FORMER DETECTIVE JESS MCDONALD GIVES US THE INSIDE TRACK ON BEING IN THE MET POLICE
Back in 2017, the Metropolitan Police launched their Direct Entry Detective Scheme to combat the crisis in the shortage of detectives. It invited applicants from all walks of life – and with no prior experience – to join the force, and 4,500 people signed up immediately, manyofthemwomen.SalesexecutiveJess McDonaldwasoneofthefirst100“guineapigs” who started on the controversial fast-track scheme. As a new recruit, she underwent intense training, but bypassed the traditional two-year probation in uniform before becoming a fully-fledged detective. “I felt as if I had won a golden ticket,” she tells us. But she soon found out that being a detective constable wasn’t anything like she had expected, or hoped, and Jess, now 35, made the difficult decision to resign after three years. Now, she’s written a book about her experiences, and tells us more…
What inspired you to join the Met?
It all started with the Netflix series Making A Murderer, which I was obsessed with. I wanted to join the force, but because I didn’t think of myself as confrontational or physical, I couldn’t imagine being a police officer in uniform. I was far more interested in the actual investigation and the court aspect, so I looked into becoming a criminal barrister, but the cost was prohibitive. Then came the Met’s Direct Entry Detective scheme, and applying for that was an absolute no-brainer. I didn’t think I’d get on, and it was my wildest dream come true.
You graduated within a year…
It was so quick. I was 31 when I started my training in April 2018, then I graduated in September and passed my exams by the end of the year. Our basic training was the same as a regular police constable’s 13-week course, with a week’s investigative training bolted on. But whereas a police constable would have two years in uniform learning the ropes, we were straight into the job of detective constable. I joined the Community Safeguarding Unit (CSU), primarily dealing with domestic abuse.
Did the training prepare you for the job?
Completing training was a false summit. It was good, but theoretical. It’s like being taught how to drive a car without having sat in one. We knew what we had to do in theory – how to carry out an investigation, the law, and the points to prove – but the reality was unlike anything we’d encountered, and we were thrown into the deep end to learn on the job.
What did you love about the job?
Being a DC is an addiction. It’s brilliant and challenging. As fully fledged DCs, we had responsibility for seeing every case we handled through to the very end. It’s fascinating looking at the evidence, putting together the picture, and interviewing a suspect. You’re c
