Uni-formed police
Compulsory degree schemes to create tech-savvy officers
ALL future police officers must be educated to degree level under sweeping changes to recruitment.
Candidates will face options including a paid and funded three-year “degree apprenticeship”, introduced next year.
Would-be officers can alternatively do an unfunded degree in policing or a funded postgraduate conversion course under the College of Policing’s changes.
Former chief constable Alex Marshall, its chief executive, said the move would put the 43 forces in England and Wales in a better position to tackle changes in crime fighting, including cyber crime.
He said: “The nature of police work is getting quite complex and contentious, and the public expectation is that you’ll be patrolling in my street and, by the way, you’ll [also] be patrolling online.
“We don’t think the investment has been made in policing in terms of professional development and this is one of the ways that we start to address that.”
He added it would ensure the public gets the same level of service “regardless of where they live”. The current recruitment system varies from force to force.
The professional body will also introduce a national set of qualifications for officers after promotion, while all applicants for assistant chief constable and higher ranks will need a master’s degree.
However Andy Fittes, of Police Federation of England and Wales, warned: “The most fundamental question that must be answered is, how does this plan benefit the public the police serve?”
He added: “There is a balance to be struck around encouraging people to have a certain level of education before joining and excluding good-quality candidates [who are] unable to afford it.”