Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster met trainee officers and detectives at a new training facility helping to prepare the next generation of police officers for deployment across the county.
More than 70 recruits have been put through their paces at Chatsworth Hall in Matlock since Derbyshire County Council agreed to offer the premises as an additional training centre to the force in March. A further 150 are expected to go through this financial year and around 50 PCSOs.
Derbyshire Constabulary has had to rapidly expand its training facilities to accommodate the extra officers recruited this year.
In what has become the biggest training operation in its history, the force has created additional training centres in both Matlock and Chesterfield alongside Constabulary HQ in Ripley to prepare the new recruits for duty. Skilled officers are providing valuable training to help undertake the task.
The Matlock Training Hall has been secured by the force at a minimal cost to cover utilities and has been a vital resource, saving tens of thousands of pounds in rental costs. This is an excellent example of Derbyshire Constabulary working in conjunction with partner agencies to provide value for money for taxpayers and to make use of buildings which have been disused since the pandemic.
The Commissioner has now secured a license to continue occupying the former IT training centre until October 31, 2023.
At a recent meeting, the Commissioner met trainee officers from the current Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) – the traditional non-degree route of entry for people wanting a career in the police which comprises a two-year training programme split between the classroom and active duty. She also met a group of trainee detectives currently completing their Detective Constable Degree Holder Entry Programme (DC-HEP) – a two-year intensive programme of learning based on investigative policing which is the direct entry route for candidates who already hold a degree qualification.
Commissioner Angelique Foster said: “This site has been a vital addition to the force’s training facilities. There simply is not enough room at HQ to undertake the scale of the training required to accommodate the many additional recruits. Without this site, the force would have had to rent private classrooms at great cost to the public purse.
“I am grateful to the county council for extending our use of this facility which has protected vital funds and ensured we deliver maximum value for money from our training budget.
“I was impressed with the trainees I met during the meeting and the professionalism at which they have already shown their assessors. These officers are receiving the best training and mentorship possible to develop their skills and protect our communities from crime.”
The site was already suitable for training prior to the force moving in having previously been used as an IT training suite.
The force was only required to kit the classrooms out with chairs, tables and some IT equipment, saving valuable funds.