What will I learn on this module?
This module will introduce students to the criminal law, police powers and procedures, such as arrest, stop and search and making seizures, including how police powers are to be used ethically and professionally to detect crimes, protect the public and police the roads. This will include gaining an understanding of relevant legislation and guidance associated with different forms of policing. The module will consider general themes and principles in relation to the role of the Police Constable and the law, while introducing students specifically to:
• Understanding how to exercise police powers and procedures fairly and without bias, including recording incidents, powers of arrest, stop and search, and making seizures while respecting the core principles of equality, diversity and human rights.
• How to protect the public and police the roads.
• An overview of the criminal law in England and Wales and how to apply points to prove to practical arrest scenarios.
The module will cover the following Learning Outcomes from the Police Constable Entry Route (PCER):
The Police Constable Role and Professional Standards: 7.3, 8.1-8.7
Wellbeing and Resilience: 1.3, 1.4
Communication Skills: 1.1, 6
Decision-Making and Discretion: 1.1, 2.1, 2.5, 2.8
Protecting the Public (Core Local Learning): 1.1, 1.2
Suspect/Offender Management: 6.2-6.5, 7.2-7.5
Response Policing: 1.1-1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5-2.10, 3.2-3.8, 4.1-4.4, 5.1-5.3
Response Policing (Core Local Learning): 1.1, 2.1
Roads Policing: 1.1-1.3, 2.1
Roads Policing (Core Local Learning): 1.1
How will I learn on this module?
The module will run across five weeks with students learning through webcasts, lectures, seminars, workshops and tutor-guided and student-independent learning. The tutors will use historical and current developments, case law and academic writing to give context to core principles. You will then be learning through a series of different delivery styles which will include traditional taught lectures blended with podcasts/recorded lectures to cover theoretical / procedural aspects of the curriculum. This will be supplemented with seminar and workshop sessions where you will be a more active learner, making connections between theory/procedure in practice. Additional learning strategies utilised throughout the module include practical and online exercises. There will be directed independent learning to go beyond the lecture content. The module eLearning Portal (Blackboard Ultra) site contains a module handbook outlining the content of the module. Lecture slides, digital lecture recordings, podcasts and seminar exercises will also be made available on Blackboard Ultra. Formative feedback will be provided on knowledge and understanding of module content as well as a number of opportunities to engage with the method of assessment used in the module.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
The academic support on the module is designed to help you engage with the wide range of sources and to evaluate their effectiveness and currency. Your module tutors will be the primary source of academic guidance and will encourage critical reflection on knowledge, experience and practice of financial crime and its impact. Support in these areas underpins the learning and teaching philosophy along with the explicit development of the PCER learning outcomes. Your learning will also be supported by a range of electronic materials, which are made available to all students via Blackboard Ultra. These include lecture recordings, policy documents, additional reading, and self-test exercises. Academic support is also available through formative feedback during timetabled sessions. You will get formative assessment, by various questions in module materials, group discussion, informal peer assessment and assessed and non-assessed exercises. Your tutors will give oral and written feedback to you as required. At programme level you will be supported by the Programme Leader who will provide pastoral support throughout the module and the programme as a whole.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding (K&U):
K&U -
Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal law and procedure be able to apply those principles in the context of given scenarios encountered by police.
Intellectual/Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):
IPSA -
Communicate your knowledge and understanding of the criminal law accurately.
Carry out policing duties including public protection and policing the roads, effectively and ethically.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
PVA –
understand and put into practice the fundamental responsibility of the police service to identify and support those who are vulnerable or at risk
Enhance your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal law and acquire the necessary knowledge and carry out lawful, safe and effective policing tasks in a variety of situations.
How will I be assessed?
Formative assessment
Knowledge: There will be self-test, multiple choice questions. These will be used to ensure that you are aware of the theoretical/doctrinal elements of the module and prepare you for the style of question asked in the summative assessment.
Practical: There will be numerous practical exercises throughout the module that will address different skills in the module. giving students opportunity to practice ahead of the final practical assessment.
Summative assessment
1. Knowledge: The assessment for this module will be one, 50-question Multiple Choice Examination based on the substantive areas of law and procedure. The assessment will be worth 100% of the final grade. This will assess MLO 1,2,5
2. Public and personal safety assessment: part way through the module you will undertake public and personal safety training and will be assessed on this training through a pass/fail assessment. This will assess MLO 1,3,4 and 5
3. Practical: At the end of the module there will be an assessed practical exercise covering stop & search and arrest lasting 10 minutes. This practical assessment is pass/fail. This will assess MLO 2,3,4,5
Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments.
Grade-Related Descriptors are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge and/or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks
Pre-requisite(s)
N/A
Co-requisite(s)
N/A
Module abstract
Understanding the criminal law, police powers and procedure, including how the police operate within different scenarios, is key to effective, professional, and ethical policing. In this module you will study an extensive range of criminal offences in England and Wales and will consider what must be proved in order to establish liability for a criminal offence. You will examine how crimes are recorded and investigated ethically and respecting human rights and other professional obligations. You will develop the ability to locate relevant criminal law and other guidance documents and to understand and explain the information so obtained. You will also develop the ability to explain principles of criminal law and professional policing by forming structured and coherent arguments, using correct legal terminology, and to problem solve by applying your knowledge of criminal procedure to factual scenarios. Students will also learn how to use their police powers in different scenarios, including policing the roads, protecting the public, and other situations where criminal offences potentially arise.
Course info
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years Full Time
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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