Senior Investigative Officers (SIO) visited the Horsforth campus to help develop their abilities in speaking to the media, whilst being officially assessed by their peers, with a number of mock scenarios lined up for them throughout the day. 

First, officers were tasked with dealing with queries from a busy room full of inquisitive students during a mock press conference regarding a pre-determined scenario. Students questioned the serving officers in real time whilst taking photographs and having their phones and devices go off during the session to replicate distractions they would encounter in a real conference.  

They were then invited for interview by the students for TV and radio using the facilities in the journalism and media department at Leeds Trinity. The aim was to create a realistic setting and to see how the police officers managed the pressure of live media interviews. 

A mix of level four and five students from the Broadcast and Sports Journalism courses were in attendance and were able to demonstrate the practical skills they have built up during their time at Leeds Trinity, including investigative questioning and operating specialist media equipment. 

Phil Towers, first-year Broadcast Journalism student at Leeds Trinity University, said: “It was great to put into practice lots of the skills I’ve learnt so far. I really enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to put real police officers through their paces- it felt like a battle of wits at times. It gave me a lot more confidence in my own capabilities and made me realise just how persistent and resilient a journalist needs to be to get the answers they need.” 

The session was a continuation of a long-running partnership between Leeds Trinity and the West Yorkshire Police. Lindsay Eastwood, Senior Lecturer in Television Production at Leeds Trinity University, said: "This exciting event is one of the highlights of the year for the Journalism Department. 

“The partnership has been established for more than 15 years and the police officers and their trainers have always praised how realistic it feels, from the standard of questions being fired at them by our young journalists to being under the hot lights in the TV studio and 'going live' on the radio. 

"The press conferences are usually repeated two or three times with different police officers in the 'hot seat' so if students are nervous, they can simply observe at first. Tutors led by example in the press conference, demonstrating how to assertively challenge an authority figure while remaining professional and polite. By the end of the day, they are all usually asking questions like seasoned professionals.” 

Darren Harper, lecturer in journalism at Leeds Trinity University, added: “The students love the opportunity to interrogate some senior police officers, and from the feedback I get from West Yorkshire Police - they rather enjoy it too.  

“It's a fantastic project which gives experience to our students, plus a semi-real media process to the police - and works at the heart of knowledge exchange, which is key for Leeds Trinity University.” 

Simon Atkinson, Head of Crime Training at West Yorkshire Police, said: “The collaboration between West Yorkshire Police and Leeds Trinity University continues to go from strength to strength. Our SIO students really benefit from the extensive exposure to media opportunities that both the students at Leeds Trinity University and the facilities on campus provide.  

“The enthusiasm and participation of the Leeds Trinity University students is really positive and the level of the questions they pose really give the SIO students a great deal of reality and preparation for their future roles.  

“We look forward to building on our existing relationship and look at new media opportunities for our other courses with Leeds Trinity University.” 

Journalism courses at Leeds Trinity are currently ranked fifth in the UK for overall student satisfaction, following the results of the National Student Survey 2022. For more information, visit the website.