HC Deb 23 June 2004 vol 422 cc1421-2W
Sandra Gidley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Initial Crime Investigators Department Programme will include training of uniformed officers who deal with sexual offence investigation; and if he will make a statement. [171024]

Ms Blears

The Initial Crime Investigators Development Programme delivered by CENTREX is aimed at Trainee Investigators with the potential to become Detective Constables. It includes the investigation of sexual offences. The programme has been implemented nationally since January 2003 and is currently being delivered in 38 out of 43 forces, with the remainder moving towards full implementation.

The CENTREX National Centre for Policing Excellence is also working on national training development in this area. It is intended to design a national programme to develop "Specially Trained Officers". These officers are usually uniformed officers who provide victim care, while also ensuring optimum evidence retrieval. The aim is for this programme to be piloted from the end of 2004.