Police Detective

Detectives on TV always make it look so easy -a person is murdered, a witness comes forward, add a twist, a chase, a red herring and an hour later the bad guy is behind bars.

But NSW Police detective senior constable Anna Grant says catching crooks is not nearly as straightforward in real life.

“It’s similar, except we don’t get the results within the half hour. Sometimes it can be long and tedious,” she says.

“Sometimes it’s difficult because witnesses and victims don’t want to come forward, which makes our job difficult.”

Grant says detectives are always updating their methods to stay ahead of the criminals.

“Crooks come up with new ways of doing things, or the legal system changes, and we have to come up with ways to catch them.”

Grant joined the police force in 1998 aged 19. She spent four years on general duties before becoming a detective in 2003.

“We investigate extortions, murders, robberies, [and] serious assaults,” she says.

Being in the frontline can be stressful.

“Sometimes it affects me and I think about it afterwards,” she says.

“While I’m at the scene I do [my job] and I try not to personalise it.”

Qualifications: You need to do a training program acceptable to the NSW Police Force prior to becoming a police officer. The most popular is the Associate Degree in Policing Practice from Charles Sturt University.

Course description: The CSU course is run over five trimesters, with the first two held at the NSW Police Training College in Goulburn. The first two 14-week trimesters are full time with 30 to 40 contact hours. After completion, students are eligible to become a probationary constable with a starting salary of about $49,000. The final three trimesters are completed on the job.

Cost: The course costs $9984 if fees are paid up front each trimester. FEE-HELP is available for students wishing to defer payment but a 20 per cent penalty applies.

Assumed knowledge: There are a range of academic eligibility requirements which differ depending on your age and work experience. Potential recruits must also satisfy professional suitability criteria. These include a health and fitness check and criminal record check.

From the inside: New recruits perform general duties for three years before specialising.

“You have to do an advanced diploma to become a detective. It takes a year and it’s on-the-job training,” says Anna Grant.

More information: www.police.nsw.gov.au, csu.edu.au