BSc (Hons) - Professional Policing

Year one

• Understanding the Police Constable Role
  This module introduces you to the key role within the police service; that of the Constable. You can expect to learn the history of the Police Service in England and Wales, the structure of the modern police service, the duties of a 21st century police officer, the decision-making tools used and the basic powers that are available to officers to search and arrest people, enter premises, and secure and retain evidence.
• Policing Vulnerability in Contemporary Society
  This module provides an introduction to the concept of vulnerability in our modern society. The police will come into contact with vulnerable people on a daily basis; this module covers all aspects of identifying and dealing with incidents involving vulnerability, ensuring that future police officers are ready to provide the best level of service possible to those in need.
  
• Police Legislation
  This module covers the basic, day-to-day legislation used by police officers ‘on the street’. From the Theft Act, through assaults, public disorder, drunkenness and offensive weapons, the module provides all the basic tools needed to identify and investigate these offences.
• Academic Study Skills and Applied Social Sciences
  This module will provide you with a background in Applied Social Sciences with particular attention paid to a grounding in Criminology. It will also equip you with the necessary Academic Skills required for university-level study. The module will introduce you to aspects of crime, past and present, and will allow you to understand its historical roots and connections with other Applied Social Sciences. It will introduce you to the notion of criminality and help lay foundations for further study on the course.
• Information and Intelligence
  This module will introduce you to the practices and procedures in relation to obtaining and managing intelligence – a vital component in operational policing and investigation. The management of information is a complex and significantly important area; you will explore the National Intelligence Model, how to create covert and overt intelligence opportunities, and which legislation specifically governs the management and use of intelligence.
• Policing, Decisions and Ethics
  This module introduces you to the concept of police decision-making through the use of the National Decision Model or NDM, a decision-making tool used by police officers at every incident. You will also cover the use of discretion, the use of force, the high level of accountability and the ethical dilemmas that present themselves in all aspects of operational policing.

Year two

• Professionalism, Values and Standards
  This module builds on the concepts of ethics and decision making covered during your first year of study. It specifically addresses the idea of police professionalism, and the values and standards expected and required of a Police Officer in today’s society.
• Vulnerability and Risk
  Again, this module begins by covering the aspects of vulnerability covered in the first year before including more detailed procedures and processes around the assessing of risk at incidents involving vulnerable individuals, and the implementation of safeguarding protocols.
• Specialist Procedures
  This module is designed to introduce you to some of the more specialised areas of policing. Here, you will take a detailed look at the legislation, procedures and processes that are applicable to the areas of roads policing, counter-terrorism and digital policing.
• Operational Policing
  This module builds on the basic legislation that you covered in your first year of study. You will look at some of the more complex legislation that Officers use when dealing with specific incidents. This includes the Firearms Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Sexual Offences Act. During this module you will also cover the police suspect interviewing process, which includes a practical assessment of the interviewing skills you acquire.
• Academic Research Skills
  This module is designed to introduce you to the world of research. You will be able to identify a topic or area of policing which you wish to research and explore in more detail, and to then formulate and construct a viable proposal for this research. This module will give you a base knowledge and understanding of research theory and methods (including reviewing of literature, deciding on methodology and methods, interpreting and analysing data, and 'selling' your idea by way of a structured proposal) which will certainly help prepare you for your final year of study.
• Criminological Concepts
  This module will build on your first year understanding of crime and deviance using academic readings and relevant case studies to examine theories relating to criminal behaviour. The intention here is for you to gain a deeper understanding of a range of criminological theories, whilst enriching your conceptualisation of crime and how it can be explained. We will delve into the debate on 'nature vs nurture' in criminality, consider the role of race, gender and class in experiences of crime, plus aspects of criminalisation and victimisation. We will also look at organised crime, green, rural and wildlife crimes, and crimes perpetrated by people in or with power.

Year three

• Coaching and Mentoring
  This module looks at leadership within policing, and specifically the coaching and mentoring processes. You will cover the processes of continual self-reflection, evolving strategies to improve your own professional practice and how to acquire and demonstrate leadership, team working and partnership-working skills in a policing context.
• Response Policing
  This module will enable you to formulate lawful, safe and effective front-line policing strategies and ideas. You will develop and review practical, evidence-based initiatives designed to improve policing performance in this area of operational policing, to understand the evolving evidence base for effective policing and to understand and apply the best ways of delivering 24/7 response policing effectively.
• Community Policing
  This module will allow you to formulate lawful, safe and effective strategies for front-line policing within communities. You will develop and review practical, evidence-based initiatives to designed improve policing performance in this area in order to be able to deliver effective policing solutions to varied and diverse communities.
• Police Investigation (specialism)
  This module is the first of two optional modules you can choose from in your final year. Each address a specific area of policing – you will receive detailed briefings on both modules allowing you to make an informed choice as to which one to take. This module will enable you to plan and conduct lawful, safe and effective investigations. You will develop, test and review practical, evidenced-based initiatives based on real-time police investigations. Part of the assessment process involves a practical examination of a crime scene, where you act as both a first responder and an investigator. Following this you will compile and submit a detailed report considering your actions and processes, and likely outcomes.
• Information and Intelligence (specialism)
  This module is the second of the two options available to you in your final year. It will allow you to build on previous learning with regard to information and intelligence use within law enforcement. You will be able to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the importance of information and intelligence to key areas of policing, whilst also being able to apply the relevant legislation and guidance that underpins the collection, analysis and dissemination of information and intelligence in policing.
• Dissertation
  The aim of this module is to allow you to develop and undertake a substantial academic study into a chosen area of practice. You will be guided through the process of developing an ethically sound research question, allowing you to apply your chosen research methods to a specific topic. You will undertake this research in either the context of relevant volunteering (e.g. as a special constable or a ‘safer streets’ volunteer) or within the wider areas of policing, law enforcement or the wider criminal justice sector.