Police College: The New “A” Course
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6303600705 |
| Published date | 01 July 1963 |
| Date | 01 July 1963 |
| Author | R. W. Jelf |
| Subject Matter | Article |
M A J0 R G
ENE
R A L
R.
W. J
ELF,
C.
B • E • ,
Commandant
of
the Police College
POLICE COLLEGE:
THE
NEW
~~A"
COURSE
The Object of the
"A"
Course
The object of the
"A"
Course at the Police College is to prepare
experienced sergeants, who are fully qualified for promotion, for the
responsibilities of the rank
of
inspector. The duration
of
the Course
is six months. The average age of the students has remained fairly
constant at 36-37, and their length
of
service at about 15 years.
They are therefore mature officers of very considerable practical
experience.
Since the College opened in 1948,this Course has represented about
80 per cent. of the total College effort and there is little doubt that it
has done a great deal to improve the efficiency and to raise the
status of the Police Service at the very important level of inspector,
although it has never been possible to provide enough vacancies for
all those being promoted to that rank.
Reduction in the Size of the
"A"
Course
It
has now become necessary to make a fairly substantial reduction
in the numbers attending the
"A"
Course in order to make room for
the six months' Senior Staff Course of 24 students, for prospective
chief officers, which starts in October this year, and also for the 12
months' Special Course for promising constables which is now being
increased to its permanent size of 60 students.
This will bring the
"A"
Course down from 180 to 140 vacancies
but in the long term the cut will not be quite so severe as appears at
first sight since a number of potential students will have been drawn
off at an earlier stage in their service to attend the Special Course:
further, so far as vacancies for U.K. officers are concerned, a pro-
portion of the cut will have to be borne by the overseas forces.
The Future of the " B " Course
Another factor which may in the future cause a further reduction
in the size
of
the
"A"
Course is the possible re-introduction of the
" B" Course for inspectors and chief inspectors. In my personal
opinion there is now a serious and far too wide gap between the
training provided for senior sergeants shortly to become inspectors,
and that for potential chief officers.
July 1963 326
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