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Hi All

I'm 26 years old currently a police officer with a Home Office force and I have had a tit full of it i have been doing it for 3 years. I have always wanted to join the RAF but never had the balls to do it. I'm feeling now the time has come to go for the RAF police side of things. Just wanted some more info from any serving members. I have the qualifications to attempt to join as an Officer but from what i have read this role seems more like an office job rather than getting your hands dirty which is what i'd rather be doing.

Cheers all.

Phil

Depends what force you're in now, because if you're in the Met or GMP then expect a massive paycut if you join the RAF.

In 83 I went from RAF Regt to Met police and tripled my wage overnight.
I can't imagine the difference is much different today.

However if you're in a smaller or rural force then there might not be that much of a difference in pay.

As regard the pressures of the job, I'd say go for it, RAF police aren't exactly run off their feet and fighting crime.

And it was exactly that slow, parochial, not much to do pace of the job that made me leave the RAF Regt and seek excitiement as a copper in central London.

That said, 13 years later, I'd had a gutful too! And moved to Sweden.

So if you're looking for a rest. Look no further. RAF pol is the place for you matey

Cheers for the speedy reply.

I really have had a titfull of it. Our hands are tied with everything we do. I'm sick and tired of bending over backwards for the pink fluffy PC brigade. I work in the most rural of forces you can imagine. Where everyone is interbred and unless your face fits there is no chance of promotion. Pay now for me would increase if i joined as an officer, but that said money isn't an issue anymore.

Inbred yokels? You're not in the Avon & Somerset constabulary by any chance are you?

So what you're suggesting then HN, by contradicting me is that the RAF police are earning as much as the Met police. And that they're doing as much work. I don't bloody well think so matey, not for a second!

Have you served in the RAF and a Home Office police force as well?

Experience is experience whether its from 2007 or 1957.

Just to prove my point, I went to fetch some cold hard facts

Up to 31 March 2008 the starting pay for an RAF recruit was £15,571.92
From 1 December 2007 the starting pay for a Home Office police recruit
is £21,534.

Read 'em again
RAF recruit £15,571.92
Police recruit £21,534

Admittedly the gap has now closed somewhat compared to 82, but the figures speak for themselves

So next time HN before you start bandying around terms like antiquated perhaps you could provide some facts.

Yep' facts speak for themselves!

Rank
Gross monthly pay (approx.)
Annual pay

Recruit during recruit and specialist training
£1,084
£13,012

Leading Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman
£1,352
£16,226

Senior Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman
£1,389 – £2,299
£16,676 – £27,599

Corporal
£2,098 – £2,637
£25,181 – £31,645

Sergeant
£2,385 – £2,934
£28,622 – £35,218

Flight Sergeant or Chief Technician
£2,640 – £3,437
£31,684 – £41,248

Warrant Officer
£3,067 – £3,715
£36,812 – £44,587



During your recruit and specialist training, you will be paid £13,012 – approximately £250 per week.

You will be promoted to Leading Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman after six months or when you complete your specialist training, whichever occurs first.

You will normally be promoted to Senior Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman after you have passed your trade ability test and completed one year’s total service.

Promotion to Corporal and above is by competitive selection.

Within the pay scales shown here, your salary will be determined by your experience and your performance.

Your pay in the RAF will be reviewed each year.

Bonuses
If you are still in the RAF after seven years’ service and have not given notice, you can expect to get a bonus of £5,500, in return for an additional return of service of two years.

If you spend between 12 and 18 years in the RAF, you will get a grant when you leave to help you settle back into civilian life.


RAFP are back on Band 1 pay and as such are are the higher end of each pay bracket, promotion to substantive Cpl is around 5 years!

Yes Civpol are better paid initially but when you consider that a copper serving for example in Cyprus could be earning around £8000 per year extra and retention bonuses, Ops bonuses etc.

RAFP is anything but "parochial" nowadays with the average copper having approx 18mths or less (substantially less in the case of Tactical Provost Wing) between operational deployments.

I'm not disputing your experience of either RAF Regt or the Met (everybody knows its the finest police force money can buy! ) I'm merely pointing out that as valuable as your experience is, it isn't current!

RAFP is a Home Office Regulated Force by the way! I'll admit I could have been a bit more thoughtful with regards my use of the term "antiquated" i didn't realise you would be quite so touchy about your advancing years

Hostage_Negotiator wrote: RAFP is a Home Office Regulated Force by the way! I'll admit I could have been a bit more thoughtful with regards my use of the term "antiquated" i didn't realise you would be quite so touchy about your advancing years

Ya cheeky wee bugger I'm only 46!

Right then.....

I've gone and booked my AFCO appointment. Its next tuesday. Best get my moth eaten suit out and give it brush down!!!

Interestingly. The lass on the phone said my qualifications would enable to apply as an officer but she said the role is more middle management and quite boring and would advise to look at something else if I wanted to get my hands dirty. I would have thought those at the careers office would want more as officers?

philm1981 wrote:Right then.....

I've gone and booked my AFCO appointment. Its next tuesday. Best get my moth eaten suit out and give it brush down!!!

Interestingly. The lass on the phone said my qualifications would enable to apply as an officer but she said the role is more middle management and quite boring and would advise to look at something else if I wanted to get my hands dirty. I would have thought those at the careers office would want more as officers?

They do but they are to help you and advise you that if you dont want to be a fat fcuk and nothing and not get you hands dirty then dont become an officer.

[quote="Heffernan
They do but they are to help you and advise you that if you dont want to be a fat fcuk and nothing and not get you hands dirty then dont become an officer.[/quote]

Surely though as an officer you would have a say in what your day to day duties would be. Sort of having the best of both. Although being a copper now, all i do is sit on my arse and complete endless shitty paperwork and this is one of the main reasons for my change of career. I kind of already know inside what route i'll take but i will reserve my choice once i have had a chat with the careers office.

When i went to RAF Honnington, I was told that commissioned officers are hands off, and non-commissioned officers are hands on.

Best way to describe it I think..

Non-commissioned is what you want I reckon

As the risk of being called antiquated again (HN ) When I was posted to the Security Wing at RAF Wyton, (RAF Pol and RAF Regt Ground Defence Training team for the Station Reaction Force) you never saw any of the RAF Pol officers or the one RAF Regt officer anywhere other than their offices and the mess and points of transportation between the two.

All the "hands on" work was done by the NCOs and ranks.

Even our Regt Flight Sgt was mostly in his office.

bushyredsocks wrote:When i went to RAF Honnington, I was told that commissioned officers are hands off, and non-commissioned officers are hands on.

An officer who doesn't get his hands dirty now and then is a waste of skin. The trick is to know when to muck in and when to back off. If it's policy then those officers are no more than office geeks. It doesn't say much for their expected ability to "lead", does it? They are effectively reduced to the status of "managers"...civis in uniform, essentially. Wouldn't be my cuppa at all.