A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Pre- and Post-Employment Modes of Higher Education for Student Police Officers

Abstract

Several police services have aligned themselves in a variety of modes with higher education (HE) since 2005 as part of the localisation of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP). The two main modes for delivering HE are analysed and compared. The concept of the reflective practitioner, how this might be achieved and the effectiveness of reflective practice will be used to compare the effectiveness of the two modes of delivery. One important aspiration of the modern police service is to reflect fully the constituency and communities that each service represents. The application of HE delivery modes to police recruitment may seem to threaten meeting these equal opportunity aspirations; the validity of such assumptions will be considered.

‘It’s a Profession, it Isn’t a Job’: Police Officers’ Views on the Professionalisation of Policing in England

“…Wood (2006) argues that the police can separate themselves from others via the use of research to inform tactical and strategic operations. Blakemore and Simpson (2010: 31) argue that the development of a culture of life-long learning can help policing to move away from the anti-intellectualism which is part of police thinking. This focus on higher education is reflected in the recent proliferation of university/academic–police partnerships in the UK, USA, Europe, and Australia for training, education, research collaborations, and knowledge transfer activities (Goode and Lumsden, 2016).…”

Police Education in the United Kingdom: Challenges and Future Directions

“…In building the evidence base in policing, it is very important to ensure that police officers can develop their skills, build their knowledge and expertise about what really works in policing and crime reduction so that they can put it into their practice [64,65]. Through the partnerships, the police forces will be trained by the experts from a wide range of academic disciplines including policing, criminology, criminal justice, forensics, law, psychology, and cyber security from HEIs [66].…”

Educating the recruited and recruiting the educated: Can the new Police Education Qualifications Framework in England and Wales succeed where others have faltered

“…The police training academy had also been identified as a problematic site where early training experiences can recreate, reinforce and perpetuate gender inequalities through exposure to the ‘informal hidden curriculum’, professional socialisation and police culture (Prokos and Padavic, 2002). Localised delivery was anticipated to reduce and interrupt the opportunity for transference of undesirable aspects of police occupational culture (Blakemore and Simpson, 2010; Wimshurst and Ransley, 2007).…”

“…The IPLDP produced a polarised approach to initial police training which created a disparity in the training provision offered between forces. Some developed National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) ‘in-house’ training, whereas others forged partnerships with local education providers and opted for a foundation degree qualification (Blakemore and Simpson, 2010). In-house delivery prioritised training, suggesting that training rather than education was the basic requirement for police officers to carry out their role.…”

“…The intention for ongoing scrutiny and evaluation of IPLDP programmes proposed by policing’s then key stakeholders did not materialise (Blakemore and Simpson, 2010). Hence, the significance of Holdaway’s (2017) timely reminder for research agendas to pay due attention to strategies and tactics the police use to promote their professional status.…”