The Making of a Police Officer Pt 3.
by Roy Ingleton
Training

The early policemen received little if any training other than drill. It was common for a new recruit to be issued with a uniform of sorts and be sent out on the streets to fend for himself. Where the force had been in existence for some time, a newcomer might be attached to a more experienced officer who could show him the ropes. Not until 1901 was the Chief Constable of Ramsgate authorised to buy an instruction book for each member of the Borough force.

Perhaps because most county chief constables had a military background, great emphasis was placed on foot drill as a means of instilling discipline and improving the bearing and demeanour of the men in the county forces. Even the smaller borough forces saw benefit in such training and, in 1861, the Ramsgate force appointed Colour-Sergeant Harper of the 2nd Cinque Ports Rifle Volunteers as its Drill Instructor, to give instruction for an hour a day, three days a week. Later 12 sticks were purchased for the learning of sword drill.

Neighbouring Margate was somewhat slower off the mark since it was not until the end of 1889 that one of its constables was appointed drill instructor to the force. It may be presumed that he was a former soldier with experience in this matter. In November 1919 the constable drill instructor resigned that appointment (remaining a constable, however) and a Lieutenant Cornelius was employed to drill the force. He resigned this post in 1932, it being recorded that he had served as a drill instructor to the police for 35 years so he presumably provided this service to some other forces. Once more, one of the constables took on the role.

By 1878 the Kent County Constabulary was holding regular drill parades at the county headquarters, the men having to travel from all parts of the county to attend these. In July 1907, the Chief Constable complained that, at the last inspection by H.M. Inspector of Constabulary, the Superintendents did not appear to have taken any interest or trouble respecting their knowledge of drill. In future, whenever the Chief Constable arrived to inspect a division, the Superintendent would be required to drill the men.

Although few forces considered that any training in law, police procedures or the rules of evidence were necessary, some did consider that a basic knowledge of first aid was desirable and this was one area in which the Kent County Constabulary can claim to be an innovator. In August 1878, the St. John's Ambulance Association asked if the county constables could attend first aid classes. These had already been given to the Metropolitan Police but Kent was one of the first forces outside the capital to adopt this form of training. Training was voluntary and the constables were excused duty to attend classes. The St. John's Ambulance had already supplied a litter to be held at Sevenoaks police station and it was the intention that every station would eventually be issued with one which could easily be fitted onto any cart or carriage for the conveyance of injured or ill persons. In Canterbury arrangements were made for the police surgeon to give some first aid instruction in 1879.

The value of first aid instruction might be gained from an item in the Annual Report of the Chief Constable of Ramsgate who commented that, in 1887/88, 19 persons had been 'seized with fits in the streets when constables have been near and able to render … aid.'

In the spring of 1903, classes in basic police law and procedure were being offered, on a voluntary basis, to members of the County Constabulary. These consisted of two hours instruction per week given at the force headquarters at Wren's Cross. By 1904 it appears that some regular training was being given as the sum of two guineas per annum was paid to the churchwardens of Maidstone parish church for the provision of pews for men attending annual training.

In 1906, arrangements were made for officers of the Kent County Constabulary to receive lessons in 'Jiu-Jitsu and Self-defence' at each of the divisional headquarters, the instructors being five qualified police officers; Sergeants Hook (the drill instructor) and Lawrence, plus Constables Ambrose, Apps and Bennett. At the end of the eight-week course the men were tested by the Deputy Chief Constable.

Folkestone followed suit and, in 1911, it was agreed that the Dover Borough men would receive Jiu-Jitsu instruction from Mr. Donovan who was already instructing the Folkestone men.

To ensure the suitability of men for advancement within the force, in 1907 the Chief Constable of Kent instructed that any sergeant seeking promotion to inspector would be required to pass an examination in dictation, essay writing, arithmetic and police duties. This sensible and basic requirement was not always followed in the borough forces where no doubt the Chief Constable felt he had a more intimate knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the (few) men under his command and did not consider a formal examination necessary. Nevertheless, Rochester City adopted a system of examination for promotion in September 1923.

In 1910 the Inspector of Constabulary caused a considerable stir by suggesting that men in all forces be trained as mounted police. The Kent County Constabulary had long had a groom on each Division, whose task it was to feed, care for and ride the Divisional horse when it was not being used to draw the Superintendent's dog-cart. These dozen, scattered men formed the force's Mounted Section that could be mobilized as required. However, most of the smaller forces in the south-east felt this proposal would involve unnecessary expense and the Guildford Borough Watch Committee contacted all forces, asking them to support a petition against this proposal. Many of the borough forces in Kent did support this petition,

including Rochester, but despite this, later that same year two constables and two police reservists in the City force were being trained in equestrian skills by a sergeant-major of the East Kent Yeomanry. However, in July 1934 all the saddlery and tack was disposed of as the force no longer had any mounted constables.

The importance of the Kent Coast towns as tourist centres and the considerable influx of foreign visitors prompted the Margate force to introduce lessons in conversational French for its men in 1908. Each received 60 one-hour lessons, for which the teacher was paid 5/- a lesson. In the same year, the Folkestone Borough force accepted an offer from the local Technical Institute to provide similar lessons. Not until 1917 were arrangements made for six Kent County detectives to receive French lessons. This was followed the next year by the allocation of the sum of £10 to enable Detective Superintendent Ambrose and five other officers to continue to take French lessons from Mr. Ardontz of Maidstone during the term starting September 1918. The object was behind this initiative is not clear, coming as it did towards the end of the Great War but it may have had some relation to refugees (French and Belgian) and possibly to counter-espionage.

In 1924 the Rochester City force began to send its recruits to Birmingham City Police for 10 weeks training, as did Dover and Margate; Gravesend followed suit in 1928. It does not appear that the Ramsgate men were sent on such courses until 1933. In 1931 however, the Gravesend force sought and obtained approval for its recruits to be trained at the headquarters of the County Constabulary in Maidstone which was much more convenient for all concerned. Prior to these arrangements being made with Birmingham and Kent County, recruits were simply placed on night duty and 'Bud' Friar, who joined the Gravesend force in 1925, recalls that his only access to police law was an old copy of 'Stone's Justices Manual' which the local Justices' Clerk gave him out of compassion.

The Gravesend recruits who were sent to Maidstone were not alone as the county force also trained men from Folkestone, East Sussex and, later on, West Sussex and Tunbridge Wells. A thorough training in law and police duties was given but conditions at the training school left much to be desired by modern standards. Self-catering was the order of the day and each day the recruits had to light and clean an old black kitchener on which joints of meat were placed prior to starting the morning's lessons. Few if any of the recruits had any idea of cooking and, as a consequence, the joint was usually either very rare or burnt to a cinder by lunchtime. The story is told of one recruit who, being told that a boiled egg needed four minutes to cook, calculated that 20 eggs would need 80 minutes, with dire results! Students ate, slept and had their lessons all in one barrack room, the wooden floor of which had to be scrubbed to the satisfaction of the Inspector before any student could leave for a short weekend break, wearing the civilian hat which he was required to buy and wear whenever he left the barracks.

These conditions persisted up until the Second World War and the move to the new headquarters building on the Sutton Road, Maidstone. Ron Cockram, who was mentioned earlier, claims that, although he served in both the army and the RAF during the war, he never encountered anything approaching 'the appalling conditions of service at Wrens Cross' .

Pursuing the quest for physical fitness, training in the 1930's involved a weekly 'Dolly-brook' in which ten or a dozen students were given 12 oz. Boxing gloves and were required to join in a general free-for-all on a large mattress spread on the floor. Bleeding was staunched with a wet sponge by the 'trainer' and the unfortunate student pushed back into the fray.

In 1930 proposals were put forward for the setting up of a national police college where the service's future leaders could be trained. The Chief Constable of Kent at that time supported the need for a college but not on the lines proposed. The main objections raised concerned the suspicion of militarization and the fear that the college would be the precursor to a national police force. In the event, the proposals foundered for lack of Treasury support.

However, the forceful Lord Trenchard, then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, set up his own college, the widely-known and often misconstrued Hendon Police College. Trenchard was prepared to accept well-educated young men who, after their college course, were immediately given the new rank of junior station inspector. For many observers, their worst fears were realised; the Commissioner's military background (he was Marshal of the Royal Air Force) and the fact that he surrounded himself with senior officers who were also military men, suggested that the police force was becoming the fourth military service. Of course, the Metropolitan Police College was confined to that force and did not at first affect the provincial forces. However, as time went on and the careers of the graduates progressed, they began to take up appointments as chief officers of forces outside London, some with notable success. For example, (Richard) Dawnay Lemon was in the Metropolitan Police (after a very brief military career) from 1934 to 1937 when he was appointed the Chief Constable of the Leicestershire Constabulary (at the age of 25!), becoming Chief Constable of Kent in 1962.

With the loss of men to the armed forces between 1940 and 1945, police forces were supplemented by Police War Reserves - men with no previous police experience. Those in Kent were given a basic training at the Folkestone Training School at 'The Cottage Homes', Cheriton. This came to an end in 1945.

Towards the end of the Second World War, it became apparent that the concentration on emergency legislation would soon cease and that the force would have to get back to peace-time policing. In June 1944 therefore a series of refresher courses were provided at FHQ for officers up to the rank of Inspector and later extended to those returning from the armed forces. In April 1946, responsibility for basic training was transferred to a series of District Training Centres, which for the South East being located at the former Star and Garter Home at Sandgate . Superintendent Webb of the Kent County Constabulary was seconded there as Commandant and four Kent sergeants were also seconded as instructors. Training was essentially law-based but physical education and the old faithful, foot drill, was also included. Since virtually all recruits had been in the armed forces, these less academic pursuits did not present any great problems and those leaving the Centre were probably the smartest and fittest the force had ever seen.

The Hendon Police College having closed at the commencement of hostilities, the opportunity was taken in April 1948 to create a National Police College at Ryton-on-Dunsmore. This was to be on different lines to the much-criticised Metropolitan example, the courses being open to serving officers of various ranks who had been ear-marked for possible promotion to the next rank. Three sergeants from the combined Kent force were nominated for the first course. With certain modifications, this system was to persist for the rest of the century and beyond and many Kent officers would benefit from

the system of training offered. One Kent Chief Constable (Barry Pain) was appointed the College Commandant in 1982 and another Kent senior officer, Peter Hermitage, was given the role of Director of National Police Training in 1996, embracing the command of the Police Staff College, as it was now known. Among the various courses offered by the National Police College was the Special Course, which commenced in the 1960s. Places on this year-long course were offered to those who had gained high marks in the promotion examinations, passed a rigorous extended interview and were recommended as having the potential to reach the highest ranks in the police service. During the course the successful candidates were promoted to sergeant and further promoted to inspector on their successful completion of the course. After that further promotion would be entirely on merit although they had obviously been given a significant leg-up and would be under close scrutiny for the rest of their career. In due course many chief officers would have come up through this avenue. Among the first Kent men (if not the first) was Detective Constable Duncan Gibbins, a former Police Cadet, who went on to head the Kent CID as a Detective Chief Superintendent.

In May 1951 monthly Probationer Training Classes were introduced. Held on Divisions, these ensured that all probationer constables (i.e. those with less than two years service) kept up their studies and were fully aware of any new legislation. To maintain the smartness of the force, all Kent constables were required to attend monthly drill parades during the summer months (the force was still under the command of an old soldier, Major Ferguson) but these were suspended in May 1955 and were never really resumed. By this time the force was becoming more mechanised with a substantial Traffic Division, the members of which needed to be properly trained, and so a Driving School was opened. The first of many advanced driving courses was held in April 1952.

Selection for promotion was always a matter for individual forces, each of which set its own standards and organised its own tests or examinations, but the Police (Promotions) Regulation of 1956 introduced nationally standardised examinations. These covered law and police subjects on the one hand and general educational subjects on the other. Success in these examinations was essential for a constable to advance to the rank of sergeant or a sergeant to inspector.

As we have seen, it had long been considered important for a police officer to possess a knowledge of first aid and this continued in the post-war period; from June 1960 all sergeants and constables with less than 20 years service were required to pass the St John's Ambulance examinations every three years.

Continuation training continued to be a major preoccupation and, in January 1963, sub-divisional instruction classes were introduced, to be attended by all uniformed constables and sergeants. The object of these was to introduce new legislation, appraise local crime and discuss topical matters. The classes were presided over by an inspector or above, assisted where necessary by the Training Department.

By the 1960s, the police service was aware of the need to recruit and train men and women of above average intelligence and ability in order to be able eventually to fill even the highest ranks from within the service, rather than looking to the military or the law for its leaders. In January 1967 the Kent Police Authority approved the sending of two suitably-qualified constables on a course at the University of Kent at Canterbury on full pay and allowances but the first serving officer to obtain a degree was Inspector Bob Brice who gained an external Bachelor of Laws degree from London University in 1968 . In the same year, Inspector David Handley commenced a full-time course at the University College Faculty of Law in London - the first Kent man to be sent on such a course. Also in 1968, Chief Superintendent Ernie Bright became to first Kent officer to attend a Senior Command Course at the National Police College with a view to advancement to Chief Officer rank and went on to become a Commander and the Assistant Commissioner in the City of London Police. He also undertook the role of Acring Commissioner for a time.

Another avenue by means of which police officers could receive a university education was the Bramshill Scholarship scheme. The Police College at Bramshill was willing to offer suitable students on the Inspectors' Course a three-year scholarship to university, during which time the students received full pay and allowances. Over the years a number of Kent officers benefited from this scheme, the first being Inspector Mick Eames who embarked on a law course at the University of Birmingham in October 1969. Additionally, the formation of the Open University opened up a further avenue by means of which serving officers could aspire to at least a first degree.

By 1971 the Force Training School was busily engaged in providing a wide variety of courses for members of the force (and sometimes officers from other forces). These included courses for potential and newly promoted inspectors and sergeants, refresher courses for sergeants and for constables with 5, 10, 15 and 20 years service, pre-training centre courses for recruits, courses for potential instructors, women police, traffic wardens, male and female cadets, as well as a full range of driving courses.

Given the proximity of Kent to the continent of Europe, and the growth in cross-channel movements, language training became an important consideration around this time. A number of selected officers whose work was likely to bring them in contact with foreigners, and who already had a good grounding in the language, attended advanced courses in conversational French, provided by the then Maidstone Technical College. In 1989, the imminent opening of the Channel Tunnel provoked further interest in this matter and intensive eight-week residential and other courses in French for constables and sergeants were organised.

By the 1970s, the force had a fair sprinkling of graduate officers who had either attended university prior to joining or who obtained their degree whilst serving, through one avenue or another. This interest in higher education occasionally proved to be a mixed blessing as a number of those who obtained degrees left the force to pursue a career elsewhere, possibly in the academic world where the pay was good and the conditions more amenable than those in the police. For example, Inspector X. BSc, MA, AIL, Barrister-at-Law, who was selected for the Special (Accelerated Promotion) Course as a young constable in 1976, retired on an ill-health pension ten years later.

Similarly, Inspector Y. BA, MA, another Special Course officer, completed a Harkness Scholarship in the United States and was awarded the degree of Master of Public Administration by Harvard University in 1986. The same year he was also admitted to the degree of PhD in Applied Mathematics by the University of Kent and was promoted to chief inspector. He would seem to have been set for a glittering career in the police service, but he resigned the following year when he had a mere 10 years service (much of which had obviously been spent on various courses).

Several other officers who had been selected for accelerated promotion and granted a scholarship to attend university (including Oxford and Cambridge), left the force shortly afterwards. Others advanced rapidly through the ranks, often to the chagrin of the 'street policemen' who had gained considerable practical experience in their chosen profession but were overtaken by these 'flyers' whose 'street cred.' was limited to say the least.

Such was the growth of these university courses that Chief Constable Barry Pain was compelled to recommend to the Police Authority that no more than four officers a year should be permitted to attend such courses. Of course, this did not prevent officers studying in their own time for Open University degrees or the London University external degrees. By 1986 the force included 109 graduates (3.7% of the force). This number rose to 114 (3.9%) in 1987 and 130 in 1989 . Subsequent levels were not published in the Chief Constable's Annual Report but, in 1994, no less than 12 officers, from constable to chief superintendent, were awarded degrees by the Open University and two obtained a Master's degree.

A few officers were fortunate enough to obtain training attachments with police forces overseas. In January 1981, Chief Inspector (later Chief Superintendent) P Carey, BA, was selected for a three-month course at the National Academy of the FBI in the United States. Ten years later Superintendent Horton attended a similar course, followed in 1994 by Chief Inspector (later Assistant Chief Constable) James Barker-McCardle.

The Force Training School in Maidstone continued at this time (1980s), in conjunction with Police College 'Carousel' courses, to provide an extremely wide range of professional training courses: firearms instructors, special weapons and tactics, sniper, revolver, shotgun refresher, race relations, multi-cultural communities, police and ethnic minorities, industrial relations, advanced reading techniques, psychology for police officers, HGV driver, hazardous substances by road, aircraft accident procedures, crime prevention, fraud investigation, surveillance, fingerprints, potential instructors, security, home defence and war duties, communications, PT and self-defence instructors, tutor constables, Police National Computer supervisors, to list but a few.

Many of these courses reflect the fact that the early '80s was a period in which 'effectiveness' was the key word and race (arising from the Scarman Report) and community relations were very much the 'in' things.

But more directly professional matters were not overlooked. The training of probationer constables was constantly being closely scrutinised and, in 1983, a formal system of 'Tutor Constables' was instituted. Probationers who had completed their initial training were to spend at least eight weeks on the streets, supervised by an experienced and specially trained and selected tutor.

The passing of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in 1984 meant that a considerable number of sergeants and constables had to be trained in Custody Sergeant duties - a new and complex role introduced by the Act.

In 1987 it was decided that the Kent Force and the Metropolitan Police should co-operate in an exchange scheme under which a superintendent and an inspector from each force should exchange roles for six months in order to broaden their outlook, develop their careers, exchange ideas, etc. This scheme was later extended to the City of London Police with an exchange of inspectors.

Also in 1987 it was decided to devolve refresher training onto sub-divisions, supported by video tapes and training manuals, and conducted by the Divisional Training Inspector. Although the Cold War had now been over for some time, officers were still being trained in War Duties, both regionally (for inspectors and chief inspectors) and nationally (for those of superintendent rank). Constables and Sergeants received basic training in these subjects on their respective divisions.

In order to meet the changing training and development needs, in January 1989 responsibilities within the Force Training Department were changed. Under the general control of the Force Training Officer, the various functions were divided between five senior officers:

• Deputy Force Training Officer Probationers, tutors, CID, war duties and CCTV
• Director of Skills Training Driver training, traffic patrol courses, consultative officers, weapon training, computers and communications, public order, interview skills, traffic wardens and specialist skills (e.g. forensic science training)
• Director of Personnel Development
• Director of Inspectors' Development
• Officer i/c Driver and Traffic Law training

Although the widespread use of computers had made the Force Instruction Book obsolete, there was still a need for some form of quick reference for the officer on the streets and, in 1998, a new Operational Performance Aid (OPA) was produced and issued to every operational officer, Special Constable and Control Room staff. An extended, more in-depth version was also supplied to sergeants and above. This notebook enabled everyone to have immediate access to standard operational procedures and ensured an element of consistency and professionalism across the force. As well as outlining the Kent Policing Model core business and Crime Reduction Strategy, the OPA also set out how officers should deal with issues involving children, crime, deaths, firearms, major incidents, public order, response, road patrol, the media and Fairness in Action. The idea behind the Aid was to enable officers attending any incident to 'work to a common script and be consistent in their approach'

In the 1990s, Portsmouth University began to offer special, part-time and distance-learning graduate and post-graduate courses in police studies and, in 1997/1998, seven Kent officers were awarded first or second degrees from that University alone. In 1997 arrangements were also made with the Canterbury Christ Church University College to offer a BSc (Hons.) degree for members of the force and, in August 2000, the first 37 graduates were admitted to the degree. These ranged from constable to inspector, plus two civilian employees, roughly 25% of whom were females.

The pressing need for training for detective officers was also recognised around this time and, in 1998, the force's Centre for Investigative Skills (as the Training School was now known) began to offer Interview Training from basic to advanced level coupled with a 24 hour tactical advice service. The advanced course secured quality approval from National Police Training and included modules covering Intelligence Procedures, Forensic Science and Legal aspects. This accreditation, known as 'Centre Approval', is only awarded where a centre meets the highest standards expected from any police training organisation. The facilities at the Kent Centre were described as 'second to none' and were boosted in November 1999 with the opening of a new teaching block. This £1.3 million building contains state-of-the-art equipment and the 14 classrooms are all networked with a CCTV system, linked to six interview rooms. There is also a custody suite, containing three cells, used for custody training. The training facilities for the Kent County Constabulary were thus fully geared to enter the 21st century.

(this is the last part of this past-times article; watch out for a new article in April)