Meet the graduate dedicating his career to fighting cybercriminals

Graduate John Hammond, credits his Professional Policing course at the University of Northampton with his plan to dedicate his career to fighting cybercrime.

After attending an open day at the University of Northampton, John knew that the super supportive atmosphere on campus was for him. He said: “I was blown away by the Waterside campus, it’s a modern and beautiful place to study. On the open day, I got a chance to meet the tutors on the course, who are all serving or former police officers, or law enforcement industry specialists.

“I could tell from that moment that they were experienced in law enforcement, academically and practically, and would be able to support me to develop the skills, attitude, and determination it takes to work in law enforcement, and the wider criminal justice arena.”

John embraced student life, living on campus in his first year, and joining the Students’ Union Rugby League team. Speaking about making friends and settling into life as a student, John said: “I loved the sense of community and solidarity of living with people in halls, and it allowed me to form great friendships. Joining a society is a great way to meet new people and can act as a great network of friends to help with your studies.”

As part of his studies, John also volunteered as a Special Constable with Northamptonshire Police, to put his academic skills into practice, he said: “I loved the policing degree as it not only covered the knowledge required to be a response officer but also wider policing knowledge, and the opportunity to become a special constable with Northamptonshire Police. This experience confirmed that I would like to carve a career in the police.”

Since graduating, John has secured a job gathering evidence from digital systems with the aim of detecting, deterring, and disrupting cybercrime activity. He believes that his academic experience helped him to secure the role, he said: “The policing degree covers a wide range of topics from cybersecurity, to criminological theory and practical response policing, this base knowledge allows you to specialise and fit to any police role you wish. The lecturers have a wide range of backgrounds and can help signpost you, and support you to develop your knowledge for your future career.”

Find out more about Professional Policing here.