Interview: ‘Some of the best cops I worked with didn’t have a degree’

Supt Sukesh Verma has some interesting ideas about recruitment in the uplift. University educated with a degree in politics he highlights the mix of people required to make a police force work really effectively. His father was a superintendent and when Sukesh left university he joined Notts on an accelerated… The police degree system will not move the dial on BAME recruitment according to Nottinghamshire Superintendent Sukesh Verma. He tells Gary Mason why...

Federation warns of funding gap over Specials membership

The Police Federation says it is unable to absorb the cost of representing thousands of Specials who carry out unpaid work for forces across the country. Dave Bamber, the Fed’s lead for recruitment, training and development, told Police Oracle: “Money is the only issue. We can’t offer everything for free. It’s… Plans to enable Special Constables to join the Police Federation have hit a stumbling block over who pays for their membership....

Mentoring: a career pathfinder

Throughout his long policing career Ricky Fields has sat on promotion boards on both sides of the table as an applicant and a board member. “I don’t think any process is infallible,” he says. “But you turn up on the day and hopefully give your best performance and you need… A former Staffordshire superintendent will be one of the mentors on a new scheme aimed at helping officers from under-represented groups achieve their potential in the service. He tells Gary Mason how mentoring influenced his own career ...

South Wales chief leaves force to join the Met as assistant commissioner

Matt Jukes, the chief constable of South Wales Police is moving to the Met as Assistant Commissioner following the retirement of Mark Simmons. He is expected to take up his appointment in November.  Initially, and for a limited period, he will provide leadership to the Met’s transformation portfolio following the… Matt Jukes to initially lead Met’s transformation portfolio from November...

Staff member joins regulars with father’s old collar number

A long serving South Yorkshire Police staff member who has worked in call handling, custody and then as a PCSO has become a regular officer and been given her father’s collar number. PC 1820 Michelle Phillips has worked for South Yorkshire Police for 17 years, initially in the force's communications… PC Michelle Phillips has worked as a call handler, in custody and as a PCSO ...

Force develops new system to ‘level playing field’ for BAME applicants

Police Scotland is designing a new testing system which aims to “level the playing field” for BAME candidates applying to join the force as just over 1% of officers are from a minority background. The force’s HR director also said diversity in the leadership team is “not where we want… HR Manager tells MSPs that current test produced a 20% discrepancy between ethnic minority and white Scottish candidates....

Derbyshire's ACC to return as Lincolnshire's new chief

The current Assistant Chief Constable at Derbyshire Police has been selected as the new Chief Constable for Lincolnshire. Dr Paul Gibson, 46, has been selected by a panel led by Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones as the replacement for Bill Skelly who is retiring after 31 years of service.… A career Lincolnshire officer who left to progress up the ranks is set to become the force’s new chief constable....

Interview: Chief Constable Nick Adderley's bottom-up approach

Nick Adderley is a chief constable who seems to invoke faith and morale among the ranks, and is known for his straight-talking and down-to-earth attitude which appears to bridge the gap between management and frontline officers. He says the welfare of the workforce is his number one priority. “If we… Northamptonshire's Chief Constable, Nick Adderley, has just completed his first two years in the job and tells Police Oracle why he believes a certain type of leadership is important to workforce morale...

Officers sit first national online exam

Officers from 46 forces in England and Wales were the first to sit a national online exam for career progression – in this case the NIE (National Investigators' Exam). Candidates from all 43 territorial forces and three non-Home Office forces (British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Ministry of Defence… More than 1,390 officers sat the National Investigators’ Exam remotely in a first for policing....

New approach needed to find leaders says College of Policing

Modernisation to working practice has sped up during the COVID-19 crisis and that must now extend into supporting and finding future leaders. The College’s head, Mike Cunningham told the Police Superintendents’ Association annual conference this would also be crucial in improving diversity among senior officers. HM Inspectorate has raised concerns… A new national approach is needed to identify leaders across the ranks according to the College of Policing....