University consortium win three-force apprenticeship contract

Four universities have joined together as the Police Education Consortium to deliver degree apprenticeship training to three forces. The consortium have won a contract to provide the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme to Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire Constabulary. The universities will alternate as the providers for each new cohort… Surry, Sussex and Hampshire Constabulary trainees will be taught at police training centres not on campus ...

Interview: Deputy Mayor says Met needs officers and analysts

Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden has championed Sadiq Khan's investment in the Violent Crime Taskforce, wants to keep a station open in every borough and believes the Met can cut crime by the end of the force's recruitment uplift in three years’ time.  On the uplift numbers, Ms Linden said MOPAC… Ahead of the May 2020 London Mayor Election, Police Oracle spoke to Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden about and MOPAC’s policing priorities and commitments into a potential second term under Sadiq Khan....

College of Policing opens degree bursary scheme for officers

The fifth bursary scheme has been opened by the College of Policing to help police officers and staff across England and Wales with higher education fees to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is part of the wider campaign to upskill the police service to be able to respond… The College of Policing has launched a campaign to support officers studying for degrees....

Christine Elliott appointed interim Chair of College of Policing

Christine Elliott has been appointed by the Home Secretary as the interim Chair of the CoP, following her nomination by the College Board. Ms Elliot is taking over the role from outgoing Chair, Millie Banerjee, who had been the permanent Chair since November 2017. Ms Elliot was appointed a college… Christine Elliot, previously the College of Policing's Senior Independent Director, has taken over as interim Chair....

Return to work scheme for female officers assessed by CoP

A pilot initiative by the College of Policing which encourages those who left the police due to care-giving responsibilities to re-join investigative roles is approaching the end of its first year. The Return to Investigative Practice was launched in the spring of 2019 and aims to support forces to rehire… Two schemes from the CoP that aim to encourage women into detective and senior leadership roles approach the end of their first year. ...

Sussex chief constable to step down

Chief Constable Giles York, 53, will be departing Sussex Police after 11 years in charge of the force.  CC York QPM has been in the role since 2014. He is also the Vice Chair of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for services… The Chief Constable of Sussex Police, Giles York, has announced he will be stepping down this summer after 30 years’ service....

Met needs more specialist officers, AC Ephgrave warns assembly

Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave says that the Met is short of experienced traffic officers and skilled investigators for rape cases. He told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee that the force currently has a vacancy rate of 11% for traffic officers – which would be 6% if officers had… Met teams are short of officers in major investigation areas, including rape inquiry team operating at half strength ...

More than half of 18-24 year olds see policing as ‘too dangerous’

Almost a quarter (24%) of 18-24-year-olds believe a career in the police force is not accessible, despite government initiatives to boost officer numbers according to a survey by a university which has launched a Professional Policing degree recently. The University of Law (ULaw) decided to conduct the survey on the… Survey by Professional Policing degree university casts doubt on 20,000 recruitment target ...

Service needs 5,000 officers with analytical skills to tackle fraud

Commander Karen Baxter, the City of London Police’s head of economic crime, says she needs 5,000 more officers with analytical skills to tackle fraud – and that they don’t necessarily have to carry a warrant card. Her ideal recruit needed to have the same analytical skills as Special Branch and… Economic crime lead calls for ‘re-balancing’ of skills in 20,000 uplift to attract officers who think like intelligence analysts ...

Commissioner backs new legislative framework on artificial intelligence

The government should introduce a legislative framework so that police forces can use technology such as artificial intelligence and live facial recognition within defined and agreed law, the Met Commissioner has said. In a speech to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, Dame Cressida Dick revealed that the… Met looking to use AI in recruitment processes and to help officer decision-making ...