NCJ Number
197850
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2002 Pages: 313-334
Date Published
2002
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study tested the assumption that students pursuing a 4-year liberal arts education held a more professional view of policing than did students who enrolled in 2-year criminal justice and law enforcement programs.
Abstract
Police officers in the United States have a wide degree of discretion in their jobs. Increasingly, public pressure is forcing police officers to become more efficient and sophisticated, which partly entails becoming better educated. The author administered Likert-type surveys to 488 criminal justice and law enforcement students at post-secondary institutions in order to determine if length and type of education had an effect on a professional view of policing. The study probed the assumption that students who pursued a 4-year liberal arts degree have a more professional attitude toward policing than did students who pursued a 2-year criminal justice or law enforcement program. In order to accurately measure a professional attitude, the author relied on definitions of professionalism versus craftsmanship that have been discussed in classic sociological literature. Statistical analyses revealed that a 4-year liberal arts degree was not more likely to lead to professional views of policing. In fact, the study found that it is the 2-year students who enrolled in criminal justice or law enforcement programs that had the more professional orientation to policing. This finding has implications for recruiting practices in police departments. Many policing agencies across the country are now desiring candidates that have 4-year degrees, thus a fresh look at recruiting policies is in order. References