Police Enquiry Officer - Guildford

Sussex Police; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

LGPS pension scheme

On-site gyms

Job summary

Sussex Police invites applications for a Police Enquiry Officer based in Guildford. You will be the vital link between the public and the force, handling enquiries, supporting investigations and backing up frontline officers.

You’ll work a mobile pattern across Surrey, with full training before transferring to Front Counter. A 30 wpm typing speed and good IT literacy are required, plus 18+ years old and no essential prior experience.

Qualifications

• Previous customer service is desirable but not essential.
• You’ll need to type at a good speed (min. 30 words per minute) and have good IT literacy.
• Education: desirable that candidates are educated to QCF Level 2 in English and Maths.
• Must be 18 years or over on the day you submit your application.

Responsibilities

• Be the vital link between the public and the force, handling enquiries and supporting investigations.
• Oversee the opening and closing of the Police Counter at published times.
• Deal with enquiries face to face, by phone and by email, using various computer systems.
• Record information onto our systems and risk assess incidents to direct the right teams.
• Provide high-quality customer service to internal and external customers including senior officers.
• Travel across Surrey to work from different Police Stations on a mobile contract.
• Receive full training before transferring to Front Counter.

Skills

Typing speed

IT literacy

Customer service

Education

QCF Level 2 in English & Maths

Tools

Police computer systems

Job description

Division / Department - Contact and Control
Grade - Grade E
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £29,151 - £32,224
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - Yes
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Guildford

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

The Role & Key Responsibilities

Vacancy Information

Starting salary of £29,151 (plus of a shift allowance of £1,857.00 per year), rising annually. (total £31008)

Are you ready to be the calm in the chaos? This isn’t just a desk job — it’s where sharp thinking meets real responsibility. You’ll be the vital link between the public and the force, handling enquiries, supporting investigations, and backing up frontline officers. If you’re a reliable, practical problem-solver who stays cool under pressure and isn’t afraid to take charge, this role is made for you. Bring your determination, your head, and your heart — and make a real difference every day.

Our Front Counter teams are the first face to face contact when visiting Police Stations.

As a Police Enquiry Officer you will perform a role on our policing front line, helping members of the public across Surrey reporting incident and crimes. We aim to respond to each contact in a timely way and contribute to making our communities feel safe, by inspiring trust and confidence in the Police.

As a Police Enquiry Officer you must be able to multi task. You may be dealing with a member of the public face to face with their enquiry one minute, and the next you may be speaking to someone on the phone or via email. You will also be using various computer systems. You will need to be able to work and make decisions under pressure. You will need to have high levels of resilience due to the nature of the enquires we deal with. These can be distressing or upsetting at times.

You will receive full training before transferring to your Front Counter.

The Role

You will deal with a variety of enquiries throughout your shift – no two days are the same. You need to make sure you deliver a good service by focusing and being alert to deal with whatever comes through the door, always to a professional standard.

Responsibility - You will oversee the opening and closing of the Police Counter at the published times.

Customer Service - You’ll need to have excellent customer service and be able to communicate with both internal and external customers, including high ranking police officers.

Initial investigation - You will be able to gather as much information as possible with your questioning skills, remaining calm and in control. With the information you have gathered you will need to record it onto our systems. Your training will enable you to risk assess each incident, ensuring the right teams are notified.

Recording intelligence. Gathering information from our communities, and sharing with other parts of the organisation, to inform our future policing operations.

Assisting colleagues by dealing with reports of incidents and crime via our website and e-mail requests for service.

Skills & Experience

Key Responsibilities

On joining Surrey Police you will spend 7 weeks on a classroom based course at our Police Headquarters, (on the outskirts of Guildford approx. 1.5 miles from the town). This is Monday to Friday 0800-1600. You will then continue with on-the-job training with a dedicated coach, at your base station and working at other Police Stations throughout the county. This will enable you to become an independent Police Enquiry Officer.

You will be employed on a mobile contract. This means you will have a base station, but you will be required to travel and work from other Police Stations around the whole of Surrey. This is a good opportunity to work with different teams and have a change of environment. This requires you to be flexible, this can happen at short notice where your shift time and location may be changed.

Our main Police Stations are open 7 days a week, between 0800-2200hrs, and between 0900-1700 Bank/Public Holidays. Christmas Day is the only day we are closed. Our teams work a 7-week rotating shift pattern consisting of early shifts (0745-1545), Mid shifts (1000-1900) and late shifts (1315-2215). You can see your shifts a year in advance to assist you in planning your leave. See attached sample of the 7-week rota pattern, which includes a generous amount of rest days including a 5 day rest period every 7 weeks.

Due to the nature of our start and finish times and the requirement that you travel across the county, it is essential that you have your own transport, as public transport cannot be reliable.

We encourage our staff to become a coach or mentor to new staff joining. You will continue to receive training in your role and will also have opportunities to take on extra skills to become a point of contact for other colleagues in a particular area of policing for example wildlife/rural crime.

Skills and Experience

Are you eligible?

Previous customer service is desirable but not essential.

You’ll need to type at a good speed (min. 30 words per minute) and have good IT literacy.

Education: There are no essential requirements, but it is desirable that candidates are educated to QCF Level 2 in English and Maths.

You must be 18 years or over on the day you submit your application – there is no upper age limit.

Have leave to enter or leave to remain and work in the UK for an indefinite period.

Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group.

Not have served a prison sentence.

Not applied for the role previously within the last 6 months.

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we encourage flexible working. We are open to conversations about job shares and part time working. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme
• There are free on-site gyms at all the Police Stations which are open 24hrs a day.
• You will receive 180 hours of annual leave, rising to a generous amount of 216 hours after 5 years’ service.
• If you work a Bank/Public holiday you will receive additional payment plus a day off.
• Opportunity to join various support networks (for example Inclusion group and Well Being group), staff associations and sports clubs.
• We have an excellent Employee Assistance Programme for advice and counselling.

We are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here .

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding [e-mail] to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.