Phillip Parkinson

I’m a Lecturer in Policing, with a background as a former police officer. During my police career, I had time in child protection, CID, training, and command and control. I also spent a year on secondment in Croatia as a community policing advisor to the Croatian Police and government, and a further year on secondment in Iraq as a training advisor to the Iraqi security services and the Iraqi government. During my time in Iraq, I was also Deputy Chief of Training with an American led organisation responsible for the training of the Iraqi security services (some 400,000 personnel by the time I left the mission).

I left school at 16 and joined the army as a boy soldier. After spending 12 years in the army serving mainly in England and Germany, along with two short tours of Northern Ireland during the troubles, I left and joined the police.

I found that I had a real affinity for working with vulnerable people and had an enjoyable and varied career, taking in two years on secondment to a police training school, and two separate overseas postings.

After leaving the police, I spent six years as a specialist crime trainer working with Lincolnshire Police, and then a further four years as a self-employed trainer working everywhere from primary schools to universities, and with all manner of organisations from police forces, to government and private agencies.

All my educational qualifications have been completed in my own time and at my own expense, and all whilst also working full time.