Humberside DOCO achieves Diploma in Designing Out Crime

Trace, who was the winner of the 2020 Secured by Design Bob Knights Scholarship Award for her sterling work in forging close relationships with local authority planners, as well as helping and encouraging developers to work towards building safe communities, achieved the accredited diploma qualification via a distance learning pathway that recognised her prior experience and learning (RPEL).

This pathway to the Level 5 Diploma in Designing Out Crime is offered exclusively by the Academy to enable DOCOs who have successfully completed a designing out crime course to use existing and current experience as evidence towards achieving the qualification. Distance learning means that classroom attendance isn’t required but candidates are supported throughout their learner journey with the Academy by staff who are occupationally competent and appropriately qualified.

Head of Academy Guy Collyer said, “We’re delighted for Trace that’s she’s achieved the Level 5 Designing Out Crime qualification with the Academy which is the ProQual approved centre with the exclusive link to the Secured by Design initiative. The RPEL distance learning pathway is a great way to access the accredited Level 5 qualification, and we’d encourage any DOCOs who are thinking about converting their existing course to contact us to discuss what’s involved - we’re here to help.”

Trace Rokahr commented, “I am absolutely delighted to have passed the Level 5 qualification in Designing Out Crime. I have been in the role of Crime Prevention/Designing out Crime Officer for nearly 10 years. To be recognised through the Bob Knights Scholarship Award in 2020 and to achieve this qualification makes me very proud. Although it was hard work I have thoroughly enjoyed completing the course which has given me an opportunity to learn new elements, and develop both myself and my role as DOCO through the research I have undertaken and written narratives required to complete the qualification”.

Trace’s passion, enthusiasm and belief in crime prevention and designing out crime has seen her develop significant relationships with local authority planning and building control departments across the region, working with them to incorporate security into new developments and their surrounding layout to deter and reduce crime.

At the same time, Trace works with private sector developers who are keen to find out how their building schemes can achieve SBD’s highest standard – its Gold Award. Trace also played a key role in progressing the development and delivery of ten, one-day crime prevention awareness raising events specifically for neighbourhood police officers based across the Humberside area - events run by the Academy.

Further details about accessing the Level 5 Designing Out Crime qualification or the Level 4 Crime Prevention qualification via the RPEL pathway, along with further information about the range of qualifications offered by the Academy, can be obtained by visiting https://www.crimepreventionacademy.com/ or emailing

The Police Crime Prevention Academy is part of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, the police owned, non-profit organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service throughout the UK to deliver a wide range of crime prevention and police demand reduction initiatives. The Academy maintains close working links with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, as well as senior police officers from across the UK, and is the established supplier to the police service for crime prevention learning and development.

The Academy offer a local delivery option that significantly reduces costs, as well as providing the flexibility to dovetail content into Continued Professional Development (CPD) and to reflect local issues.

The Academy also delivers several qualifications to the private sector, working closely with local authorities and relevant specialists such as architects and planners, and offers a number of distance and virtual learning qualifications. The Academy prides itself in keeping the quality of qualifications at a premium and the costs at a minimum.