Inaugural international residential schools in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada have been held for students in Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) policing programs.

 

In the first, 11 policing and justice studies students from CSU attended a week-long International Police Summer School at Cardiff Bay in Wales in May.

 

Mr Brian Daly, a course coordinator in the School of Policing Studies at CSU in Goulburn said: “Places offered at the Wales residential school were highly prized and we had a selection process to identify a suitable range of students”.

 

The school also involved policing students and police officers from the local University of South Wales and the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration and Management of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.

 

The week included classroom sessions, lectures, group work, cultural visits, and social activities. The students discussed various topics including policing in Australia, UK and Germany; the responsibilities of special constables; managing urban security in Germany; police unionism in the USA and the UK; community safety in Somalia; and community safety partnerships.

 

“Not only did the students get credit for attending the school but importantly, it vastly widened their perspectives of international policing practice and practitioners,” Mr Daly said.

 

“Policing today is an international profession where strategies in training, investigation, and crime prevention are improving and changing almost daily. 

 

“Exposure to global policing practice is an important aspect of all our police courses, and to reinforce that with real ‘face-to-face’ interaction with other international practitioners is immensely valuable to our students. 

 

“That value carries through to not only their studies, but also to their activities in their policing careers,” Mr Daly said.

 

Organised by CSU, a second international residential school was held in June in the Canadian capital of Ottawa attracting 39 Australian and international students from the University’s School of Policing Studies and the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security.   

 

Under the title Emerging issues in law enforcement – Canadian and International perspectives, the school involved undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking policing, emergency management, intelligence analysis, fraud and terrorism programs.

 

During the week, students dealt with topics ranging from Canadian national security, ethics in policing, policing in a war zone, organised crime in Canada and the impact of international immigration.

 

In addition, the students visited the Canadian Police College, Ottawa Police Headquarters, Ottawa Police Training Facility, Canadian Parliament and the Senate, Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Royal Canadian Police National Headquarters.

 

“In light of the clear success of the two international residential schools, it’s intended that similar activities will be organised for policing students in the future, within Australia and internationally,” Mr Daly said.