Advanced Education as an Important Attribute in the Workplace and Members of the Police Services - Essay Example

Abstract Although a bachelor’s degree requirement for police officers is not a new idea, it is an issue which is receiving more and more attention and has recently been brought to light. Seeking to address this contentious issue with a thorough and complete analysis of whether or not the mandatory requirement for higher education among the police services is actually necessary, the following essay will discuss the pros and cons of such an idea which providing a concluding opinion. As respected members of society who are entrusted with our care and protection, the questions surrounding higher education and the police force are addressed and comprehensively analyzed. Introduction Society today has many issues at hand that, although not recent, have never been fully scrutinized or paid close attention to. One of these contemporary issues is the current requirement of obtaining an entry-level college degree for police officers before they join the force. This issue is one that many individuals do consider to be an excellent requirement, whereas other individuals may feel that it is an unnecessary requirement for the job. In the following essay, we will be discussing both the positive and negative aspects of this proposed requirement. Although a current issue, the debate over obligating police officers to have an advanced degree is not a new one. Many individuals have often campaigned for an emphasis on education in the police force, in that “as far back as the 1920s, August Vollmer advocated for a college educated police force” (White, 2007). According to White, the National Commission on Law Observance & Enforcement has revisited this matter several times since the 1920s, including in 1931. Additionally, in 1967, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Observance of Justice also took an interest in police officers and their attainment of a college degree prior to their entry into the force. In 1965, Multnomah County, Oregon, Sheriff Donald E. Clark, instituted a baccalaureate college degree requirement for all entry-level sworn officers. This is believed to be the first time in history that a non-federal law enforcement agency instituted this degree requirement in the United States (Nielson, 2006). As is often the case with most topics that are up for debate, there are several schools of thought on the subject, spanning from those who feel that this requirement should be “mandatory” to those who feel that it is “not necessary.” On the opposing side, the following points outline White’s arguments against a degree requirement (2007). 1. This new requirement would cause recruitment issues resulting from pay limitations while still requiring a college degree; 2. This requirement will disqualify otherwise eligible applicants from an already small pool of potential candidates; 3. There are a disproportionate amount of whites with degrees compared to minorities; 4. A college degree does not provide the actual skills required to do the job (craft vs. profession); 5. There is no evidence that college educated officers outperform non-degreed officers (Experience and intuition); 6. College educated officers are at a greater risk of becoming frustrated and having lower levels of job satisfaction; 7. Disagreement of the requirement among brother agencies could “fragment the law enforcement community” and negatively affect unity among officers (Fidel, 1993). Minard County, Utah’s Sheriff Ed Phillips said that none of his deputies are within 100 miles of a college campus. He sees no advantage in having a degree-holding deputy. He sums up the issue with this statement, “I’ve canned as many college graduates and those with an associate degree as I have with a high school diploma” (Fidel, 1993). In juxtaposition to the statement above, here are some arguments for the degree requirement as identified by White: 1. Law enforcement is a complex profession that can be learned in the classroom; 2. The police need to keep pace with the public and the public’s formal education level are increasing; 3. It would “professionalize” policing; 4. This requirement would provide for more mature and well rounded candidates with greater tolerance for other cultures; 5. Enhanced critical thinking, analytical, communication and writing skills of candidates; 6. It could aid in an officer being able to obtain a choice assignment and/or future promotion and; 7. It could result in increased earnings potential through bonuses or advanced certificates. 8. Additional reasons observed by Mayo (2006) are: 9. Better behavioral and performance characteristics; 10. Fewer citizen complaints and 11. Enhancement of minority recruitment According to this school of thought, the primary reason a police officer should pursue a college education is because an overwhelming amount of police officers believe in leadership by example. More importantly, they believe that their leadership on the job is their leadership at home. In a similar example, almost all research indicates that college educated parents produce college educated children at a much higher percentage rate then non-educated parents. Police officers, and individuals alike, also believe that parents need to make the sacrifice and be a proper example for their children because they will often follow in their footsteps. Additionally, as a leader you must provide for those at home (Foster, 2009). Neilson (2006), a captain on the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department noted that the college degree requirement for his agency has resulted in fewer injuries, which includes but is not limited to injuries by assault, disciplinary problems, unpreventable accidents, sick days taken, as well as fewer allegations of excessive physical force. Clearly, research in this area seems to indicate that there is a greater number of reasons for the degree requirement, however “much of the research in this area has suffered from a number of methodological problems that limit the conclusions that can be drawn” (White, 2007). In the following pages, some of the arguments for and against the establishment of a formalized college degree hiring policy will be examined. Arguments Against Higher Education Robert Gasior has over 16 years of law enforcement experience as a Sergeant II with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is currently assigned as the Officer-in-Charge of the Foothill Area Community Law Enforcement and Recovery unit (CLEAR). Prior to this assignment, he was the Officer-in –Charge of the Mission Area Gang Enforcement Detail (GED). Gaisor also has 13 years of prior military service with the United States Marine Corps and has completed two tours of duty in a combat zone. During his most recent combat tour in Iraq, he was the Officer–in-Charge of the Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) Team responsible for a 900-member unit. He was tasked not only with monitoring and maintaining a multi-million dollar inventory of chemical detection and decontamination equipment but with providing training in the proper use of this equipment to each member of the above mentioned unit as well as providing real time analysis of any chemical, biological or nuclear downwind hazard. To assist him with those responsibilities, he directly supervised a team of eight individuals and was also responsible for their personal training and career development. Upon completion of that tour, Gaisor returned to his regular job as police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department and attempted to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant. During the oral interview process for that promotion, and after successfully completing the written examination for promotion, he attempted to explain his qualifications for the panel of interviewers. After providing a lengthy dissertation, explaining his leadership qualifications, including his experience in making life or death decisions during stressful situations the civilian member of the board, who appeared less than thrilled with his qualifications, summarily asked about “formal education.” Fortunately, the applicant was enrolled in a course at a local community college and began to explain how he realized the importance of education in law enforcement supervision. Accordingly, the mood of the panel turned more positive with this explanation. The 1967 President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice offered the following observations on policing: "Few professions are so peculiarly charged with individual responsibility. Complexities inherent in policing further dictate that officers possess a high degree of intellect, education, tact, sound judgment, physical courage, impartiality, and honesty." The commission recommended college degrees: "The quality of policing will not improve significantly until higher education requirements are established for its personnel." In Standards Relating to the Urban Police Function, the American Bar Association (ABA) reinforces that idea: "Police need personnel in their ranks who have the characteristics a college education seeks to foster: intellectual curiosity, analytical ability, articulateness, and a capacity to relate the events of the day to the social, political, and historical context in which they occur." In addition, the federal courts have echoed the necessity for officers to have college degrees: "The need for police officers who are intelligent, articulate, mature, and knowledgeable about social and political decisions is apparent. . . . A college education develops and imparts the requisite level of knowledge (Mayo, L 2006). In 2006, the Police Association for College Education (PACE) identified 82 state and municipal police departments that required entry-level applicants to possess a four-year college degree (unknown author, 2006). It is clear that a college education is becoming the norm in American policing, not only for career advancement but for initial hiring as well. Among the reasons cited by police agencies requiring officers to have college degrees are better behavioral and performance characteristics, fewer on-the-job injuries and assaults, less use of sick time, greater acceptance of minorities, and promotion of higher aspirations (Bowman, T 2002). While obtaining a college education may in-fact provide these benefits to a police agency, obtaining a degree may not be the only method to obtain these attributes. Many researchers have shown that experience serves as a major source for acquiring job-relevant knowledge and skills, which, in turn, have a direct influence on how well individuals perform their jobs (e.g., Borman, Oppler, & Pulakos, 1993; McCall, Lomabardo, & Morrison, 1998; McCauley, Ruderman, Ohlott, & Morrow, 1994; Schmidt, Hunter, & Outerbridge, 1986; Tesluk & Jacobs, 1998). Furthermore, research on the development of expertise suggests that experts in a given domain have accumulated an extensive base of knowledge that they can apply flexibly to most problems (Ericsson, 1996; Sternberg, 1995). One measure of the ability to learn from experience is the acquisition of “tacit knowledge.” Sternberg and his colleagues (Sternberg, 1988, 1997; Sternberg et al., 2000; Sternberg & Horvath, 1999; Sternberg, Wagner, Williams, & Horvath, 1995; Sternberg & Wagner, 1986) consider the acquisition and utilization of tacit knowledge, often characterized as “street smarts” or “common sense,” to be an aspect of practical intelligence. Tacit knowledge represents what one needs to know to get along in daily life that typically is not explicitly taught or even verbalized. The knowledge is considered tacit because often the individual does not readily articulate it or widely shared within the performance domain (Sternberg et al., 2000). Terms like professional intuition and professional instinct have been used to characterize the tacit quality of knowledge associated with individuals who are successful in their respective domains. Practical intelligence is formally defined as the ability that individuals use to find an optimal fit between themselves and the demands of the environment through their adapting to their environment, shaping (or modifying) their environment, or selecting a new environment in the pursuit of personally-valued goals (Sternberg, 1985, 1997, 1999). The concept of practical intelligence emerged from concerns that traditional intelligence tests measure abilities associated primarily with academic rather than practical tasks (see Berg, 2000; Ceci &Roazzi, 1994; Sternberg & Wagner, 1986; Wagner, 2000). In other words, the types of problems found in academic settings and on most intelligence tests often differ in many ways from the types of problems found in everyday life (Hedlund, Antonakis, Sternberg, 2003).While a college degree will benefit law enforcement officers in general and supervisors specifically, more consideration should be given to a particular applicant’s background and experiences. Perhaps the blanket policy of mandating a degree at particular levels does not necessarily produce the most well-rounded professional. Arguments for Higher Education The permeations of legal issues, civil liabilities, and citizen’s requirements in modern day policing, have created expectations of greater policing professionalism throughout the United States. This point can be easily solidified by any tenured police officer. How many of us in the law enforcement community can recall stories of training officers looking back and telling the younger officers how things were much simpler. Stories of how, “Uses of Force” that would not be documented and if they where would be barely mention in the body of the arrest report. Others tell of how one could have “chocked a person out (Using an upper body control hold to render a person unconscious) for merely not signing a citation. These stories told of a simpler time in policing, but nevertheless seemed ancient to younger officers. The constant evolution of policing is bettered realized when the younger officer becomes a tenured one. They themselves begin telling newer members of their department’s of changes they have witnessed and how things were simpler when they began their career. That’s when it hits a person personally and makes one realizes, change has always been a part of policing and always will be. Whether or not policing is an evolving profession is not the question, it is more whether of one that with its low educational requirements, can it even truly be called a profession. One would be hard press to find any other field that calls itself a profession without requiring higher education. In fact, of the helping professions, policing is far behind in educational requirements. This fact is stated in Robert R. Friedmann, Ph.D., The Police Chief, article, University Perspective: The Future Profession in 2050. Friedmann (2006) stated that policing lags far behind the other helping professions. The professions of nursing and health, teaching and education, social work and psychology have a basic entry-level requirement of varied college degrees in the social services field, and as such, are recognized as professions. Policing lacks this educational requirement and its reputation suffers as a result. Some feel that a degree not only curries individual benefits, but institutional ones as well. Friedmann (2006) stated that police officers needed a degree, not only for what it brings to individual officers and their departments, but also for what the degree brings to policing as a profession. At the 110th International Associations of Chiefs of Police Conference, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2003, a panel discussion was held to discuss the benefits of a higher educated police department. In fact, according to Mayo (2006), after the panel discussion more than 100 law enforcement executives and police officials requested the free technical assistance provided by the Police Association for College Education (PACE) to establish bachelor's degree requirements in their departments. Other studies, which include the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, made the following suggestions after stating that “Quality of policing will not improve significantly until higher education requirements are established for its personnel” (National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, 1973).Many other suggestions have been made on this issue. An example would be Jeremy Travis’ paper (Travis, "Education in Law Enforcement: Beyond the College Degree," paper presented at the Forum on the Police and Higher Education, 1995) in which he recommends that some years of college be required for appointment, higher education requirements be set for promotion, that education programs be a matter of formal policy, and that higher education be viewed as an occupational necessity. Some would argue that higher educational requirements would hinder recruiting efforts, specifically in the recruitment of minority groups. This point is contradicted by the fact that police departments that have implemented these requirements have not experienced such detriments. An example of this would be, when in 1999, Arlington Texas; Police Chief David Kunkle changed the educational requirements for all candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in order to join the Arlington Police Department. Furthermore, according to an article in The Police Chief (Theron, 2006) recruits from protected classes “have made up about two-thirds of each of our recruit classes” since college implementations have made. Additionally, the Arlington Police Department has the "highest entry-level standards in Texas, yet is the most racially and ethnically diverse among major cities. Many chiefs have pondered with the idea of implementing higher education standards in its hiring process but have wondered what the pros and cons of such implementations were. Although, since 1970, many studies have addressed the benefits of a higher educated police force; chiefs still ponder the downfalls of such mandatory implementations. Concluding Remarks It should go without saying that advanced education is an incredibly important attribute in the workplace and this statement certainly applies to police officers and members of the police services, men and women who are entrusted with our safety. Having a college education can definitely be beneficial for police officers both inside as well as outside of the workplace. Although there are some aspects of the job of policeman or women which does not necessarily require a college degree, the fact remains that a college education is a positive force in cultivating a skilled and professional workforce. In the long run, a college degree is valuable to have and the police services are presently considering whether or not to mandate higher education as an important requirement for new entrants into the police force. While the debate continues, a policeman or women with a college or university degree will certainly benefit not only the particular district where he or she works but also the wider society as a whole. References Mayo, L (2006). Support For College Degree Requirements: The Big Picture. Police Chief Magazine, vol 73, no. 8, August 2006. Unknown author (2006). Police Agencies That Require a Four-Year Degree for New Officers. Police Association for College Education. Bowman, T (2002). Educate to Elevate. Community Links (August 2002). The Police Chief, vol 73, no. 8, August 2006. Hedlund J, Antonakis J, Sternberg R, (Yale University 2002). Tacit Knowledge and Practical Intelligence: Understanding the Lessons of Experience. United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, October 2002. "View Article." Police Chief Magazine. 16 Feb. 2009 http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=958&issue_id=82006> "View Article." Police Chief Magazine. 16 Feb. 2009 . Scott Cunningham, "Discipline and Educational Levels of Law Enforcement Officers: An Exploratory Report," paper presented at the 110th Annual IACP Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 2003 National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, Standards and Goals for the Administration of Justice (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973). Jeremy Travis, "Education in Law Enforcement: Beyond the College Degree," paper presented at the Forum on the Police and Higher Education, Center for Research in Law and Justice, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, February 10, 1995.
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