Police federation blasts 'crazy' decision for officers to have degrees to do job - even if its in golf, surfing or fashion design

It comes after the College of Policing’s announcement that from April next year all officers will need to have, or be training for a degree.

Federation chair Zoë Wakefield said: ‘The crazy thing about this is it doesn’t matter what your degree is in. You can now obtain degrees in golf, surfing, fashion design. So how are any of them relevant to policing?’

The other route involves new recruits studying for a degree while they learn to be an officer.

Zoë said: ‘The new recruits are now having to study for a degree or a diploma as well as learning a demanding, full-time job. It’s so difficult for them, and many of them are studying on their days off. It’s just not fair and it’s not necessary.’

The police would miss out on real talent by focusing on degrees and academic qualifications, Zoë said: ‘The military has always been a source of recruits into the police.

‘People who have done years in the military generally make excellent police officers because of all the skills that they’ve learned. We’re going to lose a lot of them because they’re not going to want to go back into education after already having a career in the armed forces.’

She added: ‘Our recently retired assistant chief constable said he wouldn’t be able to join now because he wouldn’t have had the academic qualifications.

‘So we are missing out on potential future senior officers because the government has focused it too much on academic ability and not on policing ability.’

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