Police Pilots
The difference in salary for police pilots working for different employers has always been large and (IMO) difficult to justify. The salary for pilots employed by contractors are not that far apart, driven as they are by commercial pressure and competition.
The direct-employed pilots salary range is huge. There is no national agreement on such things and locally salaries are arrived at, depending upon the influence that can be exercised locally. Some chief pilots have been more successful than others at arguing for a higher salary. Some chief pilots are not even asked about such things: the HR department goes through a spurious comparative process. HR departments exercise extraordinary power in some organisations.
One weapon in the armoury of those looking to justify higher salaries is to argue that "our" pilots need to be specially qualified. One of the big differences is whether a pilot holds an IR. If a pilot does have an IR, then potentially he can get an offshore job with their high salaries. If you can
make a case for that being a requirement, then you can justify higher salaries.[In such cases, it matters little that a police pilot does not REALLY need an IR].
Exactly the opposite is true of ex-mil pilots, as a group. Police flying is an easy option for ex-mil pilots, and as close to the mil job as exists. The work is largely regular, which feels safe to someone who has been a wage slave for some time. The ex-mil also often comes with a military pension and will be likely to accept lower salaries, as a result. These are likely to be factors why lots of police pilots are ex-mil.
It has been my privilege to fly as a police pilot for over 10 years, and I am not an ex-mil pilot. The best way to get a job as a police pilot is to have done it before, and fitted into the role. Getting the first job is the trick. There were routes by which civi pilots with relatively limited experience could gain police flying experience, so that they then had a police-flying track record. Those jobs offered pay that even an ex-mil pilot with a pension would not accept. In large measure, they no longer exist because those outfits do not do police work any more.
Some years ago, when I got a job flying for the MPS, the CP was looking for pilots with previous police experience, and I believe did not favour ex-mil as against civi pilots then. I was 1 of 2 "civi" pilots recruited at that time out of about 6. Existing police pilots would be attracted by the salary and the challenge of flying for the MPS. I suspect this will remain true on this recruitment. The MPS can afford to pick and choose, so it will. One entirely sensible justification for this is to reduce the risk of employment. Any employer should do this, if they can.
MPS annual flying hours are much more than many other police forces, so do not apply if you want a quiet life!
According to the advert, the roping/winching experience is not a requirement, just desirable. When MPS bought their EC145s they bought roping/winching capability. They had a battle to get the CAA to allow them to use it, but presumably they can now, if they advertise as they have. It is anyone's guess as to whether they will ever use such a capability in anger. As far as pilot recruitment goes they can now justifiably suggest that experience would be desirable. Whether they have done that in order to favour ex-mil would be conjecture: I imagine no one except military pilots will have done roping.
Being ex-mil is no guarantee of being good. There have been some extraordinary examples of problem pilots from that source, just as there have been from the civi pool.
If you are an existing police pilot and hold an IR and your base is planned to be closed under NPAS, it will not be surprising if you apply for the MPS position, whether you are ex-mil or not. If you fit that description, you are more likely to be successful than someone who has never done police flying, whatever else you have done.
The police flying I have done has been undoubtedly the most satisfying and rewarding work I have done.