Do Police Officers Need an Education?
Do Police Officers need a college Education
Do Police officers need a college education? This question is one which has grabbed the attention of many. It has been a question tossed around from the offices of our US government to the homes of US citizens. Does having a college education make for a better police officer? If so what level of education should be required. Should a police officer’s salary be based on their level of education? If a certain level of education is required for a police officers should the same or more levels of education be required for positions such as sergeants, leutenants, chiefs, or captains? An article written by George H. Brereton Deputy Director, Department of Justice in California wrote in his article Training for Police Service (1) wrote that the idea that police officers needed college education was first demonstrated in England. They gave police officers the choice to further their education and when college educated police officers were hired they were called “ commissioned” officers. Officers that had not obtained college education in police service were called “non-commissioned”. Commissioned officers are often promoted, they are often the officers presented with more opportunities and relocated to larger cities. (1) This creates an incentive for officers to further their education in order to progress in their profession. In seeing how the police service has benefited by implementing college education in their law enforcement officers the United States has followed suit. In an article written by AC.German he discusses the difference between the police officer in earlier times of establishment and todays police officer. He wrote that as we go back in history and a police officers are very narrow and rigid. He would say his hob is to protect life and property and keep peace. In todays day a police officers responsibility is to “prevent crime and disorder and preserve and to protect life, property and
Do Police officers need a college education? This question is one which has grabbed the attention of many. It has been a question tossed around from the offices of our US government to the homes of US citizens. Does having a college education make for a better police officer? If so what level of education should be required. Should a police officer’s salary be based on their level of education? If a certain level of education is required for a police officers should the same or more levels of education be required for positions such as sergeants, leutenants, chiefs, or captains? An article written by George H. Brereton Deputy Director, Department of Justice in California wrote in his article Training for Police Service (1) wrote that the idea that police officers needed college education was first demonstrated in England. They gave police officers the choice to further their education and when college educated police officers were hired they were called “ commissioned” officers. Officers that had not obtained college education in police service were called “non-commissioned”. Commissioned officers are often promoted, they are often the officers presented with more opportunities and relocated to larger cities. (1) This creates an incentive for officers to further their education in order to progress in their profession. In seeing how the police service has benefited by implementing college education in their law enforcement officers the United States has followed suit. In an article written by AC.German he discusses the difference between the police officer in earlier times of establishment and todays police officer. He wrote that as we go back in history and a police officers are very narrow and rigid. He would say his hob is to protect life and property and keep peace. In todays day a police officers responsibility is to “prevent crime and disorder and preserve and to protect life, property and
References: 1. Brereton, G.H. (1961). THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN THE PROFFESSIONALIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. Journal of Criminal Law, criminology & Police Science, 52(1), 111 2. Newman, C.L. and Hunter, D.(1968). EDUCATION FOR CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT: AN ANAYLSIS OF STUDENT OUTPUT 1964-1967. Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science, 59(1), 138 3. Police Science Programs of Universities, Colleges, Junior colleges in the United states, 33 , THE POLICE CHIEF, 50-64 August 1966. 4. Germann, A.C. (1967), EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. Journal of Criminal Law, criminology & Police Science, 58(4), 603