West Yorkshire Police creates makeshift house, shops and classroom for fake crime scenes to train officers across region

Fake shops, a family home and even a classroom have been built to train police officers called to real life crime scenes (Trigger warning: Suicide reference in image).
By Susie Beever
Published 18th Oct 2020, 16:00 BST
Updated 18th Oct 2020, 16:06 BST

The set ups will be used for simulating murders, shootings, robberies and other serious crimes at the new CSI training centre at Wetherby, which will be used by Yorkshire's four police forces and officers from constabularies further afield.

One of West Yorkshire Police's senior officers has praised the centre as "effective and realistic", meaning officers could "fully immerse themselves" pretending they were reacting to real life crime scenes.

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A mock pub, garage and estate agents also make up the centre where training staff members can hone their forensic knowledge to practise preserving and investigating crime scenes.

A mannequin lies inside a police tent at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenesA mannequin lies inside a police tent at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenes
A mannequin lies inside a police tent at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenes

Pete Arnold, Head of Operations for West Yorkshire Police's Regional Scientific Support Service said: "We’ve turned an old three bedroom Police house into a domestic house, like you and I would live in. This house is used to simulate real life scenarios like burglaries, thefts, sexual assaults and murders.

"We’ve also converted some garage space to create our own small parade of shops which include a pub, local shop and estate agents.

"We also have a garage where we can forensically examine vehicles."

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Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Twiggs Head of Crime for West Yorkshire Police and the Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "This facility is absolutely fantastic and I’ve been blown away, this is great news for the Yorkshire and Humber Region.

A mannequin lies on the floor of a house at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenesA mannequin lies on the floor of a house at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenes
A mannequin lies on the floor of a house at a new CSI training centre in Wetherby simulating real life crime scenes

"There’s a number of locations where we can train our CSI colleagues but equally we can use it to train detectives and the Senior Investigating Officers of the future in all aspects of major crime and investigation.

"This is an essential tool for solving crime as we work together with our CSI and Forensic colleagues.

"I think it’s really important in terms of training that you have an effective and realistic training environment. You don’t have to pretend, you can immerse yourself as if you were at a real life crime scene."

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West Yorkshire Police open the new CSI training centre at Wetherby Police StationWest Yorkshire Police open the new CSI training centre at Wetherby Police Station
West Yorkshire Police open the new CSI training centre at Wetherby Police Station
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