Undergraduates feeling the beat

It’s not often that interview panels learn something completely new from the candidates sitting in front of them. But quizzing the president of the UK’s only Student Union Police Society about her ground-breaking role proved an education for members of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

Two years ago, campus police officer Mark Brain enlisted the support of undergraduates at The University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol) to launch an initiative focusing on the nuts and bolts of policing. He had lost count of the number of times he was asked for advice about careers and realised that there was valuable work to be done.

“If you think you might want to join the police, it’s often because someone you know is already in the job,” says Mark, a warranted officer employed by Avon and Somerset Constabulary in a position funded by UWE Bristol. “You get an idea of that person’s experience but otherwise your information – or misinformation – comes largely from television and the media.

“I could see a void that needed filling: a way for students to peer through the veneer and see what’s really going on.”

And so the Student Union Police Society was formed, attracting a 70-strong membership in its first year. There’s a guest speaker programme and off-site activities include visits to constabulary headquarters, a state-of-the-art custody centre and a firearms training facility, as well as the opportunity to ride out with response officers.

By harnessing the peer power of students sharing a mutual interest, Mark has created a win-win situation with far-reaching benefits. Some members have become special constables and the society gives back to the local community through safety awareness campaigns and fundraising for charities including SARI (Standing Against Racism and Inequality).

For president and psychology undergraduate Katie Harris, membership of such a unique group not only boosted her successful application to the constabulary but totally reshaped her future.

“I have always been fascinated by people and have a particular interest in what motivates them to commit crime,” she explains. “I had planned to take a Masters in forensic psychology but being a special constable made me realise what an incredibly exciting, rewarding yet tough and challenging job being a police officer is.”

Harris cites a greater understanding of the different areas of policing and its recruitment process as a key benefit to Police Society members. Most study law or criminology and their involvement has the full support of lecturers because it complements and boosts the overall value of their degrees.

PC Brain’s lecturers approve too. As if looking out for the safety and wellbeing of 33,000 students and staff across four campuses wasn’t enough, he is also studying for a degree in criminology.

“People want the British bobby on the beat and with me that’s what they get. Being able to see things from a student’s perspective as well really helps,” he concludes.

“There’s nothing else quite like our Police Society. UWE is a very modern university, open minded to new ideas. This is just one example of how it’s leading the way with an initiative supported from the very top.”