Comparative study on police educationVeranstaltungsbericht

Zahlreiche Interessierte nahmen an der Veranstaltung teil
Zahlreiche Interessierte nahmen an der Veranstaltung teil

Am 14. Dezember 2022 hat Prof. Dr. Jan Terpstra einen englischsprachigen Vortrag zum Thema "Comparative study on police education" an der DHPol in Münster gehalten

Prof. Dr. Jan Terpstra während seines Vortrags
Prof. Dr. Jan Terpstra während seines Vortrags

On Wednesday, 14th December 2022, lecturers as well as students and administrative staff of HSPV, members of DHPol, as well as universities, colleges and universities of applied sciences from Berlin, Lower Saxony and Thuringia met at DHPol to follow the presentation of the results of the study by Prof. Dr. (ir) Terpstra from Radboud University Nijmegen. This study deals with the comparison of police training between Finland, Norway and North Rhine-Westphalia at Bachelor level.

It quickly became clear why a professor from the Netherlands is dealing with this question: it is about nothing less than the idea of possibly being able to make recommendations to the Dutch police to bring the training of all police officers there to this level, which has not been the case there so far. More than sixty guests followed the lecture in person or were connected online.

Dr. Terpstra impressively presented the study, which has been carried out from different perspectives and its results. Each of the countries studied, recognized that police work, including on the beat (i.e. patrol duty), had generally become more demanding, since the societies of the countries had also changed since the post-war period. Realisation took place at different times (90s and 2000s).

This is particularly true regarding the advancing broad education in all social strata. The citizens' demands on the police had changed over the decades (student riots in the 60s, terrorism in the 70s, environmental awareness in the 80s, etc.). One expected the police to professionally perform all tasks, regarding the constantly changing view of the fundamental rights of societies.

Ultimately, he found that a bachelor degree enables police officers to recognize the background of developments and to include them in their daily work. The cognitive skills associated with a bachelor degree are the decisive moment for Dr. Terpstra to make this recommendation to the police in his own country. It is important to him not to copy, i.e. simply to take over without comment. It is about initiating an intensive discussion of the topic, taking into account the facts now available from other countries in the EU.

In the ensuing lively discussion round the question was raised whether there are police tasks that do not necessarily require a bachelor degree. Here the opinions were clearly opposed. But the discussion is exactly what should be sought, preferably in the Netherlands now. The students, lecturers of the HSPV and participants from the connected (police) universities and the representatives of the DHPol participated in the discourse.

We were able to elicit from Dr. Terpstra the promise that he would come back to us, if the Dutch police take a direction with regard to a new training of police officers. We are eagerly awaiting this and will intensively follow this process on the part of HSPV NRW within the framework of international cooperation and participate!

We would like to thank DHPol for their professional and dedicated support to make this event possible in the appropriate setting!

Da es sich bei der Veranstaltung um einen englischsprachigen Vortrag handelte, wurde der Nachbericht ebenfalls auf Englisch verfasst.