Should all police officers be required to have a four-year college degree?

Answer 1

Heres the deal with formal advanced education and Law Enforcement...Although it is always a good idea to have a four year degree if possible just for your own peace of mind. The problem you run into with law enforcement is that 99.9% of all education will be given to the prospective canidate on the job. During the academy environment and F.T.O.(Field Training) is where the new recruit gets to show his knowledge. Unfortunatley no amount of formal education will prepare the new recruit for this learning environment.

Most new officers who have a formal college education do not do very well during field training, they are behind in the learning curve of real life experience, its a culture shock for them.

Personnaly I think it all comes down to how much common sense real life experience the recruit has. I would much rather have a high school grad with a few years of life experience who understand how the world works than a formally educated college kid who has no real life experience and has gotten the vast majority of his/her knowledge in a classroom.

As far as Criminal Justice programs are concerned it doesnt help you on the street. No book can relay to you the importance of officer safety or how to deal with the local drug dealer who is trying to evade you.

Answer 2

Granted the incomes usually don't warrant the educational expenses but then again police work is more of a calling than a get rich quick scheme. An officer with an education is a better officer I think in some areas than a grunt would not be. For promotions and just bragging rights to have an education it is wise for today's officers to have a degree. Some larger cities require it, they also pay for it and give a monthly salary increase for it. I say not required but definitely encouraged.

Answer 3

Many agencies already have a minimum degree requirement of an associates degree. Most Federal agencies require a Bachelors degree. I think if an agency has a degree requirement it should be accompanied by increased pay incentive. I do think a degree requirement is a good idea but the salary should reflect the need for the degree and most don't.

Answer 4

Why would that be beneficial? Nowadays, the 4 year degree is so watered down that it is nothing more than high school continued. Secondly, the key to quality policing is community support for the police and attracting top notch people to the work. To do that you have to pay well and provide for quality benefits and advancment. Until that happens, you will get the same old standard slice of the population applying for the jobs and have the same old problems.

Answer 5

Requiring college for any get entry to point interest is ignorant. college isn't any assure of somebody's character or character and absolutely everyone with money can earn a level. in an attempt to respond to the question, no, it fairly is going to no longer be a call for. a great sort of departments require some variety of faculty preparation nevertheless to maintain the riff-raff from draining the supplies by skill of utilising basically because of the fact they have been bored.

Answer 6

Many departments require at least a two year degree to start. If you want to get promoted through the ranks more college is an unwritten requirement.

Answer 7

No, only those that want to progress to higher rank in command or administration. Those positions normally require some sort of politics and inter-action with city/state/federal officials. The degree would somewhat level the playing field. As a street cop, you need a masters degree in street smarts.

Answer 8

No, I think all they may need is a few pyc. classes and maybe like some program that would let them be taught by some criminal themselves on how to handle them dummies. I wanted to be a cop, but now I just work at a school with emotionally disurbed children that our future little criminals. God Bless them- they didn't ask to be born from parents that waited to long to have babies because they had to go to "coooooolllllllllege" for soooooo long before they could have babies (your eggs get older the longer you wait and it causes birth defects). College is overrated. Hi, from an old yankee that lives in Texas.

Answer 9

No, I was a criminal justice major for police corrections and I think that 70% of what police officers do is learned by experience in the field. You cant learn that at any college. Cops need more street smarts then book smarts in there field of work

Answer 10

Here, in Arlington, TX they are required to have a four year degree. I can't see where they are better or worse police for it.