Introduction – routes into policing

We’re now moving into Activity 3. In this activity, we’re going to be looking in a little bit more detail into routes into the police service. In Activity 1, we looked at some of the reasons that may make you consider joining the police service and pursuing a career in policing. We looked at some of the motivation. Some of the skills and competencies that would make you suitable for that role and in Activity 2 what we did was we looked at the police service in a more broader term, gave the understanding of it’s foundations, some of the principles.

We looked at the code of ethics As I said, in this activity what we’re going to do is look into the routes into policing. Now hopefully having done Activity 1 and Activity 2, it’s given you some of an understanding of the police service and also for you to consider personally whether it’s a career for you. If you’ve made that decision, you now need to consider what are the routes into policing? What we’re also going to do is look in more detail the routes. Now, previously there were many ways that you could join the police service, but with the professionalization of the police service now all police officers will be educated to a degree standard.

So the old entry routes of just joining with any qualifications or minimum qualifications have now changed and it’s part of that professionalization of policing. The first way you can do it is to do a non-policing degree in any subject, geography, whatever, then do a conversion course, which is called the degree holder entry program. Another way that you would be mentioned is through an apprenticeship school which is expected to last three years and you would apply directly to the police service for this route. Once you’re there, obviously that you will be a police officer, but you will study over that three year period, then become a police officer and also get a degree.

The challenge with this route obviously is the fact, you’re studying and working simultaneously, which some people can do really well. Others find quite challenging. Another option is to do a pre joined degree, such as the Bachelor of Science Professional Policing degree here at the University of Law, which is one of the subjects that we teach. Obviously, the advantage of this is that you can focus on your studies, whereas obviously the apprenticeship scheme involves working, studying at the same time, which is to say, a tough balancing act. What we’re going to do through this activity is have a look at more details on that.

Talk about the degree course, and hopefully give you a bit more of an insight to at least make those choices.