The independent body will protect the public interest by enhancing police standards, identifying evidence of what works in policing and sharing Best Practice among officers.
Announcing the move this morning, the Home Office stated that the new College of Policing will provide a range of functions from supporting the education and professional development of staff and officers to setting standards for specialist skills training such as investigation, intelligence and firearms.
Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The police service must be radically reformed in order to meet growing challenges and deliver the most effective service possible. At the core of this reform will be a new College of Policing which will be representative of all officer and staff ranks and led by the service itself to ensure that officers have the right training and skills for the future.”
Before heading for the House of Commons to answer a question in Parliament on Olympic security tabled by Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, May added: “Together with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners and the new National Crime Agency, our reform agenda will improve policing, delivering better value for the taxpayer and give the public a stronger voice.”
The College of Policing will set standards of entry for those who want to become a police officer and provide some specialist training itself.
It will also consider opening up the police training market to offer value for money in addition to providing careers advice for those who want to move through the ranks while also setting standards for promotion and progression.
The body will forge links between the police service and universities, encouraging future academics to specialise in looking at how policing can be made more effective.
The current role of all ACPO business areas in developing national standards and police practice will also come under the responsibility of the College of Policing.
New police ICT company to drive down costs
A new company has been set up to help police forces improve their IT and get better value for money from contracts.
The Police ICT Company is currently jointly owned by the Association of Police Authorities and the Home Office but will be handed over to Police and Crime Commissioners following elections in November.
The company has been created to get better value for money for forces by offering access to better services and deals.
Nick Herbert, the minister for policing and criminal justice, said: “While some police IT is good, such as the new Police National Database, much of it is not. There are 2,000 systems between the 43 forces of England and Wales, and individual forces have not always driven the most effective deals. We need a new, more collaborative approach and greater accountability, using expertise in IT procurement and freeing police officers to focus on fighting crime.”
The minister added: “By harnessing the purchasing power of police forces, the new company will be able to drive down costs, save taxpayers’ money and help to improve police and potentially wider criminal justice IT systems in future.”
Chairman of the Association of Police Authorities, Councillor Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “Better use of technology is vital when fighting criminal networks that have a sophisticated national and international reach. The APA will work closely with the Home Office to ensure proper scrutiny of the new company so that the taxpayer gets value for money. When the new system is handed over to Police and Crime Commissioners we want it to be fit for purpose and efficient in delivering IT tasks.”
Freedom from involvement in ICT management
The new company will be responsible for providing strategic ICT advice and guidance to forces and the procurement, implementation and management of ICT solutions for forces.
One of the main aims here is to free chief officers from in-depth involvement in ICT management and enable greater innovation so officers have access to new technology in order to save time and ensure better value for the taxpayer.
Police forces will be key to determining how the new company operates and what services it provides.
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