The University of Northampton opens a new state-of-the-art thermo-fluids laboratory

The students and course tutors will be based at the Senate Building on Park Campus. Officer development and IT training will be retained in-house at Weston Favell police station.

The Training Village, which is based at the Police Headquarters is set to close down by the end of 2013.

Angela Packwood, Criminal Justice Services Co-ordinator and Work Based Assessment Centre Manager at the University of Northampton, commented; “Since 2006 the partnership between the University of Northampton and Northamptonshire Police has gone from strength to strength. Today marks additional progress for the partnership to grow further.

“We have some exciting projects ahead of us which we look forward to developing over the coming months. We will have the extended police family training at the University which will include PCSOs, Special Constables, Cadets, Volunteers and regular officers. This builds on our success from the Foundation Degrees in Policing. The future is promising with an agreement to develop an Evidence Based Policing institute here at the University.”

Sergeant Damian Hiscocks, core policing team leader for East Midlands Collaborative HR Services, said: “We have had a close working relationship with the University for several years, but this move represents an exciting step forward. This partnership enables us to maximise some excellent facilities at the University where we can train all our officers and staff in a multi-disciplinary context.

“We will have the opportunity to train alongside paramedic, social services and law students to create a full criminal justice training environment.

“In time, as well as our regular officers, we will train police community support officers, reservists, special constables and possibly cadets, all on the same site.”

An official opening event was held on Thursday 11 April at the University and was attended by Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton, Chris Moore, Executive Dean of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Northampton, Adrian Lee, Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police and Adam Simmonds, Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

A tour of the facilities was also given which included the role-play flat, the mock custody suite with interview rooms, and the mock courtroom.