NSW Police have instituted a training program for aspiring and current detectives, aiming for a more agile, coordinated, and professional approach to criminal investigation.
The police’s Education and Training Command has overhauled its professional development programs to provide more fulfilling career paths for all officers.
In a statement, NSW Police said reforms included the development and implementation of strategies to enhance learning environments by creating high-quality learning products and an innovative curriculum.
“In 2018, the entire suite of the NSW Police Force’s investigative education programs was reviewed, which identified an opportunity to increase the investigative professional knowledge level and skills of officers across the organisation,” the police said.
“The recommendations from this review were endorsed by the Detectives Board, which agreed that an investigators qualification ahead of designation would provide longevity within the detective profession.”
It said the initial training target was all investigators, including those from the Region Enforcement Squads, Target Action Groups, local and specialist proactive crime teams, rural crime investigation, and crash investigation, as well as criminal investigation.
“Future investigators must first undertake the Advanced Diploma Police Investigation (ADPI), following which they attain a nationally recognised qualification in policing investigations,” the police said.
“On completion of the ADPI, those seeking a career in criminal investigation must then undertake the revamped Detective Designation Course (DDC) and, on successful completion, can be awarded the designation of detective.”
It said enhancements to the DDC incorporated training and skills-building, acknowledging the ever-changing criminal landscape and advancements in technology, including those that assisted and impeded criminal investigations.
The Detectives Board had also approved the development of a Knowledge Library “containing the expertise and knowledge of investigative workflows to be accessible by all investigators in NSW to ensure the best outcomes are achieved”.
“This will ensure all investigators are equipped with the skills and knowledge to meet and exceed the future demands and complexities of crime,” the police said.
