ABSTRACT
It is vitally important that police training supports many of the reforms that the police service is undergoing at the present time. Further, the effectiveness of police training will influence the extent to which officers are equipped to deal with the challenges that they face. A recent advertising campaign entitled ‘Police – could you?’ gives a powerful insight into some of the decisions and dilemmas that challenge police officers. It is fair to say that not everyone ‘could’ be a police officer. The job can be very demanding and the recruitment and training process is by no means easy. The Home Office estimates that only 15 per cent of applicants each year are successful. This highlights what an achievement it is to be accepted as a police officer.
