Winsor report: harder to get into the police, easier to be made redundant At the moment there is just "one recruitment path" from constable upwards. But proposed direct entry schemes would for the first time allow outsiders - from business, the military or the security services - rise to inspector rank in three years rather than 17. Mr Winsor also proposed a fast-track to superintendent rank after "anxious consideration." Leaders of foreign police forces will be allowed to apply for chief officer jobs in England and Wales. :: The number of police officers on "restricted duties," usually because of injury or illness, has doubled in less than a decade, the study finds. In 2002 there were just 2,299 officers (1.9 per cent of the workforce) doing back-office jobs rather than serving on the frontline, but by 2010-11 it had risen to 6,137 officers (4.4 per cent). In some forces such as West Yorkshire the figure is almost 10 per cent. The Winsor report warns that this trend may affect the service to the public, such as during last summer's riots when many officers not classified as "able-bodied" were unable to be deployed to the streets. The number of warranted officers working on admin jobs is also deemed harmful to forces since they cost more than civilian staff who could do the same tasks. Those who are on restricted duties for more than a year should lose 8 per cent of their salary and after two years their force should make them take ill-health retirement, it is suggested. If they do not qualify for this, they should be given the chance to resign as a police officer and be re-employed as a civilian employee. However they should have the chance to go back on the frontline if their health improves within five years. Any officer who refuse to retire or take staff jobs should be made subject to dismissal proceedings "on the grounds of his lack of capability or, if appropriate, attendance." :: People applying to become a constable must currently undergo an assessment known as Police SEARCH, which includes an interview as well as maths and verbal reasoning tests. But the Winsor report says either the test should be made more difficult, or the 44 per cent pass mark for literary and numeracy should be raised.