Pictured: (l-r) Students Tom Afford; Rosie Campbell; Chief
Inspector Adrian Lee; Vice Chancellor Professor Nick Petford;
Shannon Mulcahy, and Victoria Lindsay
Chief Constable Adrian Lee of Northamptonshire Police has
stressed to colleagues the value of pre-entry qualifications for
officers joining the Police.
He was speaking at the opening of the National Police Conference
(which took place over 6-7 September 2011) at The University of
Northampton, titled 'Police Learning: Professionalisation and
Partnerships'.
The event, organised by the University's School of Social
Sciences, was attended by over 100 police representatives from both
the UK and abroad, along with academics and students from the
University.
The Chief Constable added: "Our partners make a real difference
and academia and policing are not different worlds apart. We are
currently reviewing education and learning initiatives that have
real and practical applications. This includes thinking about
issues such as how we help train an officer to make the right
decision in a difficult situation at 2am…"
The National Police Conference, featuring key decision makers
from both academia and policing has been designed with the support
of the University's School of Social Sciences to provide a forum
where experts in policing can share ideas, best practise and
examine the potential for future working relationships.
Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton, Professor Nick
Petford, welcomed delegates to the Conference, commenting: "We are
hugely proud of our partnership with the Police and also our
students on the Foundation degree in Police and Criminal Justice
Services.
"We are one of the few universities in the country to run this
pioneering course. We believe our support in helping prepare the
Police Officers of tomorrow clearly demonstrates our commitment,
not just to excellence in education, but also to the community and
region."
The Conference featured several high profile speakers, including
Zoe Billingham of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and
Nick Gargan, Chief Executive of the National Police Improvement
Agency, and a host of academics such as Professor Tracey Green,
Associate Dean of Charles Sturt University in Australia, and
Professor Michael Rowe, representing Northumbria University.