Police detention officer jobs

A police detention officer looks after people who have been arrested and are held in a police custody suite. The work covers booking people in, recording their property, taking fingerprints, photographs and DNA samples, checking on them while they are in a cell, and getting them food, drink and bedding. Some forces employ detention officers directly, and elsewhere the job is done by employees of a private contractor. Pay and requirements are set by each employer, so there is no national salary.

What the job involves

Lancashire Constabulary describes its custody detention officers as responsible for the welfare of detainees. A shift there includes logging belongings, taking fingerprints, photographs and DNA samples, checking on people in cells, supplying bedding, food and drink, and cleaning cells. Officers also answer the phone and deal with solicitors. The force says there is no typical day.

Some of those tasks rest on legal powers. Under the Police Reform Act 2002, a chief officer can give police staff some of the powers of a constable. The Act’s schedule on detention officers includes the power to require someone to attend a police station to have fingerprints or samples taken. Our guide to police staff designated powers explains how designation works and what limits apply.

Who employs detention officers

Two arrangements exist in law. In the first, the force employs detention officers itself, as Lancashire does. In the second, a local policing body contracts a company to provide detention or escort services. Section 39 of the Act lets the chief officer designate employees of that contractor as detention officers or escort officers, provided the chief officer is satisfied that each person is suitable, capable and adequately trained, and that the contractor is a fit and proper person to supervise the work.

For you as an applicant, the difference shows up in the employer’s name, the terms and conditions, and who handles the pension. The advert will say which applies.

One force’s published terms

Lancashire’s page, read on 23 October 2026, gives figures, so it works as an example. Applications were closed at the time.

• Entry: aged at least 18, no specific qualifications, a full driving licence and access to a vehicle, because staff may work at different custody suites.
• Pay: £24,675 at the basic rate, rising to £28,653, with a 20% shift allowance and weekend working applying once you are on full shifts.
• Training: a compulsory five-week initial course, at the force headquarters, with no holidays allowed during it.
• Shifts: 12 hours each. The pattern is two early shifts (7am to 7pm), two late or night shifts (7pm to 7am), then four days off, with some exceptions.

Other forces will differ on every point. We could not read other forces’ pay pages when we checked, so we have not quoted them. The Lancashire numbers are one force’s rates and should not be read as national.

Shifts, nights and the working environment

A custody suite runs all day and night, so the rota will include nights, weekends and bank holidays. Twelve-hour shifts are common. If you have not worked them before, read about working 12-hour shifts and working nights for how the Working Time Regulations apply and what rest you are due.

The work is based in custody suites, where you will be responsible for people who have just been arrested. The advert and the interview are the places to ask what training the force gives for dealing with distressed or aggressive detainees, and what support it offers staff after difficult incidents.

What to check before you apply

• The employer. Is it the force or a contractor? That decides your contract, your sick pay scheme and your pension.
• The salary and allowance. Ask whether the shift allowance is included in the advertised figure, and whether it is paid during training. Some adverts quote a basic rate with the allowance on top.
• Vetting. Police staff roles involve vetting and checks that can take months. The pre-employment checks guide covers what is normally asked, and applying with a criminal record explains disclosure.
• Transport. Rotas, travel between suites and training venues can assume you have a car.
• Progression. Ask the force what internal moves it supports, for example into PCSO work or other police staff roles. The careers page may not say.