Police to become a graduate profession

All new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level from 2020, the College of Policing has announced. The National Police Chiefs' Council said the changes would "help modernise the service". The college's Chief Constable, Alex Marshall, said that the nature of police work has changed significantly and officers were just as likely to be "patrolling online" as on the street. He said, "Cyber-enabled crime has increased, so has the need for officers and staff to investigate and gather intelligence online and via information technology". He also said that protecting vulnerable people has become a "high priority", with officers now spending more of their time working to prevent domestic abuse, monitor high-risk sex offenders and protect at-risk children.

The College of Policing is in talks with 12 universities about running the degree courses. The syllabus is likely to cover the law, safeguarding the vulnerable, understanding how an officer behaves on the street and how to build trust by interacting well with communities. There will be three options at entry level:

• A three-year police constable degree Apprenticeship paid for by the force, allowing individuals to "earn while they learn", spending 80% of their time on the front-line and the rest completing their degree while receiving a salary;

• A practical policing degree, as seen in other professions, where the student would complete a three-year, self-funded course and apply for a job once qualified;

• For graduates, a six-month postgraduate conversion course funded by the police.