Turkish National Police Academy
Encyclopedia
History
The Police academy was founded on 6 November 1937 in accordance with Article 18 of the Act 3201 as a one-year-in service-training institute of higher education to educate and train junior and senior executive constablesThe Police Training Institute was first a higher education institution offering a two-year training program designed in line with the resolutions of the Education and Training Council of the Ministry of National Education in 1940. Later the institution was included in the higher education league of schools offering a three-year education program in 1962, and from 1984 on wards it started to offer a four-year undergraduate program.
In compliance with the Constitution (Article 132) and Higher Education Law (Article 2) the institution gained a different legislative identity and was entitled The National Police Academy offering a four-year undergraduate program upon the enactment of Police Higher Education Act No.3087 issued on 6 December 1984.
With a new concept of Police University in mind, the Police Academy was restructured within the scope of Police Higher Education Act 4652 issued on 25 April 2001 to gain a university status by including the Faculty of Security Sciences, the Institute of Security Sciences, Police Vocational Schools of Higher Education, and Faculty and Higher Education Institutions offering the training programs concerned.
Of all the schools, previously operating as Police Training Schools to meet the needs of the Police Organization for police officers, twenty were transformed into Police Vocational Schools of Higher Education in line with the resolutions of the Council of Ministers enacted on 6 October 2004 in the issue of the Official Gazette no. 24545, and the other five subsequently went through the same process in compliance with the resolutions of the Council of Ministers enacted on 9 August in the issue of the Official Gazette no. 25239.
In 2002 the foundation of the Institute of Security Sciences was fully completed to admit students upon the approval of The Council of Higher Education on 18 March 2002. In the Institute, there are six academic divisions: 1) International Terrorism, 2) International Security, 3) Criminal Justice, 4) Crime Researches, 5) Transportation Security, 6) Security Strategies Administration. There are currently some 750 MA and PhD students. Besides, the Institute offers PhD programs to train academic personnel to meet the needs of the faculty and vocational higher education schools.
Goals
The goal of the Police Academy is to train officers, constables and chief constables for the police, to offer a two-year course, undergraduate and graduate programs conferring a two-year degree, bachelor’s degree and master’s degree respectively in the fields concerned, to conduct scientific researches, and to publish in the fields of interest.Pre-undergraduate program
The pre-undergraduate program is a two-year academic study, each of which is composed of 28 weeks, offering a two-year degree course to those planning to be police officers with the lowest rank in the police organization.Undergraduate program
The faculty of Security Sciences offers a four-year degree course. Cadets of foreign origin follow a one-year prep school program to learn Turkish besides the undergraduate program of the faculty.
Graduate program
The Institute of Security Sciences offers a two-year postgraduate study, composed of four semesters on the basis of allowing two semesters for course study and two semesters for thesis writing in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of police studies in the fields of interest concerned.Ph.D. program
The Institute of Security Sciences offers a four-year Ph.D. program, composed of eight semesters on the basis of allowing two semesters for course study and six semesters for thesis writing in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of philosophy of police studies.Faculty and Higher Education Institutions program
This program, included in the Police Academy curriculum as part of the whole education and training program, is designed to admit students from those already enrolled as regular students in different faculties of state universities in AnkaraAnkara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. They are trained as cadets while they pursue their studies in the special fields in which the police organization feels the need for the qualified personnel.
Management program
As part of the education and training program of the Institute of Security Sciences, this program is designed for 3rd degree superintendents who display satisfactory performance in the tests of promotion in order to be trained as Senior Chief Constables of High Rank, and also for constables to be trained as Junior Executive Constables.Faculty of Security Sciences
Besides Police College graduates, High School graduates (the number of which can be at least as many as 25 % of Police Academy-bound Police College graduates admitted each year, including those graduating from Vocational High Schools and Commerce and Tourism High Schools) and students of foreign origin form the source of cadets allowed to enter the undergraduate program of the faculty.Institute of Security Sciences
The students who follow the postgraduate program are those who have already completed their undergraduate education at the Police Academy, Military Schools, universities if educated on behalf of the General Directorate of Police Organization and other institutions of higher education (Faculty of Law, Faculty of Political Sciences, and Faulty of Finance and Administrative Studies).FYO (Faculty and Institutions of Higher Education)
Graduates of Police College, High Schools, Technical Schools for Boys, Technical Schools for Girls, Commerce and Tourism High schools form the source of the students of Faculty and Institutions of Higher Education. The students to be educated on behalf of the General Directorate of Police Organization are selected on the basis of selection requirements specified by the directorate concerned each year from those already enrolled in the first year, second year and third year of the programs of the faculties operating in the province where the Police Academy is situated.Police Vocational Colleges
Police Vocational Colleges are Police Academy-Affiliated Higher Education Institutions offering a two-year degree program to train police officers. The graduates of high schools, technical schools for boys, commerce and tourism high schools form the source of the cadets admitted to follow the programs offered.Duration education
The whole undergraduate program of the faculty of Security Sciences is a four-year degree course designed on the basis of satisfactory completion of two semesters for each academic year with one-academic year optional study allocated for those who have not completed their studies satisfactorily within the duration required. The cadets thought to be unable to complete the program within five-year-duration of study are declared ‘school dropout’ irrespective of their academic year level.Pre-Service training
After a successful academic study all year round and summer training program, the student must complete pre-service training by going through a program for a month as described below.Summer training camps
Upon completion of their studies during their first and second academic years, the cadets go through a summer training program at Didim Training Camp for a month or two. The cadets are trained in shooting skills, put their theoretical knowledge into practice, develop their physical strength and practice first aid. Those whose performances in the end-of-camp tests are 'unsatisfactory' will take the same test the next year.Source of students
The Police College is a boarding state high school whose graduates are all academy-bound and are admitted to The Faculty of Security Sciences. Apart from College graduates, high school graduates, vocational high school graduates and students from abroad may apply for the undergraduate program of the faculty.Students from abroad
Students from abroad are allowed to apply provided that the Ministry of Interior approves. The students from abroad will be given a Turkish proficiency test, and if they have adequate command of Turkish to follow the program, they will be enrolled. There are 227 foreign students from 13 regions enrolled at the moment. These regions are:Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, FYRO-Macedonia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Palestine, Northern Cyprus, Turkmenistan and Sudan.
Socrates/Erasmus
The Police Academy is involved in EU Education and Youth Programs and holds Erasmus University Charter-EUC. The Academy has signed mutual agreements with the higher education institutions to exchange students and staff members within the scope of Socrates/Erasmus Program. The above-mentioned institutions are:- General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy, Lithuania
- Police Academy, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, Maribor University, Slovenia
- Salford University, England
- Lyon 3 University
Three students from the Faculty of Criminal Justice of Maribor University came to the Police Academy on a student—exchange program in 2005-2006 academic year to follow the program for one semester. Within the same academic year two Lithuanian postgraduate students came to the Institute of Security Sciences to do some research for their Master’s thesis.
Three Police Academy Cadets of the Faculty of Security Sciences went to Maribor University to follow the undergraduate program of the Faculty of Criminal Justice for one semester.
Some staff members of the universities in Lithuania, England and Slovenia came to the Police Academy as visiting scholars to lecture for a period of time, and staff members of the Faculty of Security Sciences went to those countries to teach for the same period of time.
Bologna process
The academy has already completed the process of transforming into the EU credit transfer system and enclosing a transcript of credits with the diploma conferred.Promotion prospects
The graduates of the Faculty of Security Sciences will be appointed to work at various departments in the National Security Organization as an assistant commissar, a police officer in the administrative section of the police force. They have the opportunity to be promoted to hold the highest rank in the organization. They also benefit a lot from a wide range of opportunities that the organization offers such as housing provided free of charge for the whole family, summer or winter resorts run by the organization, houses of police operating nation-wide, health—care provided for all the members of the family. They are also endowed with the opportunity to follow language programs abroad, in-service training programs designed abroad and foreign mission to be completed in embassies abroad for a certain period of time.Life in the faculty
The Faculty of Security Sciences has a campus situated on a 920 acres (3.7 km²) site in Golbasi, a small town 25 km from Ankara. In addition to the lecture halls, there are also simulation rooms designed for traffic and forensic science courses for the students to follow and take part in them while learning how to investigate the scene of the accident or the crime committed. Its main campus (smaller in size) is in Anittepe, where the Institute of Security Sciences operates and runs its own programs.The liobrary has 25.000 books and periodicals for the students, personnel and researchers. There exists a language lab with computer assisted programs backed up with sound track for listening practice and viewing audio-visual materials.
The conference hall, holding 750 people, serves for viewing movies, organizing symposia and panel discussions besides recreational activities produced and directed by the students.
There are four cafeterias, one for each academic year—freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each academic year student group has its own living quarters on the campus.
Golbasi Campus has three dining halls: students' hall for 1150, a smaller one for 100 people available for the staff only and a VIP hall for guests.
On Anittepe campus there is a dining hall for 400 students and an open-air cafeteria-like restaurant open to the students, the personnel and the public. On Anittepe Campus there is a nine-storey dormitory for the students studying at other universities on behalf of the Police Academy. On Golbasi Campus are there two men's dormitories accommodating 1500 students and a 120—student dormitory for women students.
The Golbasi campus has a post office, three barbers, three tailors and two shoe-repairers employed to meet the daily needs of the cadets and also the personnel.
Golbasi campus csan be reached by the service buses departing from the Anittepe Campus in the city centre. Also the public buses can be used to reach Golbasi departing from the Sihhiye and Ulus centers.
Academy TV
Academy TV is a close-circuit broadcasting channel, transmitting education, daily news and a magazine.Sports activities
The sports complex has an area of 86,000 square meters, consisting of facilities such as three covered sports halls, two small-sized football fields with a synthetic special floor, one tennis court, one mini golf court, three basketball, five volleyball and beach volleyball fields, three saunas and one athletics field. In addition to these, there is one sports hall, fitness centre, and a small-sized football field on Anittepe Campus for physical education and self-defense courses to be done.The cadets are trained in shooting with firearms and with air pistols. The shooting facilities are equipped with scenario—based standard immobilized swivel target, mobilized swivel target and a standard one.
Six hundred students enjoy sports ranging from athletics to table tennis. In the 2001-2002 season, 22 cadets were chosen to be on the National Team in shooting, cross racing, ice hockey, karate, skiing, judo and taekwondo. (WinCE).jpg|frame|right|SPORTS]] -->
Social clubs
- Training and Self-development
- Software Programming and Development
- Communication and Media
- Press and Publishing
- Academy TV
- Language Training Centre
- Atam Group
- Theatre, Music and Cinema
- Billiards Sports Group
- Eurasia Group
- Environmental Issues
- Poets Society
- Special Project Group
- Police Academy Scientific Research Club
- Turkish Folklore Group
- EU Research Group
- Translation Club
- Drama Club
Publications
The Turkish Journal of Police Studies is a periodical published quarterly on police studies under the auspices of the Police Academy particularly focusing on preventing and combating crimes. Another journal is published on human rights and human rights violations as indicated by the judgments of the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
. A pamphlet of daily articles of well-known columnists is also duplicated and disseminated to all cadets. Each academic year students are encouraged to prepare a newspaper composed of their writings.