Question

More than 30 years ago, the President's Crime Commission recommended that all police officers have an undergraduate degree. When the commission made this recommendation, there was very little research on policing (either on police work or on police officers). We have learned much more about policing since then. In light of this research, discuss the commission's recommendation. 1) Is it a good strategy for improving policing? 2) What are the underlying assumptions of this approach? 3) What evidence do we have that it improves policing?

Answer 1

(a) The setting up of minimum education clause for the police officers is necessary, as a person holding such an important office needs to be well versed with basic principles of science and technology with their applications, social sciences, economics, management, history, geography, political science. He /should have a general sense of applicability of these principles to general life of a common man and the events related to him /her.With this practical knowledge, he /she will be in a better position to analyse the issues related to policing and take informed and rational decisions, leading to good performance. Graduate degree is a right qualification as it gives reasonable degree of competence, with judicious mix of theoritical and practical learning and their application to a number of situations.

(b) It is assumed that an education person is able to tackle the practical problems of policing in a better way and be able to view it from different perspectives. He /she is also expected to have better communication, interpersonal, conflict resolution and critical thinking skills needed fr the job, which come from education and practical learning.

(c) A person having knowledge and learning of a number of disciplines will have greater sense of maturity and rational thinking leading to better decisions and outcomes, leading to better policing.