Modern Policing
Institution
Importance of higher education in policing
College education facilitates better policing. Law enforcers who have completed college education have an excellent performance than their colleagues who have not acquired a college degree (Paoline III, 2015). according to research, enforcers who have obtained a college degree are less probable to apply violence to gain compliance. Educated officers have important problem-solving skills and exceptional creative abilities. It is a process for law enforcement agencies to adopt higher educational requirements for the officers. Higher education impacts officers abilities and performances.
An educated officer can make independent decisions and has excellent problem-solving skills; thus, the officer can contain a situation. Less use of force to gain compliance as the first response is applied, and an officer coerces the perpetrator or the public into an agreement. Education enables an officer to accept the minorities as he or she is more culturally aware and diverse and does not believe in society’s misconceptions of these groups(Paoline III, 2015). An officer has excellent communication skills that are in written and oral form hence has higher chances of promotions. Excellent communication skills enable an officer to interact with the public. It is less likely for an educated officer to face disciplinary actions as he or she is conversant with the regulations and their importance to the government and the citizens(Gardiner, 2015). A department that has educated officers receives fewer complaints from the public concerning the officers as they are aware of the law and ethics.
An officer is knowledgeable about technology and can curb technology-related crimes as well as incorporate policies and communicate in the digital society(Paoline III, 2015). Enforcers have professional ethics as they understand their role in the community and have humane values. In today’s society, community policing is embraced. For community policing to be effective, it is paramount that an officer has excellent interaction skills, be culturally sensitive and open-mindedness. An educated law enforcer dramatically participates in the policing as compared to less knowledgeable officers. Today’s policing requires an officer to possess reflective judgement skills which higher education impacts. A college-educated officer has excellent critical thinking skills; thus, he can and implement new programs.
College education as a qualification for law enforcers
College education should be a requirement for police officers qualification(Paoline III, 2015). The advanced technology requires personnel that have the skills and knowledge on how to run the system. Educated officers will apply to restrain when confronted with resistance as compared to their less-educated peers(Gardiner, 2015). The advance in technology, whereby the public is at the watch, requires officers to perform indiscretion and tolerance. A technology-savvy enforcer understands ways on how to fight technology-related crimes. College-educated officers have more robust communication skills which are vital in community policing, a common policing trend in the modern world. Solving problems in a society is not reliant on finding the perpetrators only but also good interactivity with the public and knowledge on how to solve problems. Higher educated officers possess written communication skills; thus can write reports as required.
Should college education be a requirement for promotions?
For an officer to receive a promotion, they must have college education for them to have excellent decision-making skills, good communication skills and technology skills(Gardiner, 2015). A less educated officer is prone to using more force as a first response instead of a critical assessment of the situation before taking action; thus, it is vital to hire educated officers. A college-educated officer is equated to an officer with ten experience in service (Gardiner, 2015). However, an experienced officer with less education can receive a promotion since he or she is conversant with the policies and has learnt the strategies in policing. With the current technology advancement in forensic science, an officer needs to have a college education to have a better understanding and knowledge of forensics. Police officers who advance their education make themselves assets to their departments and communities.
References
Paoline III, E. A., Terrill, W., & Rossler, M. T. (2015). Higher education, college degree major, and police occupational attitudes. Journal of criminal justice education.
Gardiner, C. (2015). College cops: A study of education and policing in California. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.