Student Life Last updated 12 November 2020
A group of students from our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing programme will be gaining practical experience and helping to keep the streets of the West Midlands safe after becoming Special Constables.
All students on the course are encouraged to apply to undertake the role with West Midlands Police alongside their studies. Last year, when the course was run for the first time, 13 students became Special Constables and are now doing well in their respective areas. This time, 31 out of 60 students have successfully applied, together with two others who are already in the programme and another six who are pending.
In order to be selected, the students had to pass an online assessment, featuring a values-based questionnaire and a video-based interview. The second stage was an in-person assessment, with an in-person competency-based interview and a statement-taking exercise.
Students will soon start the 'on-boarding' process which includes undergoing police vetting, fitness tests, drugs tests and medicals with the hope that they start their training in early 2021. If all goes to plan, these students will be out on patrol in the summer of 2021.
Deputy Course Leader Steven Wadley said: “As you can imagine we are hugely proud of our students, seven of whom were given high praise by WMP due to the excellent answers given at the interview, and of the potential impact they will have to the communities of the West Midlands in the not too distant future."