Diploma Of Policing Practice

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday September 12, 2001

Brenda Lewis

Charles Sturt University (Goulburn campus)

Phone 69 33 2121

http://www.csu.edu.au/student/police

Accreditation Charles Sturt University and the NSW Police Service.

Where NSW Police College, McDermott Drive, Goulburn.

Duration The course takes two years one year as a full-time student and a further year as a probationary constable on full salary. University graduates and interstate and overseas police officers can fast-track the first part of the course and there are numerous part-time and distance education options, which suit those with families who don't want to relocate to Goulburn.

Cost The course is HECS-based and costs about $3,000 annually. Anyone with a degree applying to join the force will get a guaranteed scholarship to cover fees and books (about $4,000 a year). About 50 per cent of all applicants receive some kind of scholarship (up to $18,000), which is awarded on the basis of financial need and academic merit.

When Three intakes annually. The next course starts in January and applicants are advised to apply now so police can do the necessary background and health checks.

Prerequisites UAI of 66 for school-leavers. All applicants must be over 18, have no criminal record, a current NSW driver's licence, good physical fitness and be a permanent resident of Australia. Applicants must also undergo a telephone interview with the police recruitment branch one month before starting.

Books and equipment Students can expect to pay an additional $900 for texts. All students must attend a compulsory 14-week session on campus (learning hands-on aspects of policing, such as how to use a gun and manoeuvre a police car) and there is a charge of $100 a week for campus accommodation, which includes meals.

Who is it for? The diploma of policing practice is a compulsory requirement for anyone wishing to join the NSW Police Service. The head of the School of Policing Studies, Detective Inspector Tracey Green, says anyone aged between 18 and 55, without a criminal record, is welcome to join.

``The 55-year-olds can give us 10 years of good service and are sometimes fitter than the younger ones," says Green. ``They also have all that life experience and relate well to people on the street."

However, the ideal applicants are aged between 25 and 30 and are looking for a challenging and constantly changing career. They really must want to be a police officer and be prepared to work hard, she said.

``They have to be honest and dedicated and want to help the community, but they need to be realistic in their expectations sometimes it can be a thankless job."

Success rate The NSW Police Service takes about 1,400 applicants annually and, assuming they complete the course and behave appropriately, all can expect to gain jobs on the force. Once they graduate, all young officers must spend a few years ``on the beat" before they can specialise in other areas.

The starting salary is $38,000. Green estimates that 5 to 10 per cent of applicants on the course ``don't make it" because they ``struggle with the workload, don't like living away from home or realise policing isn't the career for them". All subjects at CSU are ``team taught" with experienced police and academics and include topics such as ethics and accountability, the criminal justice system, communication, law and procedure, police intelligence and investigative processes.

All students must complete 160 hours in the field to prepare them for life on the beat by working at police stations, jails, drug clinics or community centres.

``Initially there was a bit of reluctance with police in the field about making it a university course, but the feedback we are getting now is positive," Green says. ``We are turning out more and more graduates every year."

Students can go on to complete a bachelor's degree in policing and those not offered a position in the force after the first three sessions can get credits for further study in another CSU undergraduate course.

* what past students think

Constable Jo Swift, 28, youth liaison officer, Hurstville Local Area Command, Hurstville police station. Graduated last year.``I was one of those people who never knew what I wanted to do. I wanted a job with a lot of variety. I was working in music publishing but my grandfather had been in the mounted police and I had always been interested in the police service.

``I liked the discipline of the course. A lot of the girls found the physical side tough, but they do help you and you get plenty of time to train.

``You have to be driven to do the course. I don't think it is possible to cover everything at the academy because so much of policing is hands-on, but it certainly covered ethics and scenarios you might face. You gain more confidence as you go along and it depends on who you are working with [when placed at a station]. You don't really see the hard realities until you get into the job.

``I found the lecturers were great especially the ones with recent street experience and there's a lot of support available if you look for it."

* what the employer says

Superintendent Garry Dobson, acting region commander, South-Eastern Region, Wollongong.``I have been very pleased with the quality of the graduates. During the past five years I have probably worked with a couple of hundred probationary constables, and I have watched their progression, and each class that comes out has been an improvement on the one before.

``They need an awful lot of training when they come out of university. They are subjected to a number of rigours in the first 12 months aspects such as attending an accident, arresting and charging a person and dealing with a victim.

``I think the course works pretty well. They are training about 1,000 students a year and there are always going to be things that can be improved on, but it's pretty right and it will continue to be refined."

lewsiclan@bigpond.com

© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald

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