Tell us a little about yourself
I joined the University as a Lecturer in Policing in October 2018, shortly after retiring from the Police Service. After 6 months in post, I became the Programme Leader for the Professional Policing Degree (PPD) and a Senior Lecturer.
Towards the end of my police service, I was lucky enough to secure a secondment to the University, to work on the degree programme. During this time, I studied for the PG Cert in Higher Education, and subsequently a Master’s degree, and became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Whilst on secondment I realised that I enjoyed working with students, and using my knowledge, skills and experience to help them achieve their goals. This led to me applying for the post of lecturer on completion of my time in the Police.
What’s your industry background
I spent 21 years in Cumbria Constabulary, working as a Response Officer, Tutor Constable, Firearms Officer (including some time spent working in VIP protection), on Police Support Unit (PSU, or ‘riot’ unit) duties and more latterly as a multi-skilled Trainer. It’s this experience base that I’ve drawn on, in my current role.
Prior to joining the Police, I spent 14 years in the Army, serving in multiple operational theatres as well as postings in the UK and abroad.
What might surprise people to learn about you?
I am a qualified dry stone waller and sheep shearer.
What modules do you teach?
I teach our Research Skills module at Level 5, and the Dissertation module at Level 6, as well as a Specialist Procedures module at Level 5. I enjoy the research skills module, and especially the dissertation module, as they both present a real journey of discovery for the student.
In each case the student picks the topic area to research, and either proposes, or conducts the research themselves. I see myself as the enabler for each module, but the study idea and the research is very much owned by the student. I am constantly gratified by the interesting and outstanding results produced by many of our students.
What’s your favourite thing about teaching at Cumbria?
I enjoy seeing how our students learn and develop during their time with us, and using the knowledge, skills and experience they gain here to successfully join and progress in the Police.
What makes your course different?
We have a course that we developed directly from our previous Foundation Degree in Policing, and we were one of the first Institutions in the country to secure the College of Policing licence for our course. This means we cover the full range of knowledge required by the modern-day police officer and deliver a robust academic degree in its own right.
In addition, we retain excellent links with Cumbria Special Constabulary and actively encourage, mentor and support any of our students who are interested in joining as a Special Constable.
What advice would you give to students considering studying on this course?
I would advise any student considering our course to be as informed as possible regarding police selection and recruiting, and the current entry standards. I would also add that there is nothing to stop any student who is over 18 from joining the Special Constabulary (or serving as a Police Support Volunteer, in a variety of roles), even before they start their university journey. Finally, all police forces in the country require applicants to hold a full car driving licence, so students should plan to pass their driving test before they graduate, so that they can maximise their chances of successfully applying to their force of choice