Students become Dark Knights

Laura Kirkham, Olivia Wright-Norton and Lloyd Bailey together with an officer from Heywood Police Station

Uniformed Public Services students have been assisting Greater Manchester Police with a crime prevention campaign in the Heywood area.

The 18 Hopwood Hall College students were delighted to be given the opportunity to assist with the Dark Knights Campaign over the past few weeks.

Their college tutors set up the exercise to assist the students with their studies; they are currently studying crime and its effects on society in the classroom and this was a wonderful opportunity to accompany officers for real.

Out of the classroom environment and entrenched in real police work, the students learnt a lot; they gained a valuable insight into the officers’ duties and real experiences to embed into their assignments.

Many of the group may wish to become police officers after they have finished their college course and so it was a great opportunity for the potential recruits to meet their local police team. They also got a sneak look at Heywood Police Station and experienced carrying out patrols in the community, too.

John  Hall, their lecturer says: “This valuable experience has enriched our students’ academic study. It is one thing for me to talk about crime prevention in the classroom but quite another for them to actually do it.

"They all found it rewarding and wanted more. What’s more, the feedback I have received from the Police was excellent and we hope that our learners can participate in future initiatives.”