INITIAL POLICE TRAINING IN CLEVELAND POLICE

An Innovative Model of a Police-University Partnership

Sean Price QPMChief ConstableCleveland Police

Overview

Brief History of the British Police Service Current Governance arrangements Cleveland Police British Police training pre 2004 IDLPD The Cleveland Police- Teesside University

partnership

Policing in the UK- a brief history 992 AD – First mention of High Sheriffs in the history books – appointed by

the King in Saxon times to keep the King’ Peace using a posse of deputies, they also collected taxes for the King.

1361 – The Peace Act – three men appointed in each county to “arrest, take and chastise offenders”.

1750 – The Bow Street Runners – small plainclothes force in London. 1805 – The Bow Street Horse Patrol – founded to clear London of

Highwaymen. 1829 – The Metropolitan Bill introduced the first “modern” police force in

London run by Sir Robert Peel. 1831 – Special Constables Act. 1856 – By this date, there were over 200 police forces in England and

Wales. 1915 – Edith Smith the first woman to be given powers of arrest.

The Bow Street Horse Patrol

A slightly more modern Horse Patrol….

Governance 43 separate territorial forces Tri-partite governance structure (Home Secretary, Police

Authorities, Chief Constables) Central government provides 51% of the Police Authorities’

approved budget, the remainder comes from the precept (local council revenue)

Chief Constable appointed by Police Authority with ministerial approval

Chief Constable responsible for direction and control of Force Police Authority has a general duty to maintain an adequate and

efficient police force for the area (Police Act 1964) Police Authority can call Chief Constable to account for competence

and conduct of Force

Cleveland Police One of 43 territorial forces 1727 police officers and 700 police staff Ethos of “Putting People First” since

2003 Partnerships, People, Problem Solving

and Professionalism Intention by 2014 of being one of the

leading forces in the UK Recently scored the highest of all 43

forces on public confidence in the police and a lead force on house burglary investigation

Policing Priorities – citizen focused policing, reduce harm from drugs, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, protect public from threat of serious crime and terrorism

Cleveland Police’s vision underpinned by investment in developing and training our staff

Police Training in the UK in 20th Century

As early as the 1800s the need for formal police training was identified

However the first formal probationer training courses did not begin until the 1940s

These courses were aimed at recruits who had recently been “de-mobbed” from the services were often located at military bases away from the community

Heavy emphasis on legal knowledge Significant amount of time spent on military drill, in fact……

Police training was quite similar to that in the 1870s!

Police Training 2000 onwards HMIC Review “Training Matters” published 2002 – concluded that current

probationary training was not fit for purpose Identified a lack of strategic direction in police training, need for quality assurance,

modernisation and community focus Crime Fighting Fund (2000 onwards) aimed to increase police numbers by 5000

but did not include specific plans to improve training – emphasis on quantity rather than quality of recruits

In addition issues such as the Macpherson report (1999) and the Secret Policeman documentary (2003) identified issues surrounding racism and lack of community confidence in police service

Increasing drive to link vocational training in the public sector with nationally recognised qualifications

Government agenda for reform of the Police Service.

Cleveland Police Training pre 2004

Cleveland Police probationers formerly attended a traditional residential training school in another Force area which cost in excess of £2k per annum per student

Residential course requirements could result in work-life balance issues

Officers did not have contact with their teams and the communities they would be policing for several months

Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP)

IPLDP was created in 2004 Aimed to give officers a better understanding of their role in the

community Designed to professionalize initial police training (first two years of

police service) by identifying approved national occupational standards and a recognised qualification

Cleveland was a pilot force for this programme and unlike most other Forces decided to deliver the IPLD in partnership with a local University

The Cleveland Police – Teesside University Partnership Partnership formed in 2004 A foundation degree in Policing

Studies was specifically designed for the purpose of delivering the IPLDP

This was the first such degree to be introduced nationally

After completion of their foundation course, students have the option of continuing onto an honours degree if they wish to self-fund and study in their own time

Foundation degree can also be used as credits towards an alternative honours degree course

Teesside University receive an income from the Higher Education Funding Council which covers the cost per student of the IPLDP

Foundation Course Structure Newly recruited officers become registered students at Teesside University and

are in uniform throughout their training. They receive 30 weeks of initial training delivered by a combination of

academics and police tutors – police and academic inputs are intermingled This includes a diverse mixture of training including principles of patrol

policing, investigation, personal safety, criminology, knowledge of law and procedure, and contemporary issues in policing

They also visit specialist facilities such as mock court rooms, police stations, and scenes of crime houses to complete exercises and carry out role plays of operational scenarios in both the University campus and the community

Students gradually move to operational duties eg patrol with a tutor constable and then independent patrol whilst still completing academic assignments and community placements to enhance awareness of local issues and diversity

In total the course lasts two years – students must pass both the academic and practical parts of course to be confirmed in rank and receive their Foundation degree

Benefits Partnership arrangement means that there are significant cost benefits

to the force for initial police training The University also benefit as their income from central government

directly relates to student numbers Professionalisation of training assists in raising status of the service

to that of comparable professions within the criminal justice arena Probationary officers acquire a nationally recognised qualification Police trainers now undertake a nationally recognised a Certificate of

Education rather than their previous non-accredited training Probationary constables can contextualise their role as a police officer within the community, society and particularly the University environment

Improved police visibility at University – has enhanced perception that Teesside is a safe campus and has contributed to a significant drop in crime in Middlesbrough

Increased interest amongst Teesside University graduates in a police career

Non-residential course supports work-life balance

The Future Cleveland Police have expanded their partnership with Teesside

University and now use specialist trainers to deliver training side by side with academics in a range of subjects eg informant handling / management and ethics.

Other Forces have formed partnerships with University to deliver part of their initial police training eg West Mercia, Military Police

The Metropolitan Police now send forensic scientists and CSIs for academic training at the University of Teesside

Many other forces are now forming partnerships with local Universities

Any Questions?