Police and university team up for students

University of Bolton staff and students have joined forces with Greater Manchester Police on research and professional training, thanks to a memorandum of understanding. This also aims to support the provision of placement opportunities for students interested in working alongside police.

This marks one of the first agreements that links up a large police force with a psychology department. Leader of the BSc in Criminological and Forensic Psychology at the university, Dr Gill Allen, said the memorandum would allow students to engage in research within applied areas around policing. She added: ‘Following the successful set up of a data-sharing agreement, which is in progress, students will be able to use existing data and collect their own data, which may contribute to the completion of their third-year honours projects.’

Academic staff will also be able to work with the police to undertake research, which will in turn benefit teaching across modules on the Criminological and Forensic Psychology programme. Allen added: ‘In addition to this student research, psychologists from the university will support Greater Manchester Police though delivering training sessions, research dissemination and facilitating on wellbeing events, which are increasingly important for the police force.’

Students will also be given bespoke lectures from Chief Inspector Shane O’Neill on opportunities of working in the police force as well as giving advice on important transferrable skills they will develop during their academic studies. The memorandum of understanding will also open up new opportunities for placements for both undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interest in working with the police.

Dr Allen said: ‘The undergraduate students were delighted to hear about this new partnership. When the information was disseminated to students in induction week, one final-year student who is keen to forge a career within the police service said, “I think it is a really fantastic opportunity for young motivated individuals like myself to get a foothold in the police force, and it will help boost relations between the community and Bolton University if the general public are aware that GMP are in partnership with us”.’ er