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Scenes of crime officer

Alternative titles for this job include SOCO

Scenes of crime officers (SOCOs) find, record and recover evidence from crime scenes.

Average salary (a year)

£16,000 Starter

to

£35,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

41 to 43 a week

You could work

on call on shifts

How to become a scenes of crime officer

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • applying directly

University

You can do a degree in forensic science, or in a scientific subject like biological science or chemistry.

Some courses are accredited by The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More information

Direct application

Police services and law enforcement agencies set their own entry requirements for this type of work. In general, you'll need at least 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including English, maths and a science subject.

Some employers may prefer A levels or equivalent, including a science like chemistry or biology.

Many employers ask for a degree and will expect you to have experience in police work or a related field, for example intelligence gathering and analysis.

More information

Career tips

Experience of dealing with the public and working in sensitive situations would be useful.

Qualifications or experience in photography can also be useful and may be essential for some jobs.

Further information

You can find out more about working in forensics from The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Check with your local police service for details of vacancies and entry requirements.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • customer service skills
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to work on your own
  • legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

You'll usually need to have a driving licence. 

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could be:

  • preserving and protecting crime scenes
  • finding out what evidence is needed
  • recording the scene using photography and video
  • developing, recording and capturing fingerprint evidence
  • finding, recording and recovering evidence
  • keeping written records, producing statements and updating systems with details of evidence

Working environment

You could work on the streets, in a court, at a mortuary or at a police station.

Your working environment may be at height, physically and emotionally demanding, outdoors some of the time, dirty and cramped.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

With experience, you may be able to progress to senior or principal officer with responsibility for managing a Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) team. 

You could complete further training to manage investigations at major incidents.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a scenes of crime officer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

PEARSON L3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN PUBLIC SERVICES (ARMED FORCES & EMERGENCY SERVICES) FT (NOT L3E)

  • Provider: CHESTERFIELD COLLEGE
  • Start date: 07 September 2020
  • Location: CHESTERFIELD

Public Services BTEC Diploma Level 1

  • Provider: THE WINDSOR FOREST COLLEGES GROUP
  • Start date: 07 September 2020
  • Location: Slough
Find courses near you

JobsIn the United Kingdom

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