What level of education do most police departments currently require for new recruits? What are the benefits of having a college-educated police force? Are there drawbacks?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Most law enforcement agencies do not require recruits to have a college degree, but the number of agencies requiring advanced education in the hiring and promotion process is growing. About one-third of all departments require at least some type of college, which is three times more than it was in 1990. About half of surveyed departments express a preference for a criminal justice degree because it enhances a recruit's knowledge of the entire criminal justice system and of issues that arise in policing. Having an educated force means better communication with the public, especially minority and ethnic groups. Educated officers write better and more clearly and are more likely to be promoted. They perform more effectively, generate fewer citizen complaints, show more initiative in performing police tasks, and generally act more professionally. They are also less likely to have disciplinary problems and are viewed as better decision makers. One potential drawback could be that requiring college means that poorer communities would be less likely to produce police recruits and could raise diversity issues if poor minority communities could not afford college.