Why Should Police Be Required To Have Tertiary Qualifications

Albarano, R. F. (2015). College Education and Officer Performance: Do College Educated Police Officers Perform Better Than Those Without a College Education?. International Journal of Education and Social Science, 2(7), 41-48.

This is very true in today's police work. A police department has to be able to stand the test of time. By this I mean must be capable of enduring changes in government, and be able to react to any situation they may encounter. The

Many people might argue that the lack of training in the police force is more harmful to the officers than the effect it has on society. Leslie Pfeiffer mentions in her article “” that the Federal government devotes a shocking amount of money toward training, yet local police agencies are often left to fend for themselves” (Pfeiffer). Whatsoever the federal government may be doing with the funds should undoubtedly be providing effective programs and necessities to ensure a complete and sufficient training process for officers. Often time’s people forget that although the officer is vulnerable to failure, error, and possible injury, in the event of a possible suspect or wrongfully accused person the lack of knowledge perceived by the officer can cause outcomes such as hostility, hatred, and death. Not only are officers fending for themselves but in

Having had the opportunity to see both sides of the argument play out in the City of Memphis and as a member of the Memphis Police Department. I have become an advocate for requiring entry-level police officers to have at the very minimum an associate degree or the equivalent college credits. The college requirement can only be avoided with military experience. However, my position is not that more education makes you a better police officer or less education makes you a lousy officer. I believe that there should be a “happy medium” when it comes to police work. A good officer will be empathic, fair and in tune with the needs of the community and its members. Requiring a level of education for your entry-level officers speaks volumes about your agency and their dedication to professionalism. The benefits of having a college educated officer have shown to make a difference in the way they do their jobs. An educated police officer is less likely to utilize force when interacting with his co-workers or civilians. A department with educated officers also has shown to see a reduction in misconduct and disciplinary issues(Gómez-Mejía et al., 2016). Some years back the Memphis Police Department had relaxed their

Many businesses require their upper-level leadership to have a degree. The police departments are now starting to change to that style of education hiring. The hiring process can be very complicated because the police department wants to ensure that they are hiring the right person that fits their department. Choosing the right applicant for the job is an important decision because of the cost of the equipment, uniforms, training, and probation period because this is an investment in the departments future (Dempsey, & Forst, 2016). Because the police departments are requiring their officers to have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree for an entry-level position will make the department more completive, but the department should still consider

-In order to become a police officer, there is no experience required, however to move up to a detective, there is a minimum of 5-10 years working on patrol before you can be part of an investigations unit.

Nevertheless, there is always the need for somewhat of education and experience. For instance, an applicant can have any of the following: have a bachelor's degree, with a grade point average of 2.95 or higher, special consideration will be given to candidates with degrees in Criminal Justice/Police Science or related disciplines; Finance, Accounting or Economics; Computer Science/Information Systems; Telecommunications/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering; Political Science, Psychology; Sociology; Chemistry; and a foreign language including Spanish, French, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Dialects of Nigerian, Chinese/Mandarin, or Japanese. A candidate should also possess specialized professional experience conducting independent narcotics investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the law; conducting surveillance and undercover activities or operations, and apprehending, arresting persons suspected of violations; and

A Need for Change: The Importance of Continued Training and Education for Modern Day Police Officers Michael- Criminal Justice Institute

The purpose of law enforcement is to protect the lives and property of both the community’s citizens and people who visit and work in the community. There are many different levels of law enforcement careers such as local, state and federal agencies. There are also many different occupations within the law enforcement field. One of those occupations is a police officer. (10 Things You Need to Consider Before Becoming a Police Officer, Criminology Careers.com, August 2012, Timothy Roufa, Criminology Careers Expert). To become a police officer it takes more than just wanting to carry a gun and “catch the bad guys”. The hiring process will be long. After submitting an application, each candidate must go through a written test, a physical agility test, an oral interview or two, a “background” check of nearly every aspect of his life, including driving records, drug or alcohol usage, a thorough medical and psychological exam, and a polygraph test. Then after that, each candidate must go through an exhausting physical and mental challenge known as the Police Academy. If the candidates make it through the Police Academy then they advance to on-the-job training known as Field Training, which is even more difficult than the Police Academy. After all of this training and becoming a police officer, one would have to ask themselves if the job is worth it. Police officers are put into dangerous situations daily. After all they have to deal with drunks, the mentally disabled

This is very true in today's police work. A police department has to be able to stand the test of time. By this I mean must be capable of enduring changes in government, and be able to react to any situation they may encounter. The

Perceptions of what constitutes a qualified police officer have been crafted as a result of numerous television shows and movies. They are often portrayed as heroic, invincible, and possessors of brute strength. While some of these physical attributes are in fact expected and required of police officers, they are not the only ones and at times,

Law enforcement like much of the economy and society has had to adapt to the rapidly changing Atmosphere of the technological advances. To counter these advances, education has served in the forefront to combating the technological sophistication that is rapidly sweeping the workforce. The need and desire to remain competitive with the technology that we have is a need that can be satisfied with more education. Much like technology, education has benefits elsewhere in the equation of remaining competitive. Education on the higher tiered level provides a professionalism to accompany by the demands placed on students during their scholastic years of study. Activities required by many professors in the higher education

The police academy does prepare you physically and also provides theory that you may use. The academy is also where you learn proper handcuffing procedure, self defense etc. However, to have the academy without FTO or vice versa is ludicrous! When you bring the craft and the profession together then you have a great officer in the making. Most of us learn our skills and knowledge

Lawyers and psychologists require even more schooling, a minimum of around eight years. Police officers end up being all of these things, and more. To obtain the real goal of law, and prevent crime, officers must have the trust and respect of the community they serve. "Instead, policing has been defined as uneducated people's work" (Fyfe, 262). Many citizens feel that the people protecting them are not as smart as they are. This leads to disrespect, and a sense of superiority within the community. With disrespect comes uncooperation, something any department would be worlds better without. If officers were required to obtain more basic schooling, and focus on social issues and psychology more during training, they would be better equipped to take up the position of law enforcement in any community. Besides the obvious benefit of being more adept at dealing with citizens, there would be added bonuses in police departments requiring more strenuous schooling. With four years of general education, officers would inherently become acquainted with a wide range of topics that they might not otherwise be exposed to with the minimal curriculum now required. Foreign language, art, and psychology classes would be especially useful in exposing up and comers to the varied environments they might encounter in their careers. Most importantly, people in the community would have a new respect for the

     The curriculum that is devised for a police officer is very important to the police officer and his or her success in their chosen career path. An officer’s training is also very important to the community in which they serve and the department in which they work. An officer must receive training in a variety of fields to help them be a well-rounded police officer. Officers receive training in such areas as: law, community relations, firearms, vehicle driving, search and seizure, and cultural awareness. The basic curriculum that is offered to a new recruit is focused on giving the recruit the best overall training that will give him or her the tools necessary to become the