The process and requirements necessary to become a National Police Inspector are different from those of the Basic Scale. Many people, in fact, do not know that in order to become a police inspector it is necessary to have a university degree. But this is the case and, if your goal is to occupy this position, there are a number of recommended careers in which you acquire knowledge that will be useful later on.
Duties of a police inspector
In general, a police inspector is in charge of coordinating and organizing a police group composed of officers of lower scales and, depending on their area of work, their functions will be oriented to some actions or others. The specialties are:
- Citizen Security
- Judicial Police
- Scientific Police
- Foreigners and Borders
- Information
In any case, all inspectors, regardless of their specialty, have other duties in addition to their command functions. These include:
- Management of police information.
- Management and coordination of human and material resources under their responsibility.
- Liaison with senior officers, informing them of ongoing investigations and the management of their unit.
- Organization of the necessary actions for the prevention and investigation of crimes.
- Ordering raids and detention of suspects.
- Reporting on operations.
- Gathering the evidence and documentation necessary for judicial proceedings.
Since the duties of a police inspector are varied and of great value to the police force, there are certain mandatory requirements that must be met in order to be eligible for this position. Below, we review them.
Requirements to become a police inspector
To start carving your professional path in the Police Inspectorate, you must first make sure that you meet the minimum requirements. These are the following:
- Have Spanish nationality.
- Be over 18 years of age, but not exceed the maximum retirement age.
- Not to have been convicted of an intentional crime, nor be disqualified for public service.
- Have a minimum height of 1.60 m if you are a woman and 1.65 m if you are a man.
- Not have any cause of physical or psychological exclusion.
- Commit to carry weapons and use them, if necessary.
- Have a B2 driving license.
Options: open competition or internal promotion
The two ways to become a police inspector are open competition and internal promotion. Both options are totally valid to obtain this position, so you must choose the one that is most accessible to you according to your circumstances.
Open competition
A competitive examination is a selection process open to anyone who meets the established requirements. In the preparation phase, candidates study to acquire theoretical knowledge on subjects related to security, legislation, criminal procedures, etc. In addition, they must practice for physical tests and psycho-technical examinations.
It is necessary to wait until the police institution publishes the summons to be able to sit for it. The exam consists of several phases, among them are:
- Theoretical exam (on the topics mentioned above).
- Physical tests (usually including running, bending, jumping, etc.).
- Psycho-technical tests (assessing logical reasoning ability, attention and memory, for example).
- Personal interview (where the candidate’s social skills, motivation and suitability for the position are examined).
- Training course (this is carried out once the previous tests have been passed).
Internal promotion
This alternative is available to members of the police force who wish to be promoted to the rank of inspector. Here we show you how this process works:
- You must meet the requirements established by the corresponding police institution. These usually include a minimum length of service in the force, a good professional record and passing an internal evaluation.
- The police institution makes an internal call for promotion to inspector. Interested officers must submit their application.
- In addition, the merits and professional trajectory of each candidate are taken into account.
- Once selected, promoted officers may receive additional training.