Hi, my name is Jack Lewis. I am in my third year of the BA (Hons) Professional Policing degree. During my A levels, I studied Criminology; this led to my interest in joining the police. I really enjoyed learning about the importance of the police in criminal investigations; this inspired me to study Professional Policing at Cardiff Met and pursuing becoming a Police Officer.
There are so many opportunities to gain practical experiences during the degree and through volunteering opportunities, as well as learning from expert guest speakers. In this blog I’ll tell you about some of my experiences that I have really enjoyed.
Volunteering
During the degree, I became a volunteer with South Wales Police (SWP). As part of this role, I work alongside other students and police officers to engage with the community. For a few nights a week, SWP run a safety bus; this is where volunteers and officers help vulnerable students and members of the public. The opportunity to gain relevant experience in this area of policing has enabled me to reaffirm my passion to help others and to join the police. Also, undertaking this role has given me the extra knowledge to help with my uni assessments and the ability to apply information to practical situations.
SWP ask volunteers to commit 12 hours a month while at uni. However, there are also many other options that are available to you as students. For example, Special Constable positions are accessible to students, allowing you to gain experience in the world of policing. This opportunity provides students with the same powers as the police.
In addition to volunteering with the police, I am the Alternate Captain for the Cardiff Red Hawks, the Cardiff universities’ ice hockey team. Cardiff Met has a wide variety of sports teams to be a part of, and a crucial part of a society and a team are the socials. Cardiff has a great nightlife with amazing bars, clubs, and other activities to try. However, Cardiff is not just great for nightlife, it is also an amazing place to live with a rich and diverse culture; I have lived in Cardiff for my first 2 years of uni, and loved it!
Practical learning
In terms of the Professional Policing degree itself, as part of the ‘Conducting Investigations’ module in year two, we took part in an exciting suspect interview in Cardiff Met’s interview suite, with detectives playing the suspects. This provided realistic policing experience whilst undertaking the degree. Fortunately, with the facilities available at Cardiff Met, valuable practical experience is available to all those who study policing. For example, the Crime House is an exciting and new feature for the department which allows for students to gain experience in a practical environment, such as mock crime scene analysis.
It’s been really exciting to take part in crime scene analysis and role-play scenarios such as suspect interviews. It has helped to consolidate my learning.
The lecturers that teach the degree provide extremely useful practical and academic knowledge of policing. Crucially, they are professional and are very supportive with any advice that is needed. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, all staff were readily available for advice and support regardless of the nature. Alongside normal lectures, expert guest speakers in their respective fields are a regular occurrence in modules. For example, the speakers which stood out to me include the Missing Persons Team, Detectives, as well as response officers. These guest lecturers are excellent at providing not only core information pertinent to the course content, but also providing professional advice. This advice has helped me throughout my degree and significantly helped me with my application for the student volunteer role.
What next?
Currently, I am working on my dissertation that compares the UK and the US on their ability to counter organised crime. I am working alongside my tutor and another lecturer to conduct a questionnaire that will provide me with the knowledge I need to undergo my literature review. I am excited to continue my studies and feel that the course has perfectly prepared me to embark upon my career as a Police Officer.
Find out more about the BA (Hons) Professional Policing at Cardiff Met.