DCG Success Stories

Young police officer and former Derby College Group student James Ryall is living his boyhood dream.

Influenced by his uncle, a retired police sergeant, James, aged 22, has wanted to join the police since the age of six and is now a responder with Derbyshire Constabulary.

He took DCG’s level 2 Public Services course straight from school, moving on to the level 3 Foundation Diploma in Uniformed Protective Services, in which he achieved a double distinction.

Not keen on full-time lecture-based study at university, James instead enrolled on the level 4 then level 5 Foundation Degree in Criminal Justice (Security and Offender Management), taught at Broomfield Hall by lecturers he already knew and respected.

James said: “I really enjoyed my time at Broomfield. I loved learning about the criminology side of policing and looking at why people commit crime. Mark our lecturer, was phenomenal at teaching criminological theories.

“It was so interesting. I got on well with all my college lecturers. It was good to be surrounded by people who are great at what they do.”

James, who became a special constable while on the level 4 course, is currently completing his two-year probationary period at Pear Tree Police Station in Normanton.

He added: “It’s great – there’s so much variety and I like working in a multicultural community and meeting people from different backgrounds. As a police responder you need a broad range of knowledge and, as a new officer, being part of the team helps to build confidence.

“Longer term I’d love to work in the Traffic Division. I went out with traffic officers as a special and loved it. It was amazing. I’ve always been a bit of a car geek.”