Further information

Everything you need to know about each stage of the recruitment process should be contained within the recruitment page of the website. If you still have questions, you can email our recruitment team. 

You can apply to the force providing you are at least 17 years of age. You must be 18 at the time of appointment.

If you failed at the application form stage of the process, you can reapply. If you attended a SEARCH assessment centre and failed then you will need to wait 6 months from the date of your failure to reapply.

If you have achieved at least 50 per cent at SEARCH within the last 12 months and you have not been rejected by any other police force within the last 6 months, you can transfer your SEARCH pass mark. You will need to provide a copy of your application form and your SEARCH feedback report.

CNC police officers are not eligible to transfer to Cumbria Constabulary. Individuals who are currently officers within CNC would need to follow one of the standard routes of entre for a police officers (PCDA, DHEP, Pre-Join Degree).

If you have any previous policing or other relevant experience, for example as a Special Constable, Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) or Civilian Investigator there may be an opportunity to recognise this previous experience and learning as part of your ongoing assessment. If you are successful in your application this will be visited/discussed and considered in more detail during the Welcome and Induction process.

You must be physically fit and healthy to perform policing duties safely and effectively. You will need to pass a physical fitness test known as the Bleep Test. The test involves a 15-metre shuttle run, to be completed to an endurance level of 5:4. You must also pass a full medical examination as part of the recruitment process.

You must pass all parts of the fitness test. If you do not pass the test at your first attempt you will be allowed to re-take the test after a period of training.

If you fail to pass the test after three attempts your application will fail and you will not be eligible to re-apply for six months.

Applicants must have resided in the UK for a minimum of three years prior to applying. However, British citizens who have been out of the country for more than six months must obtain a letter of good conduct from the country or countries they have resided in.

Leave will not be granted during the initial training and tutorship phase unless in extenuating circumstances. Please consider this if you are thinking of booking a holiday.

Having tattoos will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a police officer.

Tattoos are not acceptable if they are particularly prominent, garish, offensive or undermine the dignity and authority of the role. If you have tattoos that are visible on your arms, neck, face and hands, you will need to make a declaration that you have a tattoo within the eligibility section of the application form.

We will ask you to send in two photographs of each tattoo (one distance photograph clearly showing where on the above body area the tattoo is located and a second close up photograph that we can use to assess this against our standards). Each application will be considered on a case by case basis.

If you have committed any motoring offences we will assess this during your application. However, if you have more than six penalty points on your driving licence you will not be eligible to apply to join Cumbria Constabulary as a student officer.

Any financial issues or problems must be declared and will be judged on an individual basis. All previous cautions, convictions or any involvement with the police must be declared and the circumstances of the offence will be carefully considered.

Any significant changes in personal circumstances during your application, such as a permanent partner, new residents at your home, change of address, arrests, cautions or convictions or association with criminals should be notified to the Employee Services, Central Services HR department.

If vetting clearance is refused you will be advised, although specific reasons will not normally be given to protect the confidentiality of others and the security of Cumbria Constabulary. However, you can request a review, which is carried out by a person independent of the vetting decision marker.

Having a medical condition would not necessary affect your application. We require all our new officers undergo a medical assessment with our Occupational Health Unit. You will need to pass this medical assessment to be eligible to join Cumbria Constabulary.

To be a police officer you must meet the eyesight standards set out for recruitment by the Home Office. 

Those with colour blindness are eligible to become police officers, but would be restricted from fulfilling certain posts, such as traffic officer or firearms officer. If your colour blindness is monochrome, you would be unable to apply.

Cumbria Constabulary welcomes applications from people with disabilities as defined by the Equality Act 2010. If you consider yourself to have a disability, please inform us of the type of reasonable adjustments you might need to assist you in participating in the recruitment and selection process. Cumbria Constabulary will try to make the reasonable adjustments required where practicable.

You can still apply to be a police officer if you have dyslexia. However, to allow reasonable adjustments to be made for your application, such as extra time or the use of a computer at SEARCH, you will need to provide us with a fully comprehensive professional dyslexia report.

Candidates who are successful following the assessment centre and final interview, and have a BMI of 30 or above will be contacted by Occupational Health and asked to provide evidence of their body fat composition; if this does not exceed 25 per cent for male candidates and 35 per cent for female candidates they will be permitted to progress to the medical stage.

Those with a body fat percentage of greater than 25 per cent will be deferred until they reach the required level.

There is no minimum or maximum height restriction.

The chief constable reserves the right to post you anywhere within the Cumbria Constabulary area. On appointment you will be assigned to one of the three geographical areas: North, South or West. 

Your posting will be decided according to the operational need for police officers in each area at the time of your appointment. You will be posted to this area for a minimum of two years (two years if you are on the DHEP/DC route and three years if you are on the PCDA route) in order to provide continuity and to support consolidation of your skills and experience within your probationary period.

Police officers work a 40 hour week. Depending on where you are posted, the shift pattern may vary. A shift pattern will consist of early shifts, late shifts and night shifts, bank holidays and weekend working. Operational demands may require your rotored shift or rest day to be cancelled and re-scheduled at short notice.

The annual leave entitlement is 176 hours (22 days) for less than two years' service, rising to 200 hours per year (25 days) for more than two years relevant service. After that the entitlements rise in five year increments.

Please note that we can only give one month's notice to candidates when offering onto an intake, therefore this should be discussed or negotiated with any employers who require more notice than this, after a conditional offer has been made.

Business interests - please note when applying to become a police officer there are certain types of additional employment you cannot undertake once appointed (for example, work within a Licenced Premises behind the bar). You also have to declare any secondary businesses that you have.

Once you are at the conditional offer stage of the police officer recruitment process, please email the recruitment team if you have any queries regarding this.