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Caitlyn Johnston

CJ 1010
Term Paper
4/29/14

Education and Police Officers
Do police officers really need an education? The people watching over us for our safety
and also evaluating the laws being followed by the people around us are definitely people who
need to be educated properly. An education can make a huge difference in the way people
behave. There are many different factors as to why police officers should be required to obtain a
4 year degree. Responsibility, Quality, Knowledge, Salary, etc. are all different characteristics
that come out of getting an education.
Many people may believe that an education for police officers in not very important. All
that cops are needed to do is shoot a gun and be tough on the streets; however, that is not true. A
good education can give the officer the ability to use their words well. With this characteristic, it
will give them power when they are in court. Nobody wants a police officer who doesnt know
what they are talking about when it comes to the law. Yes, police officers do need to be able to
use a gun and protect, but with more knowledge, they will be able to have good problem solving
skills in a moment of defense. They will be able to think more efficiently than just doing
something out of nowhere.
Secondly, having an education will affect how duties and responsibilities of an officer are
performed. Going to a four year college will help someone mature. A person will be older and
definitely wiser after spending four years in college instead of just barely becoming an adult and
joining the force. Nobody wants to work with a punk teenager anyways.
Also, someone with a degree may have more discipline. Getting a four year degree shows
that they are patient and want to work for what they want. They didnt just roll out of bed and
decide they wanted to serve the community. It took many years with patience and the people
who are willing to take the time to learn are the ones who deserve to serve. These types of people
are fully committed to serving the community.
Another notion that comes into play is the use of technology. In this day and age, police
officers need to know how to be computer literate. If they already have basic education skills,
officials can focus on just teaching them essential police skills when in the work place. Theron
Bowman, Chief of Arlington Police Department discusses how the classroom is an effective
place for officers.
Patrol experience has no substitute, but police departments increasing realize that
skills learned in the classroom qualify as essential for today's officers. In that
regard, Arlington officers are expected to be computer-literate. They conduct
community meetings using PowerPoint presentations. They must be able to read
and interpret statistical data. Sergeants and lieutenants often conduct surveys to
determine citizen priorities and expectations. Supervisors must analyze trends
using precise research methods. When front-line employees submit requests to my
office for changes in policy or procedure, they are often accompanied by thorough
documentation.
With knowing more of how effective it is to be book and computer smart it is an easier
task to analyze how well education is effecting the work of officers. Getting an education will
also prove to citizens that police officers are doing the right thing. Law enforcement is looked at
as role models and should encourage other people that school is a great and important thing.
Another important factor that comes into play with officers and education are police
reports. If an officer cannot write a good quality police report it will make them look
unprofessional. Proper grammar and word choice is something that will be looked at when
reading a report and it will stand out if it is incorrect. People reading the reports will find the
quality of a report important and will judge it off of the superiority it contains. The better the
police report is, the more information can be taken from it and more essential decisions can be
made for the case.
Ultimately, most people just care about money. So should people be paid more if they put
in the effort for an education? I believe that they should. Salaries should be raised for college
graduates. That shows that they worked hard for something and they deserve to be paid in return.
As for higher positions in police work, such as Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and chiefs, I
believe they should have to get a masters degree. The only exception would be if they have had
multiple years of experience in the field and have truly worked and proved themselves for the
position. If they are going to get paid more though, they should have more education. Higher end
police position have to make grave decisions and deal with the public through press conferences
and so forth. More education will allow them the education they need for those types of
instances. They will be taken more seriously and know how to present themselves professionally.
With using good grammar and public relation skills, they will be more successful. These are the
things that the classroom are truly good for.
Ironically, Police officers with a college education have been shown to do a better job
when it comes to their police work. Melinda Burns explains how statistically it is proven some
cops do a better job than those without an education.
Past studies on the merits of a college education for police officers have been
mixed. Some have found that college-educated officers hold less authoritarian
beliefs than officers with no college, get higher ratings from their superiors and
fewer complaints from citizens, take fewer sick days, have fewer injuries, place a
higher value on ethical behavior and are better verbal communicators.
This discussion should open up peoples eyes to the facts. Statistics dont lie and it is
proven that most officers with an education have a better grasp on things than those without.
There may be some statistics that prove the uneducated police officer do better in certain things;
but in all truth, officers with education will have the full package. Uneducated officers really
only have the experience aspect, where as to educated will have a full amount of school
experience and can also learn more police experience on the job. In the end, education is just an
all-around better aspect to have.
Be this as it may, education is the important factor. There is some good points to why
experience is an important factor too. When it comes to the hiring task, education shouldnt be
the only factor. If someone has very good experience and knows quite a bit from hands on work,
there is no reason they shouldnt be hired, there should just be a limit on what they can or cannot
do. People who work for what they want should have the first choice. It should be proven to
them that the extra work put in was worth it.
People need to prove themselves. Education will give them the first hand that they need.
It will speed up the entire training process. If someone can go through four years of college they
will have great essential learning skills. This will help them when they are getting training in the
actual police force. Learning will be a faster skill and will not frustrate any trainers in the
process.
Education and experience do have similar points on policing. Many fails can be produced
along the way with both, but sub consequently, just going with experience will be a longer
process. If you are going through school, you may be cutting the process of experience in half
because you are getting quite a bit of it in school. A different aspect of policing is given to you
through school and will help you learn along the way. A more professional look on it knowing
all of the different things about the business of policing and learning all of the laws as well.
From here on, it is important that people know how helpful education really is.
Intelligence is something people should admire. Personality is a great aspect in doing police
work and there are some people who may just not be cut out for it. Education; however, can help
people discover that because of maturity. Getting into police work should not be something do as
a last result as something they want to do just because they dont have to go to school. It should
be the one career with the top priority to have an education. So many people rely on police to
protect their lives. Nobody wants to have a bum police officer who doesnt care. A police officer
with passion and commitment who proved themselves by staying in school to get what they
want, that is someone who people will appreciate around the community. With someone who
knows how to use technology, communicate with people, speak with good grammar, and
eventually gain the experience needed to be a superb police officer, success will be among the
police force and the community will have excellent police protecting them.
Works Cited
Burns, Melinda. "Cops and College: Do Police Need Book Smarts?." Pacific Standard. N.p., 2
Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.psmag.com/legal-affairs/cops-and-college-
do-police-need-book-smarts-21852/>.
Bowman, Theron. "Police Association for College Education (PACE)." Police Association for
College Education (PACE). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.police-
association.org/library/articles/educate_elevate.html>.

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