Police Education - Academic Inquiry Essay

What is the difference between the education received in a Criminal Justice degree and at a Police Academy? Is a Criminal Justice degree really necessary to be an effective Police Officer? Peter McDermott, Diana Hulse, Michael Bueger, Charles Tenney, Richard Harris, and Frank Morn have differing opinions on this topic.

            According to Harris, all Police training is regulated through the state. There are minimum standards for what is to be taught in the Academy and this is supposed to be a good thing. (The Police Academy, pg. 10) Minimum standards are good for the Police Academies because it insures that the Police recruits are learning enough to keep the community safe. Minimum standards are good for those that did not get a college degree. The training academy is the only education that they receive. With minimum standards, it is ensured that they will be well educated to help make up for the lack of a college education.

            A problem with the Police Academy and the hiring process before one gets to the Police Academy is how long the process is. Recruits have to take a “competitive civil service exam”, a physical fitness test, a medical examination, as well as submit to an extensive background investigation. (The Police Academy, pg. 10)  Recruits have to jump through a lot of hoops to get to the intense training. The only problem with such a lucrative process is that it leaves no guarantee of a job. It is not fair to the recruit to have to pay for college and then go through this rigorous process to possibly end up with no job in the end. Police Departments need to either not require a college degree or make the Academy easier to get into and pass. There needs to be more guarantees for the recruits.

            McDermott and Hulse highlight the differences between the Police Academy and the college degree. In the Academy, training involves tactical skills, communication (Police Radio System), human interactions, and proper documentation skills. (Focus on Training, pg. 16). Tactical skills are definitely not on the list of courses you are required to take to earn a Criminal Justice degree. New Police Officers have to take what they have learned and apply them every day in the field. The Academy combines classroom learning with physical learning and recruits need both of these things to be successful as a Police Officer.

            On the other hand, Bueger emphasizes the importance of a college education AS WELL AS the Police Training Academy. He says that the two need to work together to provide the best education for our Police Officers. (Educating and Training the Future Police Officer, pg. 1) Programs such as internships, explorer programs, and cadet programs are a way to connect the college education with the hands-on Academy training. If the college community and the Police Community communicated on their education topics, then we could avoid a lot of the “double education” that occurs. If these two are not willing to have an educational relationship, then why are more and more Police Departments requiring a 4 year degree to get an entry level job or for promotions in the future.

            “An increasing number of Police Agencies require that 4-year Bachelor’s degree as a hiring credential” (Education and Training the Future Police Officer, pg. 2) If so many Police Departments have made a degree a hiring requirement, than is it more useful than previously thought? According to Charles Tenney, education should be left up to the law enforcement agencies. They should provide enough education in their training to be as effective as a college degree in Criminal Justice. (Higher Education Programs in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, np) Tenney thinks that if we roll the college education and Police Academy training into one, then it would be easier on the Officers. New recruits would only have to attend education/training once in the Academy and they wouldn’t have to pay for it at all!

            What are the problems with the Criminal Justice degree field? The field of Criminal Justice has come a long way. Historically, the Criminal Justice discipline has been looked down upon. Some say that it has no place in higher education and that it is a waste of a degree. Typically when people thought of Criminal Justice, they thought of the “handcuffing 101” class. (Academic Politics and the History of Criminal Justice Education, pg. 23) The bad reputation of the Criminal Justice degree field should be another reason that Police education should stay within the Police Academy. Our Police Officers are going to colleges around the country to get an education in order to go to the Academy, and people don’t even think that their field of study is legitimate.

            The problem that remains with the Criminal Justice degree and the Police Academy is that these two are so different, but so alike at the same time. There are things that you learn in college that just couldn’t be taught in a Police Academy. There are things that are taught in a Police Academy that just couldn’t be taught in college. Both education methods are important, but whether or not this way of educating our Officers will last is unknown.