AndrewWinn

PoliceandEducation

Inthepolicesystemtherearemanydifferentlevelsbrokendowntotheirbasic
unitstherearefederal,state,andlocalpolice.Therolesanddutiesvarysowidelythat
yearsofexperienceandeducationcanstillleaveanofficerofthelawwonderingwhatis
thebestcourseofaction.Inthislineofworkitcantakealotofworktotakeuptheoath
toprotectandserve.Educationishasbecomeastandardforofficersofthelawall
acrosstheboard.Asoneadvances,theneedforabalancebetweeneducationand
experiencebecomesamust.

Thecomplexitiesofeachlevelaregreatatthelocalpoliceleveltheranksof
officersrangefromofficertochiefofpolice.Mostpolicedepartmentsrequireboth
educationalachievementalongwithacertainnumberofyearsofserviceasapolice
officetoadvanceinrank.Witheachrankadvancementanofficertakesondifferent
dutiesandresponsibilities.SomeofthemostcommonpoliceranksareOfficer,
Sergeant,Lieutenant,AssistantChief,andChiefofPolice.Therearedifferent
requirementsindifferentstatesforeachrank.Therequirementsaregenerallyarevery
similarthough.

Asthebaseofthepolicedepartment,therankofOfficer,thearmsandlegsof
thepolice.Theirdutiesareofawiderangesuchaspatrolwork,answeringcalls,to
trafficenforcement.Theredirectandimmediaterolewiththepeopletheyserveand
protectrequiresthattheybeabletomaketoclearandsounddecisionsonthecourseof
actiontheyshouldtakewhentheyneedtointerferewithasituationthatrequires
intervention.Assuchthereisaprettymuchgeneralrequirementthatpoliceofficersbe
atleast21yearsofageandhaveahighschooldiplomaorequivalent.Itsalsorequired
forthemtopassthepoliceacademywhichhavevaryingstandardstomeetthe
requirementsoftheareastheywillbeserving.

Policesergeanthasagreaterneedtobeabletomakeclearandcorrect
decisionsastheirdutiesasaswornofficerofthelawincrease.Theyareresponsible
forsupervisingassignedtasks,andlowerrankingofficers.Theygenerallydon'trequire
adegreebutitispreferredtohaveaassociatesdegree.Theirabilitytomakedecisions
asofficersofthelawandassupervisorsshouldnotsolelyrelyontheirexperienceasa
officer.Mostdepartmentsrequireafewyearsofservicewhichgivesanofficerplentyof
timetoworktowardthislevelofeducationiftheydonotalreadyhaveit.Thisextra
requirementshouldbemadegeneralbecauseasergeantitusuallycalledinwhen
thingsstarttoescalateandassuchtheyneedtohaveabroadersetofskillsand
knowledgetodrawfromthenthenaregularpoliceofficer.

AndrewWinn
PoliceandEducation

Lieutenantsareinchargeofsupervisingsergeantsandseveralotherduties
rangingfromdirectinginvestigationstooverseeingpoliceactivitiesateventswithlarge
groupsofpeopleamongotherthings.Mostdepartmentsrequirearound2yearsof
policesupervisoryexperience.Policedepartmentsvaryontheeducationrequirements
buthavingabachelor'sdegreeisprettymuchjustaboutessential.Theirabilitytomake
decisionsshouldnotbecomingfromjustyearsofexperienceinlawenforcementbutas
wellfromasoundunderstandingoflawenforcementorrelativedegreetolaw
enforcement.Ifeelthatinmostareasabachelor'sdegreeisamust.Atthislevelitis
importanttoknowwhythingsaredoneandnotjusthowtheyaredone.Thisisbecause
theyaredirectingthewaythingsaredone.Astheyarehelpingtorunaunitofthepolice
departmentsuchaspatrolorinvestigations.

AsadeputyChief,theirneedforasolidunderstandingofpoliceworkgrows
dramatically.They,asmanyotherpeopleinsimilarlevelsoftheircareerfields,are
expectedtohaveacertainamountofknowledge.Onewouldexpectthevicepresident
ofanycompanytobeexperiencedintheircareerfieldnotjustinexperiencealonebut
alsointhestudyoftheirpractice.Abachelordegreeisamustwithaprefered
preferencetowardshavingamaster'sdegree.Oneofthemainreasonsforthisisthe
amountofplanningandskillittakestorunadivisionofthepolicelikepatrolor
investigations.Thiscannotbesetofastandardastheneedsandrequirementsofeach
policedepartmentaredifferent.TherequirementsofsomewhereliketheNewYork
PoliceDepartmentwillalwaysbehigherthanthatofallsmalldepartmentsliketheWest
JordanPoliceDepartment.

Asanappointedofficial,achiefofpolicewillhavedifferentrequirementsfrom
othermembersofthelawenforcementfamily.Theyaresomeonewhoneedstohave
notjusthavesolidunderstandingofpolicework,butasolidunderstandingofhowtorun
abusiness.Theyhavetobeabletounderstandthelawenforcementaspectwellasthe
administrativeaspectofthedepartment.ThisverybroadroleoftheChiefrequiresthem
tohaveyearsofpoliceexperiencesothattheycanknowwhattheirofficersneedto
function.Theyalsoneedtobeabletounderstandwhatgoesintogettingthemthat
training,equipment,andsoonfromtheadministrationside.Theirpositionisasmucha
politicalandadministrativejobasitisaboutprotectingandservingtheircommunity.

Thereisbalancethatshouldbesoughtbetweenexperienceandeducationfor
PoliceOfficersthatrequirementcanonlybesetthoughbyeachdepartmentastowhat
thatis.Asmalldepartmentsresourcesandworkareacanmakeitsothatthe
requirementsofarenotashighbecausethereisnotasmuchresourcestodemandor
payforhighlevelsandtrainingandeducation.Thisshouldnothoweverbeenthe

AndrewWinn
PoliceandEducation

standardastheroleofthepolicehasbecomeahighlycomplexareaofspecialty,and
forPoliceOfficerstomakegooddecisionstheycannolongerrelyonjustexperience.
TheyneedtobeabletopullfromtheireducationandfromtheirexperienceasaOfficer
oftheLaw.