English 1010
English 1010
English 1010
English1010
7/23/15
Joining the conversation
Police Education
Almost anyone can join the police force with as little as a high school
diploma, physical aptitude, and some know how. With this simplistic criteria
it allows for the police work force to be open for the corrupt or uneducated.
There are many discussions on whether or not the police need to obtain a
higher education before they are eligible to become an officer. Current
research on police has delivered numerous results. One study that is
currently in progress is logging the actions and job fulfillments of officers
who have obtained different levels of education and how it affects their work
with children and adults. Departments are also attempting to have training
activities with police officers. Departments believe by having police officers
role play several situations they will know how to correctly address the
situation when they come across it while on duty. If we can affect the
younger generation by educating our police force; we can help the public
view of the police and, weed out more corrupt police.
Over the last thirty years the influence of higher education on police
performance has been studied at length. A good amount of the early studies
were on police officer attitudes. Officers who obtained a higher degree were
able to have a strong authoritarianism compared to those who did not obtain
a degree. Multiple studies have also proven that officers who take the time
facts they needed and no longer speak with them. They only took what they
needed and thought of a solution immediately after. Instead of thinking that
the officer acts in a different manner is not from the degree they choose, but
by the type of personality they have. The individual most likely has a
personality that matched the major they chose, so after they graduate, their
personality is enhanced while on duty.
Whether or not police officers should be required to obtain a higher
education is an ongoing debate. Even if they are required to obtain a higher
degree, there will be a new issue on what they need to learn. More times
than not, it depends on the officer who is being researched, other times it
does depend on what they have learned in school. Being able to learn about
the different types of people in the world and role playing different scenarios
is extremely beneficial to an officer whether they be new in the field or not.
As the ABA said the police need personnel in their ranks who have the
characteristics a college education seeks to foster. (Mayo, 2006, p.1) This
would count towards all of the characteristics that a citizen would require of
an officer protecting them. It should be required police officers go through
extensive training and have a higher education if we are to put our greatest
faith and trust into the officers who are to protect, defend, and serve our
communities.
Work Cited
Cooper, C. (1999, July 10). Mediation Training to Improve Police Social
Interaction Skills. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
Flannery, D., & Singer, M. (2014). The Begun Center for Violence
Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University.
Research on Social Work Practice, 278-285.
Manis, J., Archbold, C., & Hassell, K. (n.d.). Exploring the impact of
police officer education level on allegations of police misconduct.
International Journal of Police Science & Management, 509-523.
Paoline, E., Terrill, W., & Rossler, M. (2014). Higher Education, College
Degree Major, and Police Occupational Attitudes. Journal of Criminal Justice
Education, 49-73.
Roberg, R., & Bonn, S. (n.d.). Higher education and policing: Where are
we now? Policing Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies &
Management, 469-486.
Mayo, L. (2006, August 6). Police Chief Magazine - View Article.
Retrieved July 23, 2015.
Bostrom, M. (2005, October 10). Police Chief Magazine - View Article.
Retrieved July 23, 2015.