Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police scrap requirement for new officers to have a degree

The county’s police and crime commissioner Donna Jones, has campaigned for the end of the compulsory police entry degree, as she believes ‘common sense life skills’ are as important in policing as academic ability.

The force has announced a new scheme called Policing PLUS. Touted as the first scheme of its kind in the country, it will enable people to join via a non-degree entry route and also allows those currently on the degree scheme to transfer onto the new non-degree route, and instead have an apprentice skills-based focus of learning on the job, in particular investigative skills.

In Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, more than 750 out of its total 3,300 officers are students.

Ms Jones said: ‘Modern policing requires a mix of skills; common sense, people skills, academic acumen and a will to make a difference. Unfortunately the compulsory police degree has put off a number of highly skilled men and women who would make brilliant police officers. Giving people a choice whether to complete a police degree or not, is the right thing to do. It’s more equal and will appeal to more diverse communities.

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‘We want to attract good people from a range of backgrounds. I’ve ensured Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has the money to over-deliver on our police uplift numbers by a further 100 police officers. The public don’t want police officers sat in classrooms beyond their short initial training period, they want them to be out on the streets as soon as possible, fighting crime, arresting people and making communities safer. That’s why my message to the chief constable from day one has been to review the entry route into the force and I am delighted that he has made this decision and quickly.

‘Policing PLUS makes the most of the home secretary’s decision to remove the requirement for a degree, and it will deliver more police officers and police hours for communities. I hope that it helps to shape national plans for police entry routes too.’

In an open letter to student officers announcing the changes, chief constable Scott Chilton described how the current police entry system is ‘sucking the life out of the force’ and how he is ‘determined to revive it’.

He said: ‘My focus is being tough on crime. I expect my cops to take direct action against criminals, and to do high quality investigations. That requires us to train them in the right way. This change delivers that, and gets hundreds of the extra police officers that we have recruited on our streets quicker. For a force like Hampshire, with a high percentage of student officers, this is a game changer freeing up to 100,000 hours of police officer time.

‘Those who remain on our degree programme will be fully supported but we are losing too many competent operational officers who are either not “academic” or too pressured when faced with a degree and being a full time police officer. Others, who would be great operational cops, are being put off from joining. Our communities can’t wait, that’s why we are getting on with this innovative new approach to training.’