bodies, or executive agencies, include the Forensic Science Service Northern Ireland (FSNI) and the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) Forensic in Scotland.
Key facts:
- In total, there are 8,947 people working in forensic science.
- 85% of the workforce is located in England.
- 62% of employing organisations in forensic science are in polices forces and 38% are in the private sector.
- Competition is fierce in all points of entry, therefore a minimum of an honours degree and, in some cases, postgraduate qualifications are needed for entry.
- Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.
Jobs in the industry range from: Scenes of Crime Officers, Assistant Forensic Scientist, Trainee Forensic Scientist, Forensic Computer Analyst, Forensic Psychologist, Digital Evidence Investigator, Forensic Drug Analyst.
National and regional data
The East Midlands has 5 police forces that employ approximately 360 full‐time equivalent forensic staff. There are no commercial forensic science providers in the East Midlands.
The East of England has 6 police forces that employ nearly 500 full‐time equivalent forensic staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service; and Keith Borer Consultants Ltd.
London has 2 police forces that employ over 1,000 full‐time equivalent forensic staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service; LGC Forensics; Berkeley Security Bureau (Forensic) Ltd.; and Scientifics Ltd.
The North East has 3 police forces that employ over 200 full‐time equivalent forensic staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service; Keith Borer Consultants Ltd.; and Scientifics Ltd.
The North West has 5 police forces that employ nearly 650 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service (3 locations); and LGC Forensics Ltd (2 locations).
The South East has 5 police forces that employ over 600 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. Commercial providers in the region include: LGC Forensics Ltd.; Orchid Cellmark Ltd.; and M‐Scan Ltd.
The South West has 5 police forces that employ nearly 400 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Mass Spec Analytical Ltd.; and Scientifics Ltd. (3 locations).
The West Midlands has 4 police forces that employ nearly 400 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service (4 Locations); LGC Forensics Ltd.; Key Forensic Services Limited; Document Evidence Ltd.; and Scientifics Ltd.
Yorkshire and Humberside has 4 police forces that employ nearly 600 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. Commercial providers in the region include: Forensic Science Service (2 Locations); LGC Forensics Ltd.; Key Forensic Services Limited.; Central Science Laboratory (CSL); and Scientifics Ltd. (2 Locations).
In Northern Ireland, there is approximately 225 forensic science staff working for either executive agencies or commercial providers. The number of forensic science staff working within Police Service Northern Ireland is not known. Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSNI) is the main forensic science employer.
In Scotland, there are approximately 550 forensic science staff working for either non‐departmental government bodies or commercial providers. The commercial provider Scientifics Ltd. has offices in both Scotland and England. The main forensic science employer is the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA).
Wales has 4 police forces that employ 259 full‐time equivalent forensic science staff. A further 173 full‐time equivalent staff are employed by the commercial provider, Forensic Science Service.
Career paths
Further sources
View full Job market information
News
