How Well Educated are Our Nation’s Cops? An Examination of Police Education in the U.S.

• In Event: Law Enforcement and Education

Abstract

Research has documented several benefits of higher education for police officers and police agencies. For example, college educated officers have been found to use force less often, have fewer complaints filed against them, and are less resistant to change than officers with little to no college experience. Despite this knowledge few departments require a college degree and there is little information about how many officers actually hold four-year degrees or how agency variables and other macro variables affect the proportion of officers with a college degree. This study adds to the literature by describing the education level of police officers throughout the United States and providing information about the educational requirements and incentives offered to officers by law enforcement agencies across the nation. The results were obtained through a nationally representative survey.

Author

• Christie Gardiner, California State University, Fullerton