Policing UK 2013 - Police Federation

THE POLICE REFORM PROGRAMME
A new identity
Sir Hugh Orde reports on the move
to establish a College of Policing
Sir Hugh Orde is President of the
Association of Chief Police Officers
We have been moving gradually
towards the police professional
body since 2010, when the
government made its plans known with
the Police and Social Responsibility Act.
As you will be aware, we now have a
name. The Home Secretary announced
that the body we are working towards
will be a College of Policing. This has
the potential to be a hugely exciting
opportunity for the police service.
The new identity for this organisation is
important. There was some deliberation
over whether it should be an institute for
policing, but given our ambition for this
body to receive a Royal Charter (in time)
we would have been in the unfortunate
position where its acronym was RIP – and
that wouldn’t do!
But, of course, there is more to it. The
lasting importance of the body being a
college over an institute is to emphasise
the broad direction in which we expect
it to move going forward. Its primary
function will be to set standards and
disseminate best practice to police forces
– independent of government and in an
entirely transparent way. While led by a
Chief Constable (providing the critical
link into Chief Constables’ Council),
the College of Policing Chair will be
independent of policing and supported
by a board that will bring together the
right mix of police and non-police
individuals to provide essential oversight
and challenge.
Initially the College will clearly focus on
the legacy of essential services it inherits
from the National Policing Improvement
Agency. But looking forward, it will work
with universities and the academic world
in a new and unique way. This is an
exciting prospect that could really build on
the existing professionalism and expertise
that exists in the service. It will assist in
providing a framework for developing
dynamic relationships with academia
that have not been possible under current
arrangements.
It is sensible that the College should
build on the existing ACPO Business Area
structure. There will be some complexity
to this, especially since the specialist
expertise drawn on through business
“Much as in the armed forces, there
are times when soldiers don’t like
the decisions made by generals.”
30 | POLICING UK