Accelerated Prosecutors Recruitment Program
Police Prosecuting - An intelligent career choice
Do you have a law degree? Are you intrigued by criminal cases? Interested in justice? Keen to develop excellent advocacy skills? Then police prosecuting is the career you are looking for.
NSW Police Prosecutors are responsible for prosecuting matters on behalf of the NSW Police Force as well as other government agencies in Local Courts, Children's Courts and the Coroner's Courts in over 150 locations across the State. Police prosecutors are responsible for prosecuting 95% of all criminal cases in this State.
Police prosecuting is a career where you will make a real difference in your community.
Requirements
Prior to 2008, law graduates were not able to become police prosecutors without first spending at least 3 years performing other policing duties. Under a new initiative, the Accelerated Prosecutors Recruitment Program (APRP), the NSW Police Force is now recruiting law graduates and fast tracking them into prosecuting. You must have a law degree that enables you to become a solicitor in Australia.
This new program involves completing an Associate Degree in Policing Practice (ADPP) as well as some time performing and gaining an insight into general policing duties.
The new fast tracked career path for prosecutors with law degrees consists of four stages.
Stage 1
A 14 week Constable Education Program (CEP) which may completed via on-line distance education. This session introduces you to the fundamentals of policing, including law and police procedure. During this stage there are two (2) separate residential school periods at the Police Academy, Goulburn for 5 days duration. At the completion of stage one you are required to complete a two week field placement at a police station.
Stage 2
PLEASE NOTE: You must pass a physical fitness test before starting this session
A further 14 week residential component at the Police College, Goulburn. During this session students are introduced to the practical aspects of policing, while continuing law and procedure studies. It also includes driver, weapons and tactics training.
IMPORTANT: During sessions 1 and 2 of the ADPP you are not paid any income, however during session 2 there is provision for a small scholarship to pay for your room and board at the Police College.
Towards the end of session 2 at the NSW Police Academy, you must satisfy the requirements of the physical fitness test – otherwise you may not attest as a NSW Police Officer.
Stage 3
At the completion of Stage 2 recruits are attested into the NSW Police Force as a probationary constable and start receiving a wage. The probationary constable completes Sessions 3-5 whilst undergoing a 12 month probation period performing general duties at a police station. People who enter the NSW Police Force under this scheme are given credit for assignments in session 5.
Also during their probation the APRP probationary constable attends Police Prosecutions for face to face lectures and practical instruction.
Stage 4
Once the APRP probationary constable is confirmed as a constable, they are eligible to transfer to Police Prosecutions within 12 months (when a trainee police prosecutor position is available).
PAYMENT REQUIRED FOR THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE OF POLICING PRACTICE:
Up Front Payment - $12,352 (Can be paid separately for each of 5 sessions)
Deferred Payment - $15,440 (fee help incurs 25% loading)
Application Process
If you wish to apply under this program, you will need to apply to both Charles Sturt University and the NSW Police Force. You can download the Charles Sturt University application for an Associate Degree in Policing Practice at http://www.csu.edu.au/student/police/apply.htm. You need to fill in both the ‘application form’ and the ‘authority form’.
You will also need to obtain a Professional Suitability Application Kit. Go to the police website at www.police.nsw.gov.au/recruitment. On the bottom right hand side of the page, select the icon that says ‘Already have a CSU number? Download the Professional Suitability Application Kit’. On the next page, tick the box that says, ‘Yes I have been assessed and cleared by Charles Sturt University.’ You need to download both the red and blue forms and fill them out. You do not need to fill in your Charles Sturt University number as requested. Post the Professional Suitability Application Kit to the following address in order to be considered for the Accelerated Prosecutor Recruitment Program:
For Police Recruiting inquiries please contact:
Sergeant Darren Critchley
Phone: 88359878
For further Accelerated Prosecutor Recruit information please contact - Sergeant Ken Schneiders
Ph: 96897002 Email: schn1ken@police.nsw.gov.au
POLICE PROSECUTOR’S SALARY AND ALLOWANCES (January 2012)
Probationary Constable - $59,154.00
Constable - $61,387.00
Allowances
Plainclothes - $1259.00 p.a.
Trainee Prosecutor - $1024.00 p.a. (After 6 months as trainee)
Police Prosecutor (1-3yrs) - $4345.00 p.a. (After 6 months as prosecutor)
Police Prosecutor (3-5yrs) - $5368.00 p.a.
Police Prosecutor (5+ yrs) - $6644.00 p.a.
Academic (P/Cst – S/Cst) - $792.00 p.a.
RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL DURING SESSION 1B OF ADPP
The APRP student will be required to attend residential school at the Police Academy, Goulburn for the Associate Degree of Policing Practice for 2012 as follows:
Session 1B May – August 2012
1st Week 19 June to 24 June 2012
2nd Week 28 July to 3 August 2012
Session 1B – August to December 2012
1st Week 9 October to 14 October 2012
2nd Week 17 November to 23 November 2012
PLACEMENT DATES AT A POLICE STATION 2012
As the Accelerated Prosecutor Recruit completes session 1B of distance education in the Associate Degree of Policing Practice, they are required to do placement at a NSW police station for 80 hours over a period of 6 weeks.
DO NOT CONTACT THE POLICE STATION UNTIL YOUR PLACEMENT IS CONFIRMED!
The dates for 2012 are as follows:
January to May 2012 session 1B students - To be completed before 5/5/2012
May to August 2012 session 1B students - 15/6/2012 - 3/8/2012
August to December session 1B students - 1/10/2012 - 23/11/2012
LOCATION
When you attest as a Probationary Constable, you will be required to work in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. There may be an opportunity, once you transfer to Police Prosecutions, to apply for a position in a regional area of NSW if one is advertised.
WEEKEND AND PUBLIC HOLIDAY DUTIES
Once you have transferred to Police Prosecutions and appointed as a Trainee Police Prosecutor, you may be rostered to attend the Parramatta Bail Court on a Saturday or Sunday during the year. Generally this will only be required of you for three times per year. There will be opportunities to volunteer for public holiday bail courts that attract the higher penalty rates applicable to those days.
ACCELERATED PROSECUTOR RECRUIT PROGRAM TIMETABLES
- Once a APRP student attests as a Probationary Constable, they will commence duty at their Local Area Command and continue their studies of the ADPP.
- After approximately 10 months at their LAC (during session 5 of ADPP), they will attend an induction day with Police Prosecutions at Level 12, 130 George Street, Parramatta.
- About 2 weeks after induction, the APRP officer will begin training in the Prosecutor Education Program (PEP) consisting of 2 weeks face to face lectures, there will be an exam at the beginning of the second week.
- The APRP officer will be allocated a police prosecutor office to attend on their monthly court weeks (for practical instruction) and they will have a field diary to fill out during these weeks.
- They return to their LAC after these initial 2 weeks and the following month they will attend their specific prosecutor’s office to receive practical instruction and advocacy training.
- The APRP officer will attend Police Prosecutions HQ for Week 3 of the Prosecutor Education Program around the end of session 5 of the ADPP.
- Once this is completed and they are confirmed in the rank of Constable, they will be eligible to transfer to Police Prosecutions. Transfer will occur when the trainee is eligible and when a trainee police prosecutor position is available.
- Upon transfer to Police Prosecutions, the APRP officer will join the next PEP class to do their Week 4 face to face lectures and continue with their prosecutor training.
ACCELERATED PROSECUTOR RECRUIT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS WITH THE ASSOCIATE DEGREE OF POLICING PRACTICE
The APRP officer must complete all duty book and assignments for session 3 and session 4 of the ADPP. In session 5 of the ADPP, the APRP officer is required to do the following assignments:
PPP251 - Duty book and Brief Preparation Assignment only
PPP252 - Duty book and all assignments to be completed
APRP students are involved in prosecutor training during the course of completion of the ADPP. As such, they do not have as much time as other ADPP students to complete assignments.