Scenes of crime officers (SOCOs), sometimes called crime scene investigators or crime scene examiners, attend and examine crime scenes to collect evidence. Although SOCOs are not police officers, they are employed by police forces and work closely with the police.

SOCOs recover evidence from all types of crimes, ranging from burglary and vehicle theft (known as 'volume crime') to serious crimes such as rape or murder. Assistant SOCOs or volume crime scene investigators deal with high volume crime including burglaries, vehicle crime and minor assaults. 

SOCOs' work includes:

• protecting the crime scene to prevent evidence being spoilt or destroyed
• establishing what evidence the investigating police officer requires and deciding what the best methods are for obtaining it
• recording the scene using photography and video
• searching for footprints and marks left by tools or weapons
• collecting fingerprints
• gathering evidence such as fibres, blood, hair, paint or glass using various techniques
• putting samples into protective packaging and sending them to forensic laboratories or fingerprint bureaux for analysis
• producing written records and updating and maintaining systems with details of evidence.

SOCOs may need to give evidence in court or attend postmortems.

Hours and Environment

SOCOs need to cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which means you are likely to work shifts, with an on-call rota.

You may need to work in difficult locations, involving walking long distances, working at heights or in confined spaces, or being outdoors in all weathers. The work can often be unpleasant or distressing.

You will spend most of your time out on investigations, but will use a police station as a base to write up your reports, process recovered evidence and prepare statements.

You will usually need a driving licence.

Skills and Interests

As a SOCO you need:

• a methodical and patient approach
• the ability to pay exceptional attention to detail
• keen observational skills
• the ability to record and report information accurately, both orally and in writing
• teamworking skills
• the ability to remain calm in unpleasant and distressing situations
• normal colour vision
• agility and physical fitness
• the ability to use computers and scientific equipment.

Entry

Entry requirements for becoming a SOCO vary from force to force, so you will need to check with the force in the area where you want to work. Contact details are listed on the UK Police Services Portal website - see Further Information below.

You may be accepted with a minimum of three to five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3), or the equivalent, preferably including English, maths and a science subject. However, forces often require A levels (or equivalent qualifications) and some will expect you to have a degree in a science-related subject.

Relevant degree and foundation degree courses are available at a number of universities around the UK.

For more information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward at: www.fdf.ac.uk

To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees and degrees see the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) at: www.ucas.ac.uk Please check with individual universities for entry requirements.

All police forces will carry out a check of your background and employment history. A criminal record is not always a barrier to employment with the police service, but you must declare any convictions.

You will need to demonstrate scientific ability. Qualifications or experience in photography can also be useful, and may be essential for some forces. You could have an advantage when looking for work if you have experience of dealing with the public and working in sensitive situations.

SOCOs often start as assistant scenes of crime officer (or volume crime scene examiners), recording, recovering and collecting forensic evidence from crime scenes such as burglaries and car break-ins, before becoming SOCOs.

Training

When you start work as a SOCO you will spend up to one month working with experienced crime scene investigator in your own force.

You will then usually attend the Initial Crime Scene Investigator Training Course at the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), in County Durham. This is a residential course and lasts for nine weeks.

If you are an assistant scenes of crime officer or volume crime scene examiner, you may attend a three week basic training course at NPIA, and then take a four week conversion course to become a SOCO after gaining some experience.

When you have successfully completed the initial course you will be posted to your police force on a one to two year development programme. Following this on-the-job training period you will attend a further two week course, covering skills and techniques in more detail.

When you have completed the initial training course (or have five years’ experience as a SOCO) you can study for the University of Durham Diploma in Crime Scene Investigation. This is offered by NPIA in conjunction with the University, and is studied by open learning.

The NPIA also offers the National Fingerprint Examiner training programme for those specialising in this field, and specialist short courses for crime scene investigators, such as fire investigation, dealing with major disasters, facial identification techniques and management training.

During your career as a SOCO you will usually be required to attend two week NPIA refresher courses every five years to review and refresh your knowledge and skills and to keep you up to date with new developments.

See the Products and Services section of the NPIA website in Further Information for more details of courses.

Opportunities

SOCOs are employed by regional police forces, the Ministry of Defence Police and the British Transport Police. There is fierce competition for places.

With experience you may be able to progress to senior or principal officer with management responsibilities.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Starting salaries for assistant SOCOs/volume crime scene examiners can be from around £16,000 to around £18,000 a year. 
SOCOs can earn up to around £25,000 a year.
Senior SOCOs can earn from around £26,000 to over £30,000 a year.

There are additional London allowances there may be an additional allowance for working shifts.

Further information

Harperley Hall
Fir Tree
Crook
County Durham
DL15 8DS
Tel: 01388 762191