Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre facts for kids

The Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre is a special school for police officers. It's located in Gravesend, Kent, and helps train police from the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police, and City of London Police. This centre teaches officers how to handle big crowds and how to use special weapons safely. It was built just for the Metropolitan Police and opened in 2003.

What Is This Police Training Centre?

This centre is like a giant practice ground for police officers. It helps them get ready for many different situations they might face in their job. Officers learn how to keep people safe and handle tough challenges.

Learning to Handle Crowds

One important part of the training is called Public Disorder training. This teaches officers how to manage large groups of people, especially during protests or big events. They learn how to keep everyone safe and make sure things don't get out of control.

Special Skills with Weapons

Another key part is Specialist Firearms training. This teaches officers how to use special police equipment and weapons very carefully and only when absolutely necessary. They learn to make quick, safe decisions to protect themselves and others.

Exploring the Training Site

The training centre is a huge place, covering an area about the size of one and a half football fields! It was built on land that used to be a place where soldiers practiced shooting. Before that, it was even a training spot for people learning about boats.

A City Built for Practice

This special site has many different areas that look just like a real town. It has:

• Fake roads, shops, and even a pretend pub and bank.
• A mock nightclub and a football stadium.
• Train and underground stations with real train carriages.
• A full-size part of an airplane, so officers can practice on planes.

Other Important Facilities

Besides the practice areas, the centre also has classrooms for learning and large rooms for lectures. There are places for over 300 people to stay overnight. It even has stables for 10 police horses, which are used for special police duties. There's also a tall tower where officers can practice abseiling, which is climbing down ropes.

The Centre in the Media

Sometimes, this special training centre has been shown to the public.

Photographs of the Training

In 2014, a photographer named James Rawlings was allowed to take pictures of the site. It took many months for him to get permission. He had to follow rules, like not showing the faces of the officers who were training.

Appearing on Television

The centre has also been seen on TV! It was featured in an old police show called "The Bill." This show helped people see a little bit of what police training is like.