NCJ Number
78019
Date Published
Unknown
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This essay presents a model for a curriculum of higher education for police officers which combines elements of a general broad education with specific vocational needs of police officers and is based upon a liberal arts approach to learning which seeks to develop an intellectual curiosity and an inquiring mind.
Abstract
A well-balanced curriculum for police officers should consist of a general education with firm groundings in the liberal arts; a knowledge of all the social sciences which would promote an understanding of the nature of man and society, the nature and development of social institutions, and the enormous variety in human behavior; and vocational training focusing on police activities but taught in a way as to induce critical analysis and thought about techniques and practices. Higher education for police during the last decade has generally had a vocational focus, and programs have suffered from a lack of clear curricula objectives and from a reliance upon police as instructors rather than on the academic community. However, improvements in criminal justice programs must be made in the areas of faculty development, curriculum development, and the provision of adequate support. No references are cited.