New PSNI Training College

MrAnderson

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7547191.stm

Apologies if this has been brought up already, but the new shared training college in Cookstown looks like it's finally going ahead.

egwene

must admit im a little jealous

sounds like it will be a great facility... oh well... we'll have to make do with garnerville i guess

Gee-22

*bump

There is a small bit in the Belfast Telegraph today about the new centre.

They said work will begin in October 2012 and aim to complete by the summer 2015.

Sorry i cant find a link, but you will just have to take my word for it

They said Garnerville will be sold to help fund the new facility.

Nothing really new, but when things are so quiet around here, every little helps.

Gee-22

Gee-22 wrote: »

*bump

There is a small bit in the Belfast Telegraph today about the new centre.

They said work will begin in October 2012 and aim to complete by the summer 2015.

Sorry i cant find a link, but you will just have to take my word for it

They said Garnerville will be sold to help fund the new facility.

Nothing really new, but when things are so quiet around here, every little helps.

Sounds bleak therefore for any sort of hope of recruitment before 2015

Delancey

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds bleak therefore for any sort of hope of recruitment before 2015

Indeed , unless you are lucky enough to be ex FTR and thus qualify for the ' Stealth Recruitment ' programme :rolleyes:

Shield

Delancey wrote: »

Indeed , unless you are lucky enough to be ex FTR and thus qualify for the ' Stealth Recruitment ' programme :rolleyes:

A quick glance confirms that the closing date for that was last Friday. It will be very interesting to see the demographic of that groups of trainees!

Delancey

Shield wrote: »

A quick glance confirms that the closing date for that was last Friday. It will be very interesting to see the demographic of that groups of trainees!

I reckon an FOI request would answer our questions ( or is that confirm our suspicions ? ) , of course no reason why any member of the Policing Board can't question PSNI management directly

On a serious note , it must be remembered that RC representation in the FTR was extremely low and if the recruitment of Investigators transpires to have largely been an exercise in the recruitment of ex FTR it then follows that the representation rate of RC's in the investigator grade will also be very low - this would clearly be at odds with the stated ambition of greater RC representation throughout the organisation.
I await developments with interest.......

pastiesupper

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds bleak therefore for any sort of hope of recruitment before 2015

Just a thought on the college as I'm still holding on to some hope......

http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/article/?id=12028

Statement on the college from the NI Policing Board and one of the comments is:

"In order to ensure continuity in the PSNI’s training provision the disposals of the sites agreed today will be timed to coincide with the opening of the new college"

Clutching at straws and having some wishful thinking means that they need to have some sort of training facility in place for the next intakes!!!! (Yes, I know that they train current officers and police staff in the existing facilities, but please let me cling to a tiny bit of hope!! )

Goonerdee

Here's hoping police officers are among the first intakes and not just prison officers and firefighters!!

With the PSNI's current recruitment speed, there might be a new campaign mid to late 2013 then.

A long time I know, but I've been waiting longer already and have got through it.

Goonerdee

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15186226

2015, if they want police trainees in, they will need a recruitment campaign in 2014. So two to three years from now.

Delancey

BBC Newsline @1830 hrs today will be doing a special report on the Desetrcreat training college so something to watch there.
According to BBC construction will commence in 2 years time - the outlook for recruitment for the next few years looks very bleak unfortunately.

notbrazil

Desertcreat is a ridiculous waste of money in my opinion. Leave a prime location site in a relatively safe area for an isolated field in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention that G'ville is only in need of some minor renovations (lots of cash already spent on revamping accommodation block). Typical Northern Ireland; ignore what is actually needed and splash the cash on a headline grabbing white elephant. How many officers could be put on the street with the money that's being spent?

My $0.02 for what it's worth.

gigity gigity

Agreed, it should have been put on hold for a bit longer and money spent on actual requirements.

BoutYe

I on the other hand look forward to all those extra mileage claims when they close steeple and garnerville....

But I get your point.

DesertCreat_15

Heres the link to the new college website !

http://www.desertcreatcollege.org/

Delancey

Somebody seems very keen to get going - very premature to have a website when you consider the Planning has yet to go through.
Despite all the nice sounds about it I would not rule out financial issues further delaying this project - years late already so in the words of the song ' Whats Another Year ? '.....or 2....or 3.......:rolleyes:

Memo To Self : - Try not to be so cynical

Buzz35

I would agree with you there. I cant help but feel we are not yet at the worst of our social financial problems, so I would not be surprised to see plans/budgets change and change again.

Gee-22

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/college_could_train_fbi_staff_1_3374385

FUTURE FBI agents could be trained at the new emergency services college in Cookstown, a senior police officer has indicated.

The US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation has held talks with the PSNI about the possibility of using the £140 million facilities at Desertcreat when they open in 2015, said Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie.

The commander revealed that 61 private developers had shown interest in bidding for the tender to build the police, fire and prison services college — an 18-month project that will employ 1,500 construction workers.

Mrs Gillespie, who chairs the college’s programme board, said the facilities on the 250-acre site will be world class.

She said the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies were interested in using the facilities for anti-terrorism and public order training.

“There are all sorts of opportunities opening up for us to have residential training for national and international colleagues, not just in policing but fire and rescue and prisons as well,” she said. “This will be truly a unique, state-of-the-art, best-in-class facility.”

She added: “The FBI are already expressing an interest, our colleagues in An Garda Siochana and the rest of the UK as well.

“There is the FBI academy in Quantico in Virginia but we have huge experience here and it’s often been the case where we’ve sent people to America to learn about policing techniques only to discover that we know as much if not more than the Americans do.

“And I think we have a real product to sell here, not just on counter-terrorism and our experience here over the last 30 to 40 years but also policing public order in a human rights-compliant way.

“We have human rights at the centre of everything we do here and I think we have a very strong message to give to international colleagues.”

When completed, the complex will incorporate huge outdoor and indoor practical training facilities. These will include a mock-up prison, fire station and urban town streets.

gigity gigity

That sounds pretty cool, since we are having cash flow issues over here maybe the FBI can throw a few quid this way to build the place! Seems a fair deal! :-)

Delancey

Meh ! When AGS in the Republic spent a fortune on updating the Templemore College the exact same stuff about the FBI and other forces using the facility was trotted out.
Seems to me that by mentioning the FBI they expect people to drop to their knees in thanks.
Lets see the place built first and then see what other forces ( if any ) actually use it.

Gee-22

After the recent and alarming spate of car-jacking, the public reaction and the calls for an increased police presence are understandable. It will, however, fall on deaf ears. I noted that last year, there was no local police recruitment procedure at all.
The PSNI website now seems to suggest that no recruiting competition will be run in 2012, either.
What puzzles me is why we are proposing to spend £140m on a new police college in Cookstown. Who are we going to train?
I did hear a suggestion that we could be training FBI recruits, but that seems ludicrous.
While the FBI might have had something to learn from the RUC, I am at a loss as to what they might glean from the PSNI, other than possibly how to face down vicious rioters using nothing stronger than harsh language.
Would it not be better to lash a few gallons of magnolia emulsion onto the existing college at Garnerville and use the £140m to train and pay for a few new squads each year?
Then we might at least have a visible police (such as they are) presence on the ground to deter car-jackers and those who prey on the elderly and the vulnerable in general.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/letters/new-police-college-is-just-another-white-elephant-16105708.html#ixzz1jtZ3moza

Delancey

In a reply to a Freedom of Information request that someone posted on this forum the PSNI indicated no recruitment campaign in 2012 and said no decision had been made with respect to 2013 .... I wouldn't hold my breath though.
The references to the FBI are , I suspect , to try and deflect criticism about the expense of the new centre.
There seems to be an expectation that people will say '' oh well if the FBI are going to use it then it must be good '' , I have to ask ; why would the FBI send people across the Atlantic when thay have their own training facilities ?
This FBI talk is just hyperbole in my opinion and when / if the new centre is built I seriously doubt that any meaningful or substantial FBI training will happen there.
I will guarantee you that FBI recruits will not be trained in Norn Iron.

Gee-22

http://www.desertcreatcollege.org/

Misterjay

Building starting mid 2013. Completed towards end of 2015. Best guess then would be probably no recruitment until late 2014, early 2015 EARLIEST!

Goonerdee

Misterjay wrote: »

Building starting mid 2013. Completed towards end of 2015. Best guess then would be probably no recruitment until late 2014, early 2015 EARLIEST!

Building was supposed to be starting now and finished early 2014.

They'd have been better off fixing up the sites the NIPS, PSNI and NIFRS had.

Shield

Misterjay wrote: »

Building starting mid 2013. Completed towards end of 2015. Best guess then would be probably no recruitment until late 2014, early 2015 EARLIEST!

There'll be a lot more "we're not recruiting" recruitment of transferees just like there was a few weeks ago which they very nicely kept out of the media.

I'd bet that they'll maintain the numbers by throwing the organisation open to transferees from any GB force. That way they won't be "recruiting" and the transferees only need around 5 weeks to learn the difference in legislation and they're on the ground. No bullshit PDP for them and just what the job wants: Experienced bodies, deeply discounted.

Gee-22

Shield wrote: »

There'll be a lot more "we're not recruiting" recruitment of transferees just like there was a few weeks ago which they very nicely kept out of the media.

I'd bet that they'll maintain the numbers by throwing the organisation open to transferees from any GB force. That way they won't be "recruiting" and the transferees only need around 5 weeks to learn the difference in legislation and they're on the ground. No bullshit PDP for them and just what the job wants: Experienced bodies, deeply discounted.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=77457991&postcount=73

Shield

Yep. That'll be them being assigned to their stations. The only big change most of them find difficult to grasp is Traffic legislation because like I said, there's not really any huge differences in any other legislation that we deal with.

Goonerdee

http://www.nifrs.org/news.php?news=25988

Gee-22

Work starts on the 1st march 2013.

heffomike54

Gee-22 wrote: »

Work starts on the 1st march 2013.

Any idea how long it will take to complete?

Gee-22

heffomike54 wrote: »

Any idea how long it will take to complete?

I didn't hear. But it's well talked about that 2015 would be completion.

Though these things always seem to run behind, so could run into early 2016. That's just my thinking.

HighburyLad

If Desertcreat is to finish in 2015, is it safe to assume that anyone recruited within the next process will be attending training in Garnerville?

gigity gigity

id say so.

HighburyLad

I thought so too mate, considering as well that this process isn't to be as drawn out apparently as previous

gigity gigity

oh really? That would be good the last time was long and a right pain! Where did you hear that?

HighburyLad

Family source, all I heard was that the process was being reviewed obv because there is no 50/50 anymore and that the previous process was under scrutiny due to the quality of recruits, again I don't know if it is 100 percent accurate but that is what has been said within the service

Goonerdee

It's in todays Belfast Telegraph that one of the parties up here may pull the plug on Desertcreat if it goes any further over budget.

Gee-22

I read that this morning but could not get a link.

Cheapest tender quote came back at 30 million over budget.

Goonerdee

Gee-22 wrote: »

I read that this morning but could not get a link.

Cheapest tender quote came back at 30 million over budget.

There should be a link tonight or tomorrow morning.

Gee-22

Goonerdee wrote: »

There should be a link tonight or tomorrow morning.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/dup-may-pull-plug-as-policing-college-goes-30m-overbudget-29087328.html

HighburyLad

Why go with a new college right now I'm just saying could they not invest the money into careers for the police, fire service, and the prison service, the rate it's going, desertcreat, if it does get the green light will be empty for a good while when its finished without new blood going into any of the 3 services, the prison service recruits once every decade or so lol, the fire service very rarely recruits and the police, well seems to be following that trend too, I know it's for active training for currently serving service men/women too but they have their facilities, but even still I say pump the money into new blood haha :P just wishful thinking on my part folks lol

heffomike54

HighburyLad wrote: »

Why go with a new college right now I'm just saying could they not invest the money into careers for the police, fire service, and the prison service, the rate it's going, desertcreat, if it does get the green light will be empty for a good while when its finished without new blood going into any of the 3 services, the prison service recruits once every decade or so lol, the fire service very rarely recruits and the police, well seems to be following that trend too, I know it's for active training for currently serving service men/women too but they have their facilities, but even still I say pump the money into new blood haha :P just wishful thinking on my part folks lol

I can't imagine if the new college gets the go ahead, they will leave sitting idle for too long. All the political & along with senior management in the 3 services will be keen to maximise their photo opportunity with the first batch of recruits starting training and/or starting training. When & weather, it gets the go ahead is the million pound question.

BoutYe

The college wont be for the sole purpose of training new recruits. I have no idea about the prison service or fire service but in regards to the police it will let them close numerous places currently used for training to have everything at a central point for training serving officers. I'm sure the other two have the same idea in mind.

pastiesupper

More news.......

Over-budget PSNI college: new bids will not be sought

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/overbudget-psni-college-new-bids-will-not-be-sought-29117151.html

DesertCreat_15

pastiesupper wrote: »

More news.......

Over-budget PSNI college: new bids will not be sought

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/overbudget-psni-college-new-bids-will-not-be-sought-29117151.html

From reading the last 10 lines, i assume it is still going to go ahead but they will cut out a few of the "luxuries" to cut the costs i guess.

Gee-22

http://m.u.tv/News/PSNI-slam-police-college-designers/1362850a-a93f-4032-a46a-db3ca50b7deb?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie says problems with the design company have been a major setback to Northern Ireland's new police training college.
The site at Desertcreat near Cookstown is planned to become a world-leading facility for use by the police, prison and fire and rescue services.

"We are working to address that now with the design team and we're working through a bill of reductions and already identified potentially £14.5m of savings we can take out of the college programme without compromising its functionality or ethos."

UTV contacted Perkins and Will in New York but they declined to comment.

The 23,000 square metres Community Safety College will have a police station, fire station and prison and is expected to create between 1500 and 2000 construction jobs.

The estimated cost of the facility is currently £137m.

But the five consortia which bid for the contract told the project board it would be impossible to build a college for £103m. Most of the bids were between £135m and £141m.

UTV understands one came in at over £180m. Meanwhile the Executive wants the college to cost no more than £117m.

Judith Gillespie said only part of the £12m contract with Perkins and Will has been paid.

"They have provided a design and only part of the contract value has been paid to date, they haven't been paid that full amount," she continued.

"Perkins and Will have assured me that they are competent to go forward with the programme and in fact some of the senior members of that design team have been replaced."

HighburyLad

Just seen that on UTV, really interesting, though hoping that i'll be one of the last to go through Garnerville lol, even if it is a busted up joint lol, just think at the amount of boots that have marched through that place...

Goonerdee

2016 before the college is built!

HighburyLad

So Garnerville it is for the time being for those being recruited over the year

Gee-22

PSNI: Desertcreat training college 'still £18m over budget'


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22994103