CLTF - PSI (12 Month FTC/Secondment)

The Major Crime Unit County Lines Taskforce are now recruiting for Police Staff Investigators. The aims of the taskforce are to:

• To close drug lines in line with Home Office requirements
• Bring County Lines perpetrators to justice by increasing the consequences and decreasing the reward associated with county lines offending
• Reduce the exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults ensuring appropriate safeguarding and support for county lines victims
• Reducing and mitigating violence and Homicides linked to County Lines
• Tackle the enablers of county lines (including telecoms/online, transport and illicit finance)

PSIs work alongside the investigation teams gathering and securing evidence to support criminal investigations.

One of the roles available as part of this PSI recruitment relates to a digital lab based PSI who will work as part of an investigation team within the County Lines Taskforce, gathering and securing evidence to support criminal investigations with an emphasis concerning the seizure/acquisition, triage and examination of mobile phones used in criminal offences, ensuring to maintain up to date knowledge of emerging technology in the quickly evolving digital landscape.

This is a twelve month fixed term contract role until 31 March 2025.

About the role

Working with the Sergeant, or Police Staff Equivalent, you will secure and preserve the best evidence through thorough investigation, in order to detect crime and the prosecution of offenders.

Responsibilities will include:

• Obtain and secure evidence and exhibits maintaining their integrity, continuity and preventing contamination including forensic exhibits and digital devices
• Prepare and submit case files of evidence ensuring evidential integrity and working alongside CPS and other relevant agencies.
• Attend Court and other hearings, as required, to give fact and procedural based evidence.
• Take written statements from witnesses following the guidelines to achieve best evidence in criminal proceedings
• Research and maintain up-to-date knowledge of current enquires
• Attend and contribute to briefings as well as supporting the training of other investigators

Measures will be taken to ensure enquires are carried out expeditiously in accordance with investigation policy and relevant legislation, for example for example Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, Data Protection Act 1998, Digital Forensic good practice and all rules and guidance including the Major Incident Room Standardised Administrative Procedures where applicable.

Qualifications

• Essential
  Be willing to successfully undertake any training requirements in respect of the role, which will include Personal Safety Training & West Midlands Police IT Systems training
• Requirement to hold a full UK driving license and be willing to pass the WMP driving test to drive unmarked Police vehicles if required
• Working knowledge of confidentiality and data protection issues
• Previous experience or knowledge of working within an investigative field where digital devices are involved
• Previous experience of producing clear, concise and accurate reports

• Desirable
• Investigation and evidence gathering experience including Digital Media Investigations.
• Previous experience in criminal law and criminal justice system
• Working knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act
• Previous experience and/or formal training concerning the examination of digital devices within an investigation
• Knowledge of police policy and procedures in relation to the role
• Experience of working in a multi-agency environment, working with partner agencies
• PIP 2 Qualified

Location

Central Birmingham - Requirement to travel out of the force area, where necessary, to progress investigations.

Hours

Core Hours Mon-Fri 8am-4pm - demand dependent, hours may include change of shifts, weekend, and bank holiday working, potentially at short notice, for which you would be compensated accordingly.

Contact

For more information please contact Insps Mark Robinson or Lisa Yates-Laughton.

Vetting

Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting and Counter Terrorism Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical

Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.

Under the Probation Policy, if you are currently in your probation period, during your probationary period you will not be permitted to apply for alternative police staff roles within the Force unless there are exceptional circumstances. In such cases, you would require the support of your line manager prior to applying for alternative roles, and if successful, your probationary period will start over.

Secondment Statements:

For the duration of the secondment, you will be paid at the appropriate rate for the role that you are seconded into. In general terms, the expectation is that this will be the bottom spinal column point for the appropriate grade, as per our standard recruitment process.

The only exception to this is where you are seconded to a role of the same grade, in which case your substantive spinal column point should continue to be paid. Where you or your manager feel that you have relevant skills and experience for the role which would require consideration of a higher spinal column point, a salary justification form will need to be completed and sent to the Reward Team for review and consideration in line with usual recruitment processes.

If you are seconded into a role of a lower grade than your substantive post, you will receive the maximum spinal column point for that grade. Shift allowances and payments for unsociable or weekend working will only be paid as applicable to the role that you are seconded into (at the applicable rate). In other words, if you receive shift allowance in your substantive role, however the role that you are seconded into doesn't attract a shift allowance you will not receive this for the duration of the secondment.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader

As part of our commitment we operate a 'Disability Confident Interview Scheme' - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. In certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

Diversity and Inclusion Vision

Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities.