Teesside in forensics partnership with the Met

The University of Teesside is to develop and accredit a career development scheme for forensic practitioners within the Metropolitan Police Service.

The five-year contract was won in competition with other universities and will involve training for approximately 800 staff. Teesside already has established links with the National Policing Improvement Authority (NPIA) for forensic and crime scene training.

The University accredits short courses provided by the Durham-based NPIA, which are delivered to all police forces throughout England. The new contract with the Metropolitan Police Service means that the University will have links for Crime Scene and Forensic developments with all police forces in England.

In the contract’s first six months, the University will work with the Metropolitan Police service to map out their existing forensic and crime scene training, to see how it matches against different levels of Higher Education study and the University’s academic practices. The mapping process will grade the Metropolitan Police’s provision according to three course levels, with level three matching to an honours degree. The eventual aim is the development of a degree course for the Met’s forensic staff, based on their current provision. The process will also lead to the design of ‘support modules’ to address identified academic gaps.

Following the initial mapping exercise, the University will continue to monitor the courses’ academic quality, ensuring they follow normal procedures for accredited work.

Professor Graham Henderson, University Vice-Chancellor, said: ‘It is a clear signal of the strength of our provision in forensic science that we have been able to win this contract. I am absolutely delighted that we are forming this partnership with ‘the Met’.’

---