Tony Blockley - Police Procedure and Evidence in the Criminal Justice System

Barrie Archer

Barrie Archer is a lecturer in policing at the University of Derby. He specialises in delivering the police constable degree apprenticeship (PCDA) module, drawing on his experience as an officer with Warwickshire Police and his legal qualifications.

George Ellison

George Ellison is a senior lecturer in law at the University of Derby, working both within the law school and on the police degree programme. He served with Merseyside Police for 33 years in several departments, and is a qualified barrister.

Police professionalism has seen significant developments over recent years, including the implementation of the Vision 2025 and the establishment of the Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF). There is no doubt that policing has become complex, and that complexity and associated challenges increase day by day with greater scrutiny, expectations and accountability. The educational component of police training and development therefore allows officers to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the theories and activities associated with high-quality policing provision.

The scholastic element of the Vision 2025 provides an opportunity to engage in meaningful insight and debate around some of the most sensitive areas of policing while also applying the lessons of the past to develop the service for the future. While there are many books and articles on numerous subjects associated with policing, this new series The Professional Policing Curriculum in Practice provides an insightful opportunity to start that journey. It distils the key concepts and topics within policing into an accessible format, combining theory and practice to provide you with a secure basis of knowledge and understanding.

With policing now a degree-level-entry profession, this has provided a unique opportunity to develop fully up-to-date books for student and trainee police officers that focus on the content of the PEQF curriculum, are tailored specifically to the new pre-join routes, and reflect the diversity and complexity of twenty-first-century society. Each book is stand-alone, but they also work together to layer information as you progress through your programme. The pedagogical features of the books have been carefully designed to improve your understanding and critical thinking skills within the context of policing. They include learning objectives, case studies, evidence-based practice examples, critical thinking and reflective activities, and summaries of key concepts. Each chapter also includes a guide to further reading, meaning you dont have to spend hours researching to find that piece of information you are looking for.

The criminal justice system is a series of complex processes that can be challenging, but also have a significant impact on the external views of justice. This complexity raises many pitfalls that have significant repercussions for the criminal justice system and, in particular, victims, witnesses and defendants.

This book examines police procedure and evidence within the context of the criminal justice system. It explores the complex processes and some of the many challenges involved. There is a particular need for policing students and police officers to have an understanding of this topic because there is a clear requirement to understand the links between police procedures and the use of evidence within the criminal justice system. Ultimately, this understanding will ensure fairness and justice within the system.

Having been involved in policing for over 40 years, the benefits of these books are obvious to me: I see them becoming the go-to guides for the PEQF curriculum across all the various programmes associated with the framework, while also having relevance for more experienced officers.

Tony Blockley

Discipline Head: Policing

Leeds Trinity University