Students get experience in crime prevention

Hopwood Hall College UPS students with Police Officers outside Rochdale Divisional Headquarters (left to right) Connor Brown, Matthew Smith, Ryan Orme, Harry Beninson, and Kieran Jones

A group of Uniformed Public Services (UPS) students from Hopwood Hall College took to the streets last week to gain hands-on experience with the Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

The 15 students got the opportunity to work side by side with officers from the GMP Neighbourhood Teams from Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton whilst they were conducting a week long crime prevention campaign in the borough.

Staff from the College liaised with PC Nathan McLean who allocated the UPS students to work alongside regular officers in local crime hotspots. This gave them a fantastic opportunity to learn from the officers about career pathways into the service and an opportunity to engage with the public.

During the week, the students got to join the police to help with their crime prevention initiatives, which included being on hand to offer advice to the public during visits to supermarkets and the town centre. PC Nathan McLean was very impressed with what he saw, commenting: “They all acted professionally, were keen to be involved and are a credit to Hopwood Hall College.”

John Hall, Public Services Lecturer at the College, said: “We have an enviable history of giving our students hands-on practical work experience opportunities with the services. I’d like to thank Greater Manchester Police for this opportunity. This valuable experience assists our students with their academic studies and career decisions.”