‘THERE isn\u2019t a degree on the planet’ that can properly equip police officers to do the difficult and dangerous job they do, the Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Zuleika Payne was speaking after the Home Secretary told the Police Federation of England and Wales\u2019 Annual Conference that he didn\u2019t believe police officers needed a degree to do a good job this week.<\/p>\n
The vast majority of delegates agreed with him, a straw poll at the conference revealed.<\/p>\n
Zuleika said: \u201cApart from maybe the two or three hands in the air as far as I could see, the majority of officers in that room did not support the notion that you should have a degree before you enter the police organisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolicing is about thinking on your feet, being presented with a situation, making a very quick assessment with the information you have available to you there and then, and making an informed choice.<\/p>\n
“There isn\u2019t a degree on this planet that can equip you for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people today were quick to say they didn\u2019t have a degree when they came into policing and certainly they felt that that hadn\u2019t held them back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Joan Donnelly, head of research and policy support PFEW, had told the Conference: \u201cI have a few degrees. But I don\u2019t have the social skills and the tact to be a police officer.<\/p>\n
“And I certainly wouldn\u2019t be going in to a pub on a Saturday night and dealing with some of the difficult and dangerous situations that police officers deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n