Concerns raised over police degree plans
Recruits will need a degree, either through an apprenticeship, a postgraduate conversion course of a degree.
The scheme, proposed by the College of Policing, is set to come into force from 2020.
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Hide AdJohn Apter, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation, said he backs training but is concerned about ‘sidelining’ serving officers.
In a message to federation members he said: ‘I fully support continuous development with credible training offered to all officers.
‘This must be standard across the country.
‘However the drive to ensure all officers must have a degree undermines those who don’t hold such qualifications but have proven themselves to be exceptional police officers.
‘The police service must truly represent the communities it serves, that means having a mixture of people from various backgrounds.
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Hide Ad‘To say that only people with degrees can become police officers will create barriers and appear elitist.’
He added: ‘Professionalising the service can be done in many ways, undermining and sidelining those without degrees is not the way to do it.’