Job profile: police officer in the drug squad

The narcotics squad or more commonly "the Narcs" is a criminal investigation service of the National Police which, as its name indicates, fights against the consumption and sale of illicit products. In this article, we will discover all facets of the profession of police officer in the narcotics squad.

Summary:

• Missions
• Selection
• Training
• Career advancement and salary

The two main missions of narcotics squads are:

1. The fight against use and consumption of narcotic substances;

2. The fight against trafficking of narcotics, both at local and international levels.

The missions of a narcotics squad police officer include notably:

• Research and identification of drug trafficking networks;

• Surveillance (stakeouts, phone monitoring...) of drug users and traffickers;

• Evidence collection for arrest or network dismantling;

• Conduct judicial investigations;

• Arrest perpetrators, both users and traffickers;

• Advise and coordinate anti-drug trafficking operations with other Police services;

• Implement prevention and training actions.

It is possible to join the narcotics squad right after graduating from the Police academy (see the article: entering Police or Gendarmerie academy). The choice of assignment is made by order of merit, in other words, the candidate must be ranked high enough at the end of their training to be able to choose a narcotics squad. Indeed, those ranked highest choose first. So what can a candidate who failed to obtain an assignment to the narcotics squad do?

They can request, after a few years of service, an internal transfer based on available position proposals. For this, they must make a request to their superiors then appear before a jury for an interview. It should be known that a Criminal Investigation Officer (CIO) has a better chance of obtaining approval from their hierarchy to join a narcotics squad. Thus, a peace officer has every interest in obtaining their CIO examination before making their transfer request.

Since the integration of the police officer into a narcotics squad can be done right after academy graduation, there is no specific training. Peace officers, officers and commissioners simply follow their initial curriculum before joining their assignment.

After taking their positions, officers undergo continuous training as in any other service of the National Police.

Career advancement prospects are the same as in other services. Thus, a peace officer could hope to become a police officer or police commissioner by passing the internal examination and training.

There are three corps in the National Police:

• Design and direction: police commissioner;

• Command: police officers;

• Supervision and enforcement: peace officers.

Another career advancement prospect for the narcotics squad police officer is to move up in level based on their seniority. This is a right that is automatically granted unlike rank. To move to the higher rank within the same corps, the police officer must "put themselves up for advancement". Obtaining the higher rank is done either by promotion on recommendation from the hierarchy, or by passing professional examinations or Recognition of Professional Experience Achievements (RPEA).

A narcotics squad police officer can also advance their career by changing specialties: motorcycle police officer, riot police, anti-crime squad, mounted police, technical and scientific police...

The salary of a narcotics squad police officer depends on both the corps they belong to, their rank as well as their level. Their compensation therefore evolves throughout their career.