Cumbria ACC mentors other senior officers after completing Masters
Andrew Slattery says stepping away from operational side has allowed him to explore ethics of policingCumbria Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Slattery is now mentoring three other high ranking officers who have started policing degrees after completing his own MSc in Strategic Policing.
The 52-year-old officer already has a degree in sociology which he completed 29 years ago at Lancaster University.
Last week he was one of two people at the University of Cumbria to receive his MSc in policing. The other was a student who joined the police only last week and has a degree in policing plus a Masters.
As an officer with 28 years’ service, ACC Slattery says the two-year course has allowed him to step away from the operational side of the job and explore the ethics and fundamentals around police work.
“It has been of real benefit professionally and personally, helping to develop me,” he said. “At work, I’m very busy operationally, helping to run a large organisation. This has allowed me to step out of that operational side of things and come back to the fundamental issues about why we do what we do, the role of the police and ethical issues.”
He added: “It was a challenge coming back to academic study and writing after so long away. Academic study, research and presentations are different disciplines to what you may do in other parts of your life. You have to be disciplined to get back into the way of learning also, but it has really focused me.”
He also says combining the job and academic study is not as straightforward as some people might think. “For the first year of my master’s degree I was also going through a process at work to become Assistant Chief Constable. I was Detective Chief Superintendent (Head of Crime) at Cumbria Constabulary at the time, which is a demanding role in itself. Juggling work and study commitments can be difficult but it is possible and well worth the effort.”
ACC Slattery carried out research into career progression for men and women in the police service as part of his course. He is currently working with Dr Nicoletta Policek, University of Cumbria associate professor in policing and criminology.
He is pleased that colleagues and others have opportunities to further their careers and professional development.
“In the cathedral I was one of two graduating with an MSc in Strategic Policing. The other person was a young man who’d enrolled on it after immediately completing his policing degree and joined the police only last week. It was nice to see how the master’s degree is suitable for all, whether it is as you start out on your journey or are like me, someone with a lot of operational experience and who has enjoyed a varied career in the force.”
News Archive
- December 2023 (3)
- November 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (4)
- September 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (4)
- July 2023 (3)
- June 2023 (5)
- May 2023 (2)
- April 2023 (5)
- March 2023 (3)
- February 2023 (7)
- January 2023 (11)
- December 2022 (6)
- November 2022 (5)
- October 2022 (5)
- September 2022 (6)
- August 2022 (2)
- July 2022 (11)
- June 2022 (8)
- May 2022 (11)
- April 2022 (8)
- March 2022 (3)
- February 2022 (5)
- January 2022 (12)
- December 2021 (1)
- November 2021 (9)
- October 2021 (4)
- September 2021 (10)
- August 2021 (9)
- July 2021 (12)
- June 2021 (4)
- May 2021 (11)
- April 2021 (14)
- March 2021 (14)
- February 2021 (19)
- January 2021 (18)
- December 2020 (6)
- November 2020 (12)
- October 2020 (14)
- September 2020 (15)
- August 2020 (16)
- July 2020 (16)
- June 2020 (18)
- May 2020 (22)
- April 2020 (18)
- March 2020 (23)
- February 2020 (20)
- January 2020 (4)
- December 2019 (5)
- November 2019 (6)
- October 2019 (5)
- September 2019 (6)
- August 2019 (8)
- July 2019 (6)
- June 2019 (8)
- May 2019 (8)
- April 2019 (8)
- March 2019 (10)
- February 2019 (9)
- January 2019 (9)
- December 2018 (9)
- November 2018 (12)
- October 2018 (8)
- September 2018 (7)
- August 2018 (11)
- July 2018 (7)
- June 2018 (9)
- May 2018 (9)
- April 2018 (12)
- March 2018 (10)
- February 2018 (8)
- January 2018 (5)
- December 2017 (6)
- November 2017 (4)
- October 2017 (3)
- September 2017 (10)
- August 2017 (5)
- July 2017 (5)
- June 2017 (6)
- May 2017 (6)
- April 2017 (2)
- March 2017 (3)
- February 2017 (4)
- January 2017 (1)
- December 2016 (3)
- November 2016 (4)
- October 2016 (1)
- September 2016 (4)
- August 2016 (4)
- July 2016 (1)
- June 2016 (5)
- May 2016 (3)
- April 2016 (1)
- March 2016 (3)
- February 2016 (3)
- January 2016 (3)
- December 2015 (3)
- November 2015 (3)
- October 2015 (3)
- September 2015 (2)
- August 2015 (1)
- July 2015 (11)
- June 2015 (1)