College of Policing

The creation of a new policing professional body was announced by the Home Secretary in December 2011. Representatives from the Police Federation, the Superintendents' Association, ACPO and UNISON worked with the Home Office to create the College, ensuring that it represents the police service's desires and aspirations. As soon as Parliamentary time allows, the College of Policing will be established as a statutory body, independent of government. While the necessary legislation is prepared, the College has been established as a company limited by guarantee.[3]

The college officially launched on 4 February 2013 with Chief Constable Alex Marshall QPM as Chief Executive. Marshall has since left the college, retiring from policing in September 2017.[4] Marshall was replaced by Mike Cunningham on 15 January 2018.[5]

We intend to be a not-for-profit membership organisation, and will aim to achieve chartered status. Members will be fully involved in all aspects of College work.

We will have a mandate to set standards in professional development, including codes of practice and regulations, to ensure consistency across the 43 forces in England and Wales. We also have a remit to set standards for the police service on training, development, skills and qualifications, and we will provide maximum support to help the service implement these standards. A fundamental development within the College is the use of knowledge and research to develop an evidence-based approach to policing. We are hosting the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction, which involves collaboration with academics and a university consortium. We will also take a coordinating role across the country, commissioning research and setting up regional networks, so that universities, further education colleges and police forces can work together to learn from best practice.

The British model of policing by consent is admired right across the world. We will help to create the best conditions to sustain and enhance that model.

— [3]

The College of Policing has announced that from 2020, all new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level.[6] This policy will be administered through the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF)[7] which creates three entry routes into the police:

• The Pre-Join Policing Degree: This entry route involves completion of a three-year knowledge-based degree in professional policing prior to joining the police service. Becoming a special constable may be included as part of this programme. Candidates who are subsequently recruited will undertake practice-based training to develop specific skills and will be assessed against national assessment criteria in order to demonstrate operational competence.[7]
• The Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP): Aimed at degree-holders whose first degree is in a subject area other than policing. This two-year practice-based programme enables candidates to perform the role of police constable. Successful completion, results in the achievement of a graduate diploma in professional policing practice[7]
• The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship: This is a professional degree-level apprenticeship, enabling new recruits to join the police service as an apprentice police constable and earn while they learn. During the three-year programme the apprentice will complete a degree in professional policing practice and will be assessed against national assessment criteria as an integral part of their degree apprenticeship.[7] The apprenticeship will enable non-graduates to enter the police profession, enabling them to earn a degree in Professional Policing Practice whilst 'on-the-job' as part of a three-year initial training and education programme, meaning that not having a degree will not bar non-graduates from initially entering the service.[8]

The College produces guidance for officers known as Authorised Professional Practice (APP). This covers topics such as firearms, stop and search, covert policing and investigations.[9]

The National Police Library is operated by the College to support everyone working in policing; providing access to digital and print resources.

• Official website
• What Works Centre for Crime Reduction