Special Constable roles for students as part of new Police link-up

A new ‘policing pathway’ established as part of Nottingham Trent University’s criminology degree will see students recruited as special constables during their course. The innovative collaboration with Nottinghamshire Police means that undergraduates had the option to tailor their learning by choosing the police pathway in their second year.

As part of this new pathway students have applied to become a special constable – volunteer officers who have the same powers as regular officers and undertake a variety of tasks such as serving warrants, vehicle checks, town centre patrols and neighbourhood policing. The new pathway will enable them to become qualified and experienced special constables and help them to develop the skills needed to deal with a diverse range of people and situations. A total of 15 students  are currently undertaking their initial training and upon completion successful candidates will begin their new roles in May.In addition to the specific special constable training and direct policing components, as part of the policing pathway students are also taking modules on crime reduction, community safety and risk; diversity and crimes of prejudice; police powers; operational policing and policing practice. The three year criminology course – run by the School of Social Sciences – was initially one of the first undergraduate degrees of its kind to be taught in the UK. The degree gives students the chance to examine crime and law and order from a number of perspectives, and as well as the new policing route, they also have the option of taking tailored pathways in policy and environment. Dr Jason Pandya-Wood, the head of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We are very excited about this new partnership with Nottinghamshire Police which will enable our students to combine their studies with the hands-on practical experience of policing. “Many students come to us wanting to be police officers. This new police pathway will provide them with the opportunity to develop their skills whilst making an active contribution to the lives of people living in Nottinghamshire.”Nottinghamshire Police’s Supt Paul Anderson, who has been involved in developing the programme, said: “This is a ground breaking programme which creates a link between our two institutions and gives us further tools to provide the very best service to our communities.

“Not everyone has what it takes to become a special constable – it takes character, integrity and community values to hold the position of trust and responsibility.

“Through their studies these students will have knowledge of criminality but by joining us they will see the true rewards and challenges faced by the force and get hands on experience of the law.

“We hope this will provide an opportunity for the students to unearth their hidden talents and realise their potential and we look forward to working with them.”