ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR POLICE OFFICERS ARE DISCUSSED; ALTHOUGH COLLEGE EDUCATION IS NO PANACEA, ADVANCED EDUCATION OF SOME TYPE CAN HELP A GOOD OFFICER PERFORM EVEN BETTER.
THE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE NOT YET BEEN STUDIED SCIENTIFICALLY, ALTHOUGH A FEW PRELIMINARY SURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE. WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DEGREES IN THE U.S. (FROM 184 IN 1967 TO MORE THAN 664, RANGING FROM BACCALAUREATE TO DOCTORATE, IN 1976), SUCH EVALUATION IS GREATLY NEEDED. TO DATE, APPARENT ASSESTS ARE INCREASED ABILITY TO MAKE DISCRETIONARY DECISIONS AND IMPROVED JOB PERFORMANCE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES AREA. IN POLICE WORK, THE POWER TO MAKE DISCRETIONARY DECISIONS IS VESTED IN THE LOWEST RANKING PERSON ON THE FORCE, THE PATROLMAN ON THE BEAT. TWO STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIGHER EDUCATION AND ABILITY TO EXERCISE DISCRETIONARY POWERS. COLLEGE EDUCATION ALSO HELPS AN OFFICER UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL CLIMATE IN WHICH HE WORKS AND ENABLES HIM TO DEAL MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE MANY NONENFORCEMENT DUTIES HE HAS. LIABILITIES INCLUDE THE TENDENCY OF COLLEGE-EDUCATED OFFICERS TO BECOME BORED AND QUIT; KEEPING THEM MOTIVATED IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGE. ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT ONE-THIRD OF COLLEGE EDUCATED OFFICERS LEFT THE FORCE COMPARED WITH 19 PERCENT OF NONCOLLEGE. OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED BY PERFORMANCE OF COLLEGE GRADUATES THAT THEY REQUIRE COLLEGE DEGREES FOR EMPLOYMENT, A TREND BEING FOUGHT BY POLICE UNIONS. STILL OTHER DEPARTMENTS FEEL AN OFFICER WITH 1 OR 2 YEARS OF COLLEGE PERFORMS BEST, WHILE OTHERS HIRE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND OFFER ADVANCED TRAINING AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME ON THE JOB. UNTIL ADEQUATE RESEARCH IS UNDERTAKEN, IT CANNOT BE STATED CATEGORICALLY THAT EDUCATION IS A PREREQUISITE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT EDUCATION CAN HELP IMPROVE ALREADY GOOD PERFORMANCE.