University Staff Receive Accreditation to Help Keep Community Safe

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It takes the total number of staff at the University to achieve the accreditation to 20. The accreditation allows the University's security staff to work more closely with the community and the police on and off campus.

It gives those staff that complete the relevant training the ability to hand out Fixed Penalty Notices for such things as noise nuisance, graffiti and disorder.

The University of Worcester is one of a limited few universities in the Country to achieve the accreditation, under the Police Reform Act 2002.

This coincides with news that the University has become one of only a handful of universities in the country whose CCTV has met the stringent requirements of the Home Office.

Tom Taylor, Assistant Director - Security and Operations at the University, said: "The University has a pro-active approach to ensuring good student/community relations. We work very closely with the local community and local beat officers, as well having two Police and Community Support Officers based at the University, and have a very successful University-Community Forum, which has been running since 2003. This accreditation strengthens that work further and gives us the ability, when necessary, to deal with any incidents swiftly and appropriately, and has so far proved very successful since its implementation."

Working alongside the two University-funded Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), who work on campus and within the local community, the scheme partly aims to reduce the use of police resources in lower level matters.

West Mercia Police's Chief Inspector, Jim Baker, presented the Accreditation to staff.

The accredited staff can:

" Issue Fixed Penalty Notices for Disorder - for breach of a fireworks curfew or knowingly raising a false fire alarm.

" Confiscate alcohol from young people.

" Issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on the pavement, dropping litter, dog fouling, fly posting and graffiti.

" Require a name and address for a fixed penalty offence or anti- social behaviour.

The University of Worcester has a limited number of places available for well-qualified applicants to start in September 2018, across a range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. For information visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.