Professional Policing BSc (Hons)

This module combines the essential aspects of policing, criminal law, decision making and police powers and procedures. It is designed to introduce you to the principles and application of legislation in relation to crime and the criminal justice system. You will be taught relevant legislation to the activities of a police officer and how to break down the legislation into points to prove. Practical scenarios and discussions will allow you to understand how to apply the law at police incidents, as well as considering the different agencies that make up the criminal justice system and how these reflect our understanding of 'crime' and the purpose of punishment.

In addition, you will begin to understand the various functions of the criminal justice system including the courts and supporting vulnerable victims and witnesses. Academic skills of notetaking and revision skills will be developed to assist in identifying the relevant aspects of lectures for the online exam. Revision sessions and knowledge checks will be utilised to cement knowledge and introduce techniques to assist in retaining information. Students will then develop the skill of applying the law at policing incidents together with the National Decision Model, utilising a structured approach to decision making in policing. Videos of incidents and scenarios will be used to allow students to apply decision making and provide rationales during group discussions. Key documentation such as the Core Investigative Doctrine will be used to develop ethically recorded rationales and how discretion, accountability, ethical behaviour, risk and bias can potentially impact on professional and objective decision making.

You will be taught essential skills such as communication skills and the importance of the types of questions to elicit information from a victim or witness. The purpose and structure of a statement will be discussed together with decision making and the recording of information at policing incidents. A series of practical role plays will provide you with the opportunity to witness an incident and then write your own statement before taking statements from victims and witnesses using authentic documentation. You will then combine these skills in immersive exercises using our Visual-reality (VR) cave and in a series of role play scenarios. This will be the opportunity to make and develop decision making skills and your rationales for those decisions. Students will be taught reflective practices and theories such as Gibbs reflective cycle, together with research skills to find relevant academic sources. Essay writing skills will be developed during the module and these skills will be used to reflect on decisions and actions during the role plays to produce a reflective piece of work as the second assessment of the module. The practical workings of a court will be witnessed through visiting and observing their Chester Magistrates Court and Chester Crown Court.

This module introduces the role of a response incident police officer, focusing on stop and search, arrest powers, entry powers, and managing a wide range of incidents. Students will explore high‑risk, critical, and major incidents—such as domestic abuse, public order situations, and missing‑from‑home cases—and consider how technology and inter‑agency working support effective response policing.

This module will introduce you to your policing studies and the use of intelligence which is a golden thread throughout all policing activities.

You will look at policing from a historical perspective and how the organisation has evolved up to the present day, how it links into partnership working with other law enforcement and partner agencies and addresses concepts of culture, ethics and values in addition to policing legitimacy and discretion You will focus on the core principles/concepts of ethics, equality, diversity and human rights in professional policing - demonstrating fairness, ethics and integrity/ the necessity for maintaining organisational standards in policing and the importance of incorporating research/using research informed practice in policing. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of how intelligence plays an integral link in implementing effective law enforcement through tactical and strategic decision-making and the importance of the correct handling, dissemination, storage and retention of intelligence. Group activities during lectures include producing intelligence products such as a subject profile and forming an intelligence cell for a counter terrorism operation managing intelligence in real time. These activities will introduce and develop teamwork, communication and decision-making skills together with understanding the importance of the retention, storage and dissemination of intelligence with cultural, legal and vulnerability issues. Finally, you will begin to develop and understand the specific skills required to manage intelligence in an operational setting.

This module will also develop your academic skills focusing on presentation skills, writing skills and referencing skills. You will be introduced to academic research related to policing, and how to access research from a range of different databases. Academic skills will be developed in the use of PowerPoint skills in producing an presentation and academic poster including use of pictures, fonts and colours to make information visible and informative. Presentation skills will be developed group activities to support you to produce and deliver a presentation and an academic poster and conduct a professional discussion in relation to the contents.

This module applies learning from IP4107 Criminal Law and Decision Making in the first year. The aim of this module is to focus on the Anatomy of a Crime and allow the students to apply learning in a safe teaching environment and to develop employability skills as criminal investigators. The intention is for students to investigate a reported crime from its initial report, up to presenting evidence at court. This module builds on knowledge relating to criminal decision making and the responsibilities of a response officer.

An investigative journey will include the Hydra Immersive Suite, where students will receive the report of the crime and develop a hypothesis of the cause and develop intelligence to identify a suspect. They will then attend the Crime Scene House, where they will develop skills in implementing witness and forensic strategies and digital forensic strategies, as well as create ongoing decision logs to effectively record their decision-making processes. Having gathered all available sources of intelligence and evidence, the students will plan and execute a search warrant culminating in the arrest of a suspect along with Investigative interviewing of the identified suspect. Finally, the students will prepare their evidence in a case file that will ultimately be presented at court. Students will also attend sessions in Chester Crown Court to witness police officers and witnesses present their evidence. This will allow students to apply prior learning and develop skills in criminal investigation, teamworking, public speaking and communication skills.

This module  takes both a theoretical and practical approach to criminology, crime prevention and sociology. It examines the relationship between victims and those who commit crime and how to apply sociological, historical, psychological, criminal and cultural perspectives to the study of crime and punishment and how societies respond to such offending.

Students will learn several crime prevention principles and theories, and examine and discuss the role of the public, the Police and both statutory and statutory Authorities role in crime prevention.

The fascinating concept of Restorative Justice as a means of crime prevention/and or rehabilitation will be examined in detail discussing the theory in the UK and across the World. Using real case study examples, students will plan, prepare and take part in multiple roles in practical role -play scenarios in restorative justice conferences highlighting a victim-centred approach to crime.

This module examines the future direction of community policing, with an emphasis on evidence‑informed decision-making and approaches that enhance public trust. Students will explore community expectations, methods for predicting demand, and strategies for managing high‑risk situations.

This module builds on the Level 5 module relating to research methods and skills and evidence based policing, providing an opportunity for students to carry out an in-depth study of a topic or issue based in, or closely allied to Policing by independent study. The module will continue to develop students skills in the role of research in Policing and examine some of the main theories and methodologies used in social science and develop an understanding of the application of theory and methodology to research practice.

Students will then develop their ability to understand and define clearly a problem or area for further study. Students will develop the ability to extract relevant material from an in depth literature review using primary and secondary sources and to design and undertake an original investigation using acceptable research methodologies. Finally, students will critically analyse and interpret results, to present a coherent and critical account of the work developing time management skills and achieving a measure of independence, demonstrating proficiency in academic writing/referencing.

This module builds upon knowledge from the Level 4 module Information and Intelligence and aims to enable students to understand and identify legislative, ethical and professional considerations and demonstrate the application (through a case study) of the highly technical skills required when conducting digital crime investigation evaluating the relevant legislation, national policy and specialist support structures available to investigators and the support of vulnerable victims and witnesses. The student will also recognise and acknowledge community and business considerations when conducting digital crime investigations whilst keeping a balanced, professional and objective approach. Elements of the Module will be taught in a computer laboratory allowing for a  real world experience of examining digital evidence and intelligence.   

Students will review a crime scene in the Virtual Reality immersive cave, to assess initial actions and evidence gathering from a crime scene. A visit to Chester Crown Court for sentencing of offences connected to the use of digital technology will assist in understanding of the role of digital evidence in criminal investigations.

This module builds on teaching delivered at Level 4 and Level 5 modules relating to police investigations and safeguarding. The module will provide students with knowledge of serious and organised crime, and the investigation of serious and complex crime and multi-agency working in the context of protecting vulnerable children and adults. The module focuses on all aspects of public protection and how police and agency partners manage investigations to reduce the risks to individuals and communities. The student will learn about the identification and mitigation of risk and the planning and delivery of interventions to tackle dangerous offenders to protect the public.

Students will assume the role of detective to investigate a serious incident provided by way of a case study. Learning will be supported by a range of practical activities such as workshops, role play, and the use of the Hydra Immersive Learning Suite, which allows the student to develop their decision making, teamwork and construction of investigative strategies.

Students to gain knowledge to enable them to critically articulate key theories in relation to leadership and management skills and to evaluate and analyse how these skills are applied to policing leadership in the United Kingdom. Students will apply theories around teamwork, motivation, change management, toxic leadership including power and conformity and be able to articulate how these effect police leadership. In addition, the student will be able to discuss issues which arguably effect successful leadership including the media. austerity, force structure and criminological aspects.

Students will be able to articulate the professional importance of self-evaluation, self-improvement and reflective practice, as they take part in an immersive tabletop leadership scenario as they take on the role as a match commander at a large sporting event.

Students will apply their knowledge to complete a 4000-word written assignment about the skills and qualities required to be successful in police leadership.