Force welcomes university recruits

Graduating with honours, the force is pleased to welcome 17 new recruits from De Montfort University.

Leicestershire Police has welcomed a group of new recruits whose route to the force was enabled through a degree course at De Montfort University.

All 17 officers have completed the three year BA (Hons) Professional Policing degree and graduated from the university in June 2020.

At a ceremony at headquarters today (7 August) the group were sworn in as new officers of the force by Martin Pantling, Chairman of the Leicestershire Magistrate Bench, alongside Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham and Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach.

The bespoke programme in partnership with the force and the university enabled the students to learn the essentials skills and critical thinking required to become a police officer and this will aid them in fast tracking their career.

The students education didn’t just stay in the classroom however, as part of their training the cohort have been in roles as special constables, volunteering their time around studies and commitments to further their expertise and knowledge.

Special constables are volunteer police officers who hold the same powers and responsibilities as full-time police officers and manage the role alongside their normal employment, or in this case, studies.

Having spent 18 months as specials, the group have become well established and respected within the force.

Superintendent Adam Slonecki is the force’s lead for Volunteers in Policing (VIP) and oversees the role of special constables.

He said: “On behalf of the force I’d like to thank these officers for their outstanding service to us as special constables.

Over the last two years these 17 officers have volunteered more than 7,000 hours to helping us keep our communities safe. Many of them also stepped up and took on extra shifts to provide vital support to the force during the coronavirus pandemic.

I have great confidence that they will all make excellent full-time police officers and I wish them every success in their future with Leicestershire Police.”

Having just completed their last four weeks of training, these new recruits are now going out on the beat as fully operational police officers supporting the residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

PCC Lord Willy Bach who attended the ceremony added: “It’s pleasing, not just for me, but also for the residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, to see that recruitment has continued robustly over the last few months, despite some significant challenges. 

"These latest recruits have already undertaken their degree and they will have every opportunity to make the most of their career from now on. I wish them every success.

"I’m particularly happy to note that not only have the 107 officers enabled by my budget last year now joined us, but we are on track to reach the additional 89 officers resulting from Operation Uplift. I have always been determined to increase officer numbers and therefore I’m pleased that the Government now agrees with the approach.”

This group marks the final cohort to enter the force via this route as the degree course concludes after six years.

Kim Sadique, Associate Professor in Community & Criminal Justice at the university said:

“DMU is proud to support and to have worked in partnership with Leicestershire Police for the last 14 years.

"We wish this cohort, and all of our students who have chosen to pursue a career in policing, the very best of luck for the future.”

There are still two routes into policing for anyone wanting to join the force. The Degree Holder Entry Programme for anyone who already holds a degree and the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship for those who want to obtain a degree while working and earning a full salary.

To find out more visit www.leics.police.uk/joinus

For more information and updates on Leicestershire’s Special Constabulary, please visit leics.police.uk/couldyou or follow @LeicsSpecials on twitter.