Training

Every student police officer goes through the same basic training programme. It’s all about preparing you to be effective out on the beat.

Training stages:

The first stage of training takes place at police headquarters in Exeter and takes three weeks to complete.

During those weeks you will absorb a lot of new information about the Force and its goals and policing policies, and undertake First Aid and life saving courses.

You'll receive your uniform and become a 'sworn' member of staff by making an official declaration as a police constable before a magistrate.

On week four, you will spend a weeklong attachment with a statutory partner agency, charitable organisation or community support group. You will work within the organisation to see how their work assists the community and engage with the service users to experience the issues they deal with daily.

At week nine, you will also undertake practical training on the streets of Devon and Cornwall, when your knowledge of law and procedure will be tested in a series of policing scenarios played out by role actors.

Your training course at police headquarters will then continue with further assessments and examinations. You will learn more about law, police procedures, how to understand the criminal mind, and how to treat people fairly.

You'll have the opportunity to test your new skills in simulated situations throughout your stay. It will include strenuous physical activity and self-defence. You'll learn a lot about yourself and how you measure up to being a police officer.

At week nineteen, you will undertake a second one-week community placement, this time focused on placements which are much more challenging before spending three weeks studying file preparation, intelligence and IT.

You will then be posted to a Professional Development Unit within the Basic Command Unit in which you will work. You will be allocated an experienced tutor constable. For 12 weeks, they will guide you through the many duties that make up a typical day or night shift: the incidents, the routine, the procedures and the paperwork.

After your time under the tutor, you will be assessed as to your suitability for independent patrol. If you are successful you will move onto more advanced training, helping you to continually develop a wide range of skills. Your Professional Development Unit will monitor your progress and development during the next two years as a student officer.