If you join the PSNI through the recruitment process being managed by Deloitte you will be joining as a Trainee Police Constable Patrol / Probationer. The rank of Constable is the starting rank within the PSNI and Constables make up the backbone of the Police Service.
As a Police Constable you will work as part of a team providing the core policing service to the community. You will work as a Beat and Patrol Officer safeguarding the public by detecting crime, protecting the community and responding to emergency calls. You will respond to and deal with the entire spectrum of police work and will be the public face of the PSNI right across Northern Ireland.
Rank Structure of the PSNI
As a new recruit you will be joining the Police Service of Northern Ireland at the starting rank of Constable. For your reference below is the rank structure of the PSNI:
Chief Constable
Deputy Chief Constable
Assistant Chief Constable
Chief Superintendent
Superintendent
Chief Inspector
Inspector
Sergeant
Constable
Officers wear different badges on the shoulders of their uniform to denote their rank. Pictures of the various Badges of Rank are available here.
Organisational Structure of the PSNI
As a new Constable you will be joining a large organisation in one of its key public facing 'on the ground' roles. To get an impression of the organisational structure of the PSNI, please click here.
You will note from the Organisational Structure diagram that you will be becoming a part of a complex, well structured organisation headed up by the Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and a team of Assistant Chief Constables. The organisation strives for continuous improvement and you will play a role in that process.
After your training you will be allocated to an operational police station within one of the 8 District Command Units spread across either the 'Urban' or 'Rural' geographical operational regions of Northern Ireland. You will be fitting into an organisation which aims to provide effective, efficient and progressive policing, that makes Northern Ireland safer for everyone.
Geographical Districts of the PSNI
Day-to-day operational policing is organised into two geographical operational 'regions' referred to as Urban and Rural Regions. Each region is commanded by an Assistant Chief Constable. The regions have their own Traffic (Roads Policing) Unit which operate across all areas.
Each region is further broken down to 8 districts, A-H. The districts are referred to as District Command Units (DCUs). Each district is commanded by a Chief Superintendent and supported by a Senior Management Team. Please see below a table depicting the organisation of the PSNI's geographical regions and districts. You can also view a Map illustrating the layout of the districts across Northern Ireland.
|
Region |
District |
Area Covered |
|
Urban |
A |
North Belfast. West Belfast |
|
B |
South Belfast, East Belfast |
|
C |
Ards, Castlereagh, North Down, Down |
|
D |
Carrickfergus, Antrim, lisburn, Newtownabbey |
|
Rural |
E |
Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Newry, Mourne |
|
F |
Cookstown, Omagh, Fermanagh, Dungannon & S. Tyrone |
|
G |
Foyle, Limavady, Magherafelt, Strabane |
|
H |
Larne, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Moyle |
The geographical operational breakdown of the service is such, because it aims to deliver a locally focused police service. As a Constable you will be working 'at the coalface'. You will engage with the local community and act as the service's eyes and ears, helping to ensure the PSNI delivers quality policing for all.
District and Sector Policing
The DCUs are further broken down into Sectors. A Sector is a geographical area within the DCU. Sectors have operational police stations within them. Each Sector is managed by an Inspector. Once you complete your initial training as a new recruit you will be allocated to a Sector and will complete a probation period as you help to deliver policing to your local area.
Sector policing forms one of the cornerstones of the DCU and is an effective means of delivering policing to the community. If you are allocated to a Sector you will primarily police that Sector, although you may be required to respond and back-up in other Sectors.
Beat and Patrol within Sectors
In your new role you will work as a Beat and Patrol Constable. Within your operational police station you will operate as part of one of four 'sections' or teams. Together these teams provide 24 hour policing cover to the community.
Beat and Patrol duties can be loosely grouped under response policing and community policing. Response policing primarily involves responding to emergency calls from the public, while community policing involves engaging with the community, answering queries and proactively liaising with community members and groups.
As a Beat and Patrol Constable you will be one of the key 'go-to' people for the public. You will be a key member helping to deliver on the PSNI's vision of being a service everyone can be proud of because it provides policing at its best.