This Developmental Day prepares student officers for their assessed practical. They apply knowledge from the classroom and independent learning to scenarios that include burglary, robbery and theft. Trainers provide detailed feedback which the students then reflect on and utilise in their assessment.
“During the scenarios I learnt how important it was to be able to communicate effectively with my colleague, the witness, and the suspect involved within the case in order to collect the best evidence possible.”
“The Investigative Skills Developmental Scenario Day was busy. I had to respond to reports of a store burglary, recording a witness statement, identify and arrest the suspect and then convey them to custody. This was followed by a search of the suspect’s house to locate the stolen item. Finally the suspect was interviewed in relation to their role in the offence.
During the scenarios I learnt how important it was to be able to communicate effectively with my colleague, the witness and the suspect involved within the case in order to collect the best evidence possible. The Developmental day was a positive experience as it allowed me to put into practice and solidify what I had learnt in the classroom. It also allowed me to gain a greater understanding of investigating a case from the initial call to police right through to submitting a file for prosecution.”
Student Officer Allen
“I think the major learning point for me was that you never fully know what you’re going into and that's part of the thrill of the job!”
“As part of our Investigative Skills module we had a developmental day where we got to play both the role of an officer on patrol and a role actor. We had to apply the Investigative Mind-set we had been learning about in class to the scenarios tasked to us on the day.
I was assigned to a scenario where a member of the public reported suspicious activity from a car in Garnerville carpark. Utilising the knowledge from the IS module, we dealt with the situation.
I think the major learning point for me was that you never fully know what you’re going into and that's part of the thrill in this job! What you think you know may not always be the reality of the circumstances when you arrive. I think developmental days like this one help to prepare you for the unknown in our role as officers.”
Student Officer Dunlop
“Overall this practical was very realistic from start to finish including real role actors. It has given me the opportunity to experience what it will be like when I attest from Garnerville and what to expect at District level.”
Student Officer McLeister