Working on cold cases allowed me to improve myself while helping others
BSc (Hons) Criminology student Natasha Hughes joined the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cold Case Unit and built invaluable experience for a career
After hearing the details about cold cases and how there are not enough resources to revisit them, and knowing that I could help bring resolution to the families and friends of the missing people, I felt it was my duty to help ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cold Case Unit gave me a chance to do that.
Helping to bring closure for families
I think our work in the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cold Case Unit will have a huge positive impact. We intend to spend ample time carefully revisiting cases and hopefully finding new leads. For the families, we want to give them hope and maybe closure on their cases.
By working cold cases, we have learnt to think outside the box, as everything may not appear as it seems.
The lecturers supporting us have been great. They want to see the PCCU grow and are including us in every part of this new venture at the University. The key to the Unit is that it is run by the students; we have control over defining the UnitÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s form and plotting the path it will take.
Having a broad variety of people involved is essential to the process
To begin with, I found the experience a little overwhelming and difficult because so many students wanted to join. We were all very nervous and didnÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™t know one another. But the training and application process are rigorous ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ you need to really commit to the work ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and many of the original group found it to be too much. We now have a nice sized group of about 15ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“20 students. We have realised that we are all in this for the same reason, and that is what binds us together.
The Unit leads have also put on social events to help us bond as a team. We all have something different to offer in the group; we come from different backgrounds, we are young and old, we speak different languages and approach cases from different angles. ItÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s valuable listening to what everyone has to say, and we welcome others who can bring new skills and perspectives to the team.
We are all equal at the Unit and all have something valuable to bring to the table. I like sitting together as a team and discussing ideas because we bounce off one another and come up with some really interesting results. It is going to be interesting to see how the PCCU grows, knowing that I am one of the first people to help build it.
The training we've received has given us everything we need to start investigating cases. WeÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ve been shown how to analyse a case and build different hypotheses.
The experience and skills I am gaining at the PCCU are enhancing and promoting me as a person, complementing my
criminology degree . IÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™m hoping to go into the police force or Crown Prosecution Service so the skills I am learning can only improve my chances of getting a job in these areas. If I change my career path in the future, all the skills will be transferrable to any job and should make me a well-rounded individual who has empathy, confidence, and an investigative skill set.
Get involved in a worthy cause
I really recommend others to get involved ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ it is for a very worthy cause, and you will learn new skills. I see this new, important unit going places and hope you can be part of this extraordinary adventure.
Joining the PCCU has taught me how to work effectively online and in groups to deliver a report. It is building my confidence.
Join the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cold Case Unit
The ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Cold Case Unit (PCCU) investigates unsolved missing persons cases.
Our mission is to uncover new evidence which can be used by the police to solve these cases while giving students experience and skills ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ including investigative, analytical and social ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ to launch them into rewarding careers.
BSc (Hons) Criminology
Why do people commit a crime, and how do we deal with criminality? You will get under the skin of the criminal justice system and learn about how criminology can have an impact on promoting change.
As one of the first universities to offer criminology, ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ has stayed at the cutting edge and goes far beyond the theoretical. You will immerse yourself in live-action and virtual reality crime scenes, and tackle face-to-face suspect interviews.
