Education Consists of Three Elements: Mentality, Learning and Training

European Police Education Systems was the subject of CEPOL Seminar 72/2008. Held in Athens, Greece, on 15-17 December 2008, the Seminar attracted 26 participants from 16 Member States.

Led by six experts, two from the supporting countries, as well as David Garbutt, Eduardo Ferreira and Elmar Koenn, the main objectives of the seminar were:

• To promote the regular updating of the collected data on the situation of Police Training and Education in Europe;
• To encourage discussion on the further benefits of the collected data and the necessity of establishment of a module of common quality standards for European police education;
• To support the exchange of best learning and training practices in European police education and training, using mainly the CEPOL Electronic Network;
• To facilitate the collection and analysis of information on the police research infrastructure in EU countries and to promote the future prospects of European police research;
• To promote the implementation of the Bologna criteria in the national education and training systems of the Member States;
• To promote mutual confidence and cooperation among the police institutions within the EU;
• To promote the use of evaluation tools for training activities.

The first day was dedicated to Education of Police Officers within the Bologna Process, Results from SEPE and Future Challenges, as well as knowledge management and distance learning. Two workshop sessions were held in the afternoon.

The second day of the seminar was dedicated to Police Domestic Violence Training Programmes: Evaluation of the Practical Effectiveness, the Training of Public Administration Staff (focused on police staff) under the new conditions of the EU and to an integrated assessment regime. In the afternoon, the participants were divided into four groups to discussing evaluation.

The outcomes of the workshops were reported on the final day and recommendations and conclusions drafted.

Closing the seminar, the Director of the Hellenic Police Academy, Vasileios Moysis, presented the certificates to the participants.

Ken Henning, a participant from the UK, highlighted the high professionalism of the organisers stating: “The seminar was very good indeed and very well organised. I am so impressed - Greece is fabulous as are the people in the police.”

The seminar was organised by the CEPOL Department of the Hellenic Police Academy and supported by Slovakia and Cyprus.