Do Police Officers Need a College Education?



Do Police Officers Need a College Education?Criminal Justice Term Paper3/29/2012Natalie Stroud ParisiCJ-1010-013Do Police Officers Need A College Education?As I started to research the assigned topic for my term paper it became clear that this is an age old question constantly being debated; should it be required for Police Officers to have a higher education? Are book smarts better than street smarts?I think that this question can be looked at from two different perspectives. Do you have to have a college degree to be a police officer? No. The job can be done without having it. On the other hand, should a police officer have higher education? Yes. There are many articles and papers written on this topic. It can be argued that formal higher education isn’t critical to being a good officer and performing the basic job requirements. A college education does, however, give a person the skills and habits that make for a better officer and citizen. Earning a formal education is not as simple as showing up for class and doing the bare minimum, it requires discipline, dedication and follow-through. There is knowledge that needs to be obtained prior to working in the field, and there is knowledge obtained only by working in the field. By gaining a higher education officers are better prepared for training and to work in the field. I think that the system does a pretty good job of weeding out those who can’t perform the job duties required and those who aren’t able to learn and implement the laws and regulations that they need to understand clearly. On the other hand, I believe that those with a higher education are better prepared to advance in their profession.I feel that for some, a higher education is easier to obtain because they are book smart, meaning they do well learning from instruction and reading material in a classroom environment. For others, being out in the field and doing the job using their street smarts is the best way to really understand the things learned in the classroom that may have been a struggle at that time. I say this specifically focused on the job itself. This isn’t a job where you start and learn as you go. You go through POST training and have to pass exams in order to continue on. You have very specific and valuable training that you must complete prior to becoming an officer of the law.The responsibilities of a police officer generally include keeping the peace, law enforcement, protection of people and property, and the investigation of crimes. Some police officers may also be trained in special duties, such as counter-terrorism, surveillance, child protection, VIP protection, and investigation techniques into major crime, including fraud, rape, murder and drug trafficking. (Hickman, Reaves) These people don’t get there only by doing the day to day job of policing, rather they learn and progress and then have additional training to prepare themselves for these types of positions. Where does this training occur? In a classroom environment, training simulations and other types of on-the-job training. The discipline of earning a higher education helps prepare officers for the training requirements needed to advance. Everyone is competing for these advancements and so the education is a secondary benefit. When assessing candidates for advancements in their profession, candidates having a higher educational degree may have an advantage over others not having it. I feel that having a college degree should allow you the opportunity to be paid more especially if the degree is considered in the hiring and promotional decision. There should be a pay scale with very specific guidelines pertaining to the specific position, seniority, and rank of the officer (detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, etc).In the United States, state laws may regulate state-wide qualification standards regarding age, education, criminal record, and training but in other places requirements are set by local police agencies. (Police 1) Each local Police agency has different requirements and most seem to believe that higher education should be mandated. There are several studies that have been conducted regarding higher education and policing. For example, in an article I found online titled, “The Minnesota Police Education Requirement” a study was conducted to assess the effects of a 2–year degree on the overall education levels of police officers. This study has been conducted twice in 20 years. They used the results from the first study to re-evaluate the information. This study showed that there are several officers who already have some form of higher education prior to joining law enforcement, most with a 2 year degree. (Minnesota 1) “Clearly, officers with little formal education have effectively protected and served citizens throughout the history of policing in the United States.” -Susan HilalThe statement above was taken from this article, which is meant to push for more formal levels of education requirements. In Minnesota a 2 year college degree is required. Despite the fact that our history shows officers can be successful without formal education, academics as well as organizations and national commission leaders have repeatedly argued for more formal education requirements for the police. They say that “the movement from traditional policing to community-oriented problem solving requires skill sets, such as critical and analytical reasoning, enhanced understanding of socioeconomic causes of crime, and advanced interpersonal and intercultural communication that are best developed in higher education programs.” These arguments have not translated into action, and few law enforcement agencies mandate anything beyond a high school diploma for entry-level officers. (Hickman, Reaves)Another article I located titled, “An Analysis of Associate Degree Programs in Law Enforcement,” paints a picture of early training and education in the police force. It is clear that this is a job that requires specific training and this article shows that early on the value of training was recognized. (Prout)Overall, I’ve come to the opinion that it’s entirely based on the individual person. I think that for some people the additional information and skills provided through formal education is a benefit and can contribute to their performance on the job, while for others the training received initially, prior to being out in the force, is sufficient. If they want to maintain a career with a police officer ranking then the initial training, and continued training throughout their career, seems good enough for me. I do believe that obtaining at least a 2-year degree will help someone to advance. Most of what officers will learn pertaining to their day to day job duties can only be obtained by being out in the field and experiencing the many challenges they have to face, but a higher education better prepares them to deal with those issues intellectually and helps them to remain focused. I also think that prior to being out in the field they need to have an academic education in a classroom environment to learn the laws and regulations that they will be enforcing. They need to understand what is expected of them on all levels of their job performance through the education of those who already have experience, understand the laws and can teach them and test them on that knowledge. They also need to gain the experience for themselves. I believe that is where they really learn to be successful and perform their job properly. You need to be able to learn effectively in the classroom (to learn the laws and regulations), and on the job (the real nitty-gritty day-to-day) to be successful in any law enforcement position. ................
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