Plans to allow police forces in England and Wales to recruit senior officers from outside the service are to be detailed by the government shortly.
The plans would mean Army officers and business leaders, for example, could move quickly into senior posts.
Also expected to be included in a consultation document, is a proposal to allow senior police officers from overseas to join as chief constables.
Many in the police service have already voiced opposition to direct entry.
'Talent deterred'The current system sees all police recruits begin work as a constable, regardless of age, skills or experience.
The Home Office proposals being put before MPs herald a fundamental change to the current system of police recruitment, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says.
A debate about the benefits of direct entry has been going on for a decade but Tom Winsor's report has finally prompted action.
Winsor found that although the police culture had "many extremely valuable strengths" it was also "somewhat closed, defensive and inward-looking".
He said an "infusion of experience and expertise" from other disciplines and occupations would improve things.
The revelation of links between Scotland Yard and News International, and the sense in the early stages of the London riots that there was a lack of police leadership, has bolstered the argument for change.
But the idea of an outsider being recruited as a superintendent, taking charge of a firearms operation or the policing of a protest march, is likely to prove hugely controversial.
The Home Office is determined there will be change - but it may have to proceed cautiously.
It currently takes about 25 years for a newly recruited constable to work their way to the most senior level, a process that is thought to deter talented people from other professions from joining the police, our correspondent adds.
The direct-entry plans expected to be put forward follow recommendations in a report last year by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor.
The changes include:
- Fast-tracking recruits to inspector level within three years
- Allowing outsiders to join as superintendents with 15 months' training
- Opening up chief constable roles to senior officers from countries such as Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand
Mr Winsor has previously said he believes people from other professions could "enrich" the police service.
The former rail regulator said direct entry into the police service had the potential to "change the face of modern British policing for the better".
Several police forces, including Britain's largest, the Metropolitan Police, already have graduate recruitment schemes. They all insist that recruits spend time on the beat.
But Mr Winsor wants to dispense with that stage for graduates from top universities to make a police career a more attractive alternative to the City or the professions.
Police Minister Damian Green told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was direct entry in other services, including the Army and the prison service.
"Policing is largely successful in this country, crime is down 10% in the past two years," he said.
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Ch Supt Derek Barnett said the plans were risky
"But there is no organisation in the world that cannot get better and it must be the case that if you widen the pool of talent, then you will get even better policing in this country."
The changes will happen and the consultation was about the best way to do it, he added.
Ann Barnes, the first police and crime commissioner for Kent and former chair of the county's police authority, has experience of recruiting chief officers.
"The pool I was fishing in was frankly too small. The talent we have is good but there's not enough of them," she told the BBC.
"It's virtually impossible to attract experienced older talent into the service because they don't have time to climb the police ladder to the top jobs. We are saying goodbye to fresh talent and new ideas."
'Work experience'Ch Supt Derek Barnett, president of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales, said allowing people to become superintendents after 15 months' training would present "risks to the public and police officers".
He said it was a misconception that superintendents were desk-bound and in reality, they were the senior operational leaders of the police service.
"One of the benefits of having an operational grounding is that you have been able to deal with critical incidents, you have felt the collar of criminals, you have dealt with the very sad incidence of dead bodies," he told BBC Breakfast.
Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, has urged caution against giving too much responsibility to those from outside the police service.
He argued he would not want people on "work experience" in charge of policing disorder in Northern Ireland, where he used to be the chief constable.
Steve White, vice-chairman of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said it did not support proposals that would allow external candidates to join the police service at any rank above that of constable.
"We believe the rank structure allows officers to perfectly equip themselves for their next role within the service," he said.
He said there were also reservations about overseas recruitment of senior officers, adding: "We have the best police service in the world so it seems strange that the government - which often echoes this view - may wish for forces to recruit chief constables from overseas."
But Britain's highest-ranking officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, has said he would like to recruit 10% of senior officers from external candidates.
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