M7D1: Degree Requirement for Officers the Idea

¶ … M7D1: Degree Requirement for Officers The idea that police officers should have some form of higher education is a long-standing one. As early as 1973, the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals "called for the establishment of a national minimum education level of a four-year college degree as had the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice in 1967, stating the 'quality of policing will not improve significantly until higher education requirements are established for its personnel'" (Mayo 2006).

The hope is that "officers who have received a broad general education have a better opportunity to gain a more thorough understanding of society, to communicate more effectively with citizens, and to engage in the exploration of new ideas and concepts" (Mayo 2006). A multicultural understanding of the needs of different communities in a more diverse society can be facilitated by advanced education.

Empirical evidence suggests that officers with higher degrees have higher ratings regarding "behavioral and performance characteristics;" fewer injuries, assaults, citizen complaints and disciplinary actions against them; use less sick time; and manifest a "greater acceptance of minorities" including a greater likelihood of promoting minorities (Mayo 2006).

However, this evidence merely establishes a correlation, not a causal link between higher education and improved job performance -- it could merely be that more dedicated officers are likely to pursue advanced degrees, but higher education does not necessarily make better officers in and of itself. Another problem with requiring advanced degrees is that it actually might deter minorities from applying, given that historically-underrepresented groups have struggled to gain college degrees at comparable rates as non-minorities in the U.S.

There could even be EEOC concerns if requiring four-year degrees resulted in a more homogeneous composition of the police force. And, of course, a critical component of community policing is recruiting representative officers from the communities they are serving. A better policy to pursue might be to offer greater financial support to officers to pursue higher education once they are accepted into the force, and make promotions continent upon pursuing a degree.

This would encourage underrepresented groups to apply, yet enable them to add to their credentials in a meaningful fashion in a manner they could afford. Reference Mayo, P. (2006). College education and policing. The Police Chief, 73(8).

Retrieved from: http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=955&issue_id=82006 M7D2: Formal Assessment or Community Selection The fact that most law enforcement agencies are appointed by politicians remains a curious and archaic practice, given that most other appointments are based upon the rules of the civil service. The civil service requirements are designed to remove the influence of corruption and political influence from police selection and administration.

Why continue to allow the heads of such agencies, who are supposed to be dedicated to rooting out corruption, to have such influence over the administration of justice when they are politically appointed? Allowing a politician to appoint the head of a law enforcement agency gives him or her considerable influence upon how policy is constructed and enforced. A 'law and order' politician can select a very dictatorial, rigid, and hierarchical agency head; a liberal politician can select someone who places a greater emphasis on community policing.

Regardless, the ideological slant of the politician and his or her needs to extend patronage to certain interest groups and individuals is likely to dictate policy more than the real needs of the police force. As agencies, even local agencies, are faced with ever-expanding roles in terms of how they must address the needs of the community, it is all the more vital to have an objective person at the head of the police force with minimal political obligations.

Having the process determined by civil service requirements would ensure greater consistency from administration to administration -- instead of the heads of agencies changing depending upon who was in charge politically, they would be insulated enough from political pressures to 'do what was right.' While the civil service system is not perfect by any means, the two-tiered system of political patronage and civil service appointments does not improve the quality of policing by any logical standard -- only the quality of politicking and the influence of politics.

Another option is having a civilian review board select police and law.