This blog has been written by Lynn Mohring, Simon Hauk and Simon Grethlein.
This January, three student officers from the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Police immersed themselves in a week of policing, culture, and community at UWE Bristol and with Avon & Somerset Police.
Lynn, Simon and Felix’s reflections uncover meaningful contrasts— from court procedures and officer safety approaches to discovering a policing style grounded in communication, patience, and community engagement. This blog captures a week of international knowledge exchange, showcasing the value of openness, curiosity and shared learning across policing cultures.
And if all of that is not enough, it also features photos of our local police horses and working dogs… because no international exchange is completed without a few four-legged colleagues.
What were your first impressions when you arrived in England?
When we arrived at London Heathrow in the morning of Saturday Jan. 10th, we were welcomed by sunshine which was a surprise, England being known for its rainy weather. We then got our rental car, which led us to our first challenge: driving on the left side of the road. But for Felix, being an experienced driver, it was no problem after a short time of getting used to it. On our way from London to Bristol, we made a little detour to Oxford where we were just in awe of the beautiful old buildings and the city’s history being present in every street. After spending some time just roaming through the city, we drove to Bristol where we met Claudia McCready, who turned out to be the loveliest and most welcoming person. She showed us around UWE Campus, which is different from the German School of Policing at Campus Hahn as it is a normal university which includes the department of Policing. The part of school where the policing students work really impressed us because it is so modern. For instance, the simulation rooms are not comparable to the ones on Hahn – we felt like we were walking through Ikea.
One Monday we first had a lovely chat with Dr. Anne Eason, the Associate Director of Policing, over some tea and coffee she treated us to. Thanks again, Anne! It was really nice to see a woman as the “Big Boss”.
We then met the second year DHEP students who were super nice and open-minded. They enthusiastically joined our little German quiz at the end of our presentation on the German Police in Rhineland Palatinate, where we asked them what words like “Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht” meant.
During the week we met many interesting people – Martin and Gary took us to visit Crown Court, the Major Crime Department and CID. We had very informative conversations with the first year students, and also with one of the lecturers, Imogen Hirst, who shared many of her valuable experiences.
Sam and Lloyd showed us the Mounted Police facilities, their Headquarters, the dog and drones units, and most interesting for some of us (looking at you, Felix), the firearms unit at Black Rock. Everyone we met had such a positive and friendly attitude which made our stay really comfortable.
Even outside of UWE and the police, the people we met were super friendly, open-minded and interested. All in all, we found the British people to always be very polite and considerate.
What did a typical day on the exchange look like?
A typical day on the exchange began with meeting Claudia in the morning and joining her and/or the students to lectures, scenarios or presentations from people outside the Police. We met peers from the CPS and people who support street sex workers to stay safe.
It was really interesting because it gave us a good understanding of how the Avon & Somerset Police operate. Especially the scenarios were very interesting to watch, showing us how all in all the British and the German police are very similar. However, there are some differences such as how to perform a body search, or in the general dealing with a citizen.
On Tuesday and Friday, we had a diverse program off UWE Campus, visiting Crown Court, criminal departments and various police units. For me as a horse rider, seeing the mounted police was a highlight of course. At Crown Court we were surprised by the wigs the officials wore and the fact that the barristers switch between prosecuting and defending, which in Germany are two completely separate jobs.
At CID we were shown the timeline of a crime, created with the help of CCTV. You could trace back every step of the involved thanks to the footage which is a huge benefit for the investigation. German data protection could never!
By the end of the daily program we were always very tired because of the many new and interesting impressions – but we had to take advantage of our rental car… So every evening we visited cool new spots, and although we saw everything in darkness it was totally worth it. We were almost blown away by the wind on the south coast (shoutout to the friendly stranger who showed us the fossils in the cliffs). We also walked over the beautifully illuminated Clifton Bridge, tried fish & chips, watched football in a British pub, visited Bath, and even crossed the border to Cardiff/Wales. Together with Claudia we enjoyed a lovely trip to Bristol City where we visited a really nice museum and had discussions over some politics, went souvenir shopping and just had a wonderful time.
Are there any policing methods or approaches in England and Wales that stood out to you?
Of course, the biggest and most outstanding difference between the British and the German police to us is the fact that British police officers don’t carry firearms. In the German police, officers are trained and getting used to carrying a gun within the first year of police training. Being out on the streets and not carrying a gun as protection is unimaginable to most of us. But it must be said that using a gun in a real-life scenario is really uncommon and bound by strict rules.
However, seeing the British approach and the deep respect for it within the police, but also in society, showed us that this method works just as well. From all the conversations with the students, the lecturers and the other police officers we learned that the goal with this method is to appear more citizen-friendly and approachable to the community. We got the impression that in this way the police seem more ‘harmless’ and that in return people are somewhat less prone to violence, which seems a good danger prevention tactic.
In general, the British police are more sensitive and more in contact with the people and communities. The officers take the time to explain everything in detail and sometimes even a few times, so the person really understands the measures and feels understood. The students are explicitly trained in this approach. Communication is also very important in the German police, but I feel the patience is quickly lost and officers want to move on, which is often (sadly) necessary because there is always too much to do with too few officers.
There are many reasons for this, including the fact that in Germany there are always two officers working together. In the car, on patrol or while taking measures, we are never alone. This is different in the British police where the officers are usually on their own. With this method they get more tasks done but from a German point of view this comes with a high risk. The so called “Eigensicherung”, the self-protection, is always of utmost importance for German police officers – after all everybody just want to get back home safely. When you are always with somebody you can discuss how to handle a situation, learn from one another and in case of a fight or attack, you always have immediate backup.
Even the students go out alone after only a few months of training which seems kind of crazy to us. Our students are always the third officers of the patrol for the entire three years of education. Personally, I would be more than overtaxed with being on my own after such a short time of learning, but on the other hand the British students have a much quicker learning progress.
In conclusion, the British police have some very different approaches in parts which I mostly appreciate and admire, only being on my own while doing such a dangerous job would be too high risk for me.
Written by Lynn Mohring.
How did the experience challenge or change your perspective on policing?
I would not say that the exchange influenced my point of view or created a new perspective on policing in general but during the exchange I have learnt that there are many different approaches.
During our week we spent time with the students of Avon & Somerset Police at UWE Bristol.
Having watched a few training scenarios and other lessons I noticed that the biggest aim of the English police is to communicate with the citizens in a friendly and comprehensible way and to impose their measures by words. Therefore, at first the police officers are eager to understand the problems of the citizens and then come to a solution with a positive communication.
This approach reinforced my thinking of communication as probably the strongest tool when it comes to handling police situations. Back in Germany I am sure that I can transfer this approach into my daily work routine as a German police officer.
What was the most memorable moment during your exchange?
The whole week was full of highlights and entertaining conversations. If I had to pick one moment or event of the whole exchange, I would probably name our visit to the Police Headquarters.
On this day we were able to see the Dog Unit, the Mounted Police, ‘Black Rock’ and other practical parts of the Avon & Somerset Police. This day and especially the conversations with colleagues enabled a certain comparison to our practical training, education and special forces.
But I can also recommend our short visit to the Crown Court in Bristol where we could be part of a real trial and discover how the English court system works. Each of us were able to feel the influence of the past and we could see some old traditions during a trial. A good example would be the curly wigs the prosecutors and the defending barristers have to wear.
In addition to that, we finished the day by visiting ‘CID’ and the ‘Major Crime Investigation Team’.
Did you notice any significant difference in how the police engage with the public in Avon and Somerset compared to Rhineland-Palatinate?
I have already mentioned the importance of the communicating with the opposite person being very important for the English officers. This kind of sensitive treatment of the citizens and detailed way to explain or to justify the measures done by the police is much more relevant and existent than it is in Germany. For instance, in Germany you do not spend that much time determining whether the person involved understood your assignment or not.
Therefore, I admired the patience of the English colleagues they put in to make the person involved feel comfortable.
Another big difference between German and English policing is obviously the fact that not every police officer in England is allowed to carry a gun during their shifts.
During the whole week we had some discussions about this interesting topic. Afterwards I was able to fully understand the thoughts and the aim behind the limited access to guns inside the police and the limited presence of armed police officers on the streets. For us it still remains a completely different approach but also an extraordinary approach worthy of admiration and respect.
Written by Simon Hauk.
How has this experience influenced your development as a student officer?
I think for me it was a great experience to gain insights into a police context outside of my own police organization. Until now, approaches and possible courses of action only came from “our own ranks.” Through the exchange with English colleagues and the insight into their methods of working, I was able to gain some great ideas, which I believe will also help me in Germany to handle my assignments. For example, we had the chance to watch the role plays of our fellow police students. We especially noticed some very helpful victim protection techniques in dealing with affected individuals, which I definitely want to take home with me.
How did it feel to represent your university and police service on an international platform?
For me, it was an absolutely wonderful experience, which also made me very proud. That applies to all of us. We were also very happy to present our host, Claudia, with our state emblem, under which we do our daily duty as police officers, as a gift.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience to exchange ideas with our British colleagues about everyday police work and to contribute experiences from Germany. Therefore, we would definitely recommend not missing any opportunity for an exchange with the Police of Avon & Somerset. For us, it was a unique experience that brought us many wonderful moments. Therefore, we would also like to thank Claudia, UWE Bristol, and the Police of Avon & Somerset, as as well as all other participants from the Rhineland-Palatinate Police University.
Written by Felix Grethlein.
Final thanks
Claudia and the Editorial Team would like to extend a huge thank you to Lynn, Simon and Felix for sharing their reflections. It was a pleasure to spend the week with such positive, engaged and genuinely inquisitive student officers. All the best with your upcoming graduation and the wonderful career ahead of you.
Editorial team
Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Claire Bowers (Senior Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer) and Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer).
