Adding Value Paradigm: What is the potential for developing integrated and collaborative University Police Stations (UPS) to support the police higher education strategy?

Abstract

University Police Stations (UPSs) are an untested concept within policing in England and Wales, an innovation defined by inter-organisational collaborations and standardised practices that deliver educational excellence. Due to the limited availability of subject-related literature, research focus was directed towards the Dutch Police Academy (DPA) and University Medical Hospital (UMH) operating exemplars, both provided insights into the potential that a UPS may provide. The research aim was to explore a ‘new knowledge’ concept, one that is designed to support police learners and improve the Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) evolution. This was achieved using an exploratory methodology, an undertaking supported by mixed-methods techniques. The methods employed acted as a vehicle from which to collect primary data from three Police Education Consortium (PEC) PEQF respondent groups. This involved the completion of an online survey by police learners, conducting online interviews with police managers, and the facilitation of an online focus group with several Programme Leaders (PLs). The study results have demonstrated that policing educational strategists should seek opportunities from which to overcome financial and estate challenges, enabling this project to fully support policing educational ambitions. The DPA and UMH case studies have demonstrated that well-coordinated and integrated policing programmes can achieve high-quality learning outcomes. Therefore, it is recommended that regionally based College of Policing (CoP) University Policing Academies (UPA) should be considered the future blueprint for highly effective policing educational collaborations in England and Wales.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English