Academic and serving officer pen new book to aid policing students
Following national changes to the process of training new police officers, higher education institutions and police forces must ensure recruits receive a balanced and informed start to their careers.
At the University of Cumbria, the introduction of the national Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) has created a unique partnership that will aid policing and criminology students across the country.
Senior policing lecturer Iain Stainton, himself a retired officer with more than 30 years’ experience, has teamed up with one of his former students Dr Rob Ewin, who is a serving Cumbrian officer with oversight of training for new police recruits in the county, with the pair publishing a new book.
Working closely with PEQF and drawing upon their own decades of frontline expertise, the pair’s book – Criminal Investigation – aims to aid students’ understanding of the law, policy, and research and explanatory text materials.
Examining investigation from inception to conclusion, Criminal Investigation has several features such as clear learning outcomes, critical thinking exercises, reflective practice exercises and knowledge checks. These are all with the learner in mind, and work to achieve the aims of the PEQF’s national learning outcomes.
Rob, who is a Detective Sergeant at Cumbria Constabulary, studied professional policing at the University of Cumbria and progressed onto postgraduate study, going on to achieve a PhD last year.
Rob said: “I was taught by Iain in the early days of my career, and to be asked to collaborate on this book with him has been a really great privilege. I hope this will be useful to new officers and as I now oversee the training of new officers in Cumbria, I can see how we can utilise this book and also the series.”
Iain, programme lead for the BSc (Hons) Security, Intelligence & Investigative Practice programme at the university, said: “The investigative skills this book explores and explains will be of use to anybody who is involved in investigations. What was traditionally the role of the police has evolved to include a wide range of positions and people. I hope this book proves useful to all who are involved in such roles, equipping them to discover the truth.”
The Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership at the University of Cumbria offers a number of policing and security programmes at its campuses in Carlisle and Lancaster.
With its expertise in police education, the university is also one of four higher education institutions that make up the Police Education Consortium, which is delivering Police Constable Degree Apprenticeships and Degree Holder Entry Programmes directly to new police recruits at Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire Constabularies.
Published by Critical Publishing, Criminal Investigation is available now. It has been edited by retired Chief Superintendent Tony Blockley, who is lead for policing at the University of Derby. Criminal Investigation is a part of The Professional Policing Curriculum in Practice, a new series of books that match the requirements of the new pre-join policing qualifications. Further details are available at https://www.criticalpublishing.com.
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1. (l-r) AUTHORS: University of Cumbria policing and security lecturer Iain Stainton and one of his former students Dr Rob Ewin have written Criminal Investigation, a new book for policing and criminology students, pictured at the Fusehill Street campus in Carlisle.
2. COVER: Criminal Investigation, a new book for policing and criminology students, written by University of Cumbria lecturer Iain Stainton and one of his former students Dr Rob Ewin.