College of Policing

The College of Policing is a professional body for the police in England and Wales. It was established in 2012 to take over a number of training and development roles that were the responsibility of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA). The National Police Library also transferred over from the NPIA at that time. The college was created initially as a company limited by guarantee, but is due to be converted to an independent statutory authority following the passing of legislation by Government.

The creation of a new policing professional body was announced by the Home Secretary in December 2011. Representatives from the Police Federation, the Superintendents' Association, ACPO and UNISON worked with the Home Office to create the College, ensuring that it represents the police service's desires and aspirations. As soon as Parliamentary time allows, the College of Policing will be established as a statutory body, independent of government. While the necessary legislation is prepared, the College has been established as a company limited by guarantee.

The college officially launched on 4 February 2013 with Chief Constable Alex Marshall QPM as Chief Executive. He was later joined by Avon and Somerset Constabulary Deputy Chief Constable, Robert Beckley QPM, as Chief Operating Officer.

The College of Policing has announced that from 2020, all new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level. The policing degree will be self-funded, and students would need to apply for a police job once qualified.

We intend to be a not-for-profit membership organisation, and will aim to achieve chartered status. Members will be fully involved in all aspects of College work. We will have a mandate to set standards in professional development, including codes of practice and regulations, to ensure consistency across the 43 forces in England and Wales. We also have a remit to set standards for the police service on training, development, skills and qualifications, and we will provide maximum support to help the service implement these standards. A fundamental development within the College is the use of knowledge and research to develop an evidence-based approach to policing. We are hosting the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction, which involves collaboration with academics and a university consortium. We will also take a coordinating role across the country, commissioning research and setting up regional networks, so that universities, further education colleges and police forces can work together to learn from best practice. The British model of policing by consent is admired right across the world. We will help to create the best conditions to sustain and enhance that model.