More women officers than men in “High Potential” scheme

THE assessment process that sees ‘talented’ officers zoom through the ranks has seen more female entrants than male in a UK policing first.

Some 780 officers from across the UK applied for just 55 places on the High Potential Development Scheme. Of these 28 have gone to women for the 2014 intake – leaving 27 men. Never before have females outnumbered males on the five-year scheme.

And 62 per cent of women who took part in the national application process were successful, compared with just 34 per cent of men.

The scheme, which leads to academic qualifications in policing, speeds up the candidates’ promotion through the ranks.

The increase is “good news”, said Parwinder Dale, national coordinator of the British Association for Women in Policing.

Ms Dale said: “We are really pleased and we welcome the increase to 28 women from last year’s intake of 26. But we have to remember that there are fewer officers in the police service as a whole. So the British Association for Women in Policing will look to continue to support the service in increasing that number. We still have a lot of work to do.”

Sara Thornton, director of the HPDS selection process for the College of Policing, described the news as a “milestone”.

Ms Thornton added: “I am delighted that the HPDS Assessment Process has resulted in such a healthy representation of female officers. It is a milestone that such a prestigious scheme will represent the proportion of females in our overall population – this is an important feature of the policing by consent and participation model operated in the UK.”

There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of female officers being brought onto the scheme. In 2010, 19 women were accepted onto the scheme, followed by 23 in 2011 and 26 last year. This year’s intake will begin the course in February.