An Officers Education

An essay on whether a college education should be required for police.

Ben Hannah

An Officers Education

Ben Hannah

In todays world having a college degree is widely accepted to be a prerequisite when trying to enter a successful career. More and more professions are requiring a college degree of their prospective hires and it seems that in order to get a good career that pays well you need to acquire a college degree. As such it makes sense that there are more college graduates now than ever before, though I was surprised to find that a college degree is not a standard requirement of police though it is becoming more common. I believe that at minimum an associates degree should be required for police and that a bachelors should be required of anyone in a leadership position such as a sergeant, lieutenant, or captain. There have been several studies based on police education and whether or not a college education should be required. In 1985 New York City even started the Cadet Corps to encourage people attending college to join the police force. (Police Foundation) Some studies have even shown that police departments with a higher percentage of college graduates have a lower percentage of corruption than departments with fewer college graduates, such as the NYCPD officers arrested for corrupt acts from 1993 to 1997. Out of all those arrested 86% would not have been hired if an associates degree had been required. (Lynch) I found this very interesting and only cemented the idea that a college degree should be a requirement. Another study showed that officers with a better education tended to choose more ethical actions when making decisions. (Tyre) It is also important for police to stay up to date with their knowledge. As Chief August Vollmer said; As society has become more complex, basic police qualification have not maintained the same pace. If police officers are to be considered a profession in their own right, then a college education, the hallmark of a profession, must be mandated to better serve society. (Police Association for College Education) Another study showed that though officers with a college education accounted for only 29%

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An Officers Education

Ben Hannah

of the officer population, 42% of the Total filed complaints were against officers without a college education. (American Journal of Police) It seems that many police departments are seeing the importance of a college education because its becoming more common for a police department to require one. From 1990 to 1997 the number of department requiring a college degree increased from 14% to 32%. (Police Association for College Education) Studies have also show that officers with a college education perform better in the academy, receive higher performance rating on the job, have fewer disciplinary problems, have less absenteeism, and use force less often than their peers without a college education. (Aamodt) None of the findings of these studies surprised me though I did find it interesting on how much a college education affects corruption. It makes sense after thinking about it and the results are undeniable. In my opinion police corruption is the main factor when it comes to a general dislike of the police. I respect police but growing up I would always hear horror stories about the cops planting evidence or abusing their authority and taking advantage of people. I dont know how common those situations really are and the media certainly doesnt help any. It only takes one bad decision and unfortunately any wrong action from a police officer will outshine ten good ones, or at least thats how it seems. People tend to remember the bad more quickly than the good, and if a college education reduces the amount of corruption in the police force, then that is reason enough to make it a requirement. Out of all the sturdies and arguments I read, I found nothing that showed any substantial argument against requiring a college degree. It seems common sense to me that a college education could only benefit everyone. It allows police officers to do better at their jobs and in doing so benefits the community. Besides, its common practice that with a college degree there is a higher salary and I see no reason that it shouldnt be the same in this situation as well. 2|Page

An Officers Education

Ben Hannah

Bibliography
Aamodt, Michael G. Research in Law Enforcement Selection. Brown Walker Press, 2004. American Journal of Police. (1992). Lynch, Gerald W. 6 August 1997. Police Association for College Education. "Studies, Case Law, Quotes, Standars and Trends in Support of a College Education for Police Officers." (2004). Police Foundation. "Reconciling Higher Educaitonal Standars and Minority Recruitment: The New York City Model." Police Foundation Reports (1992). Tyre, Mitchell, and Susan Braunstein. "Higher Education and Ehtical Policing." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (1992): 6-10.

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