The Importance of Higher Education in Policing: Examining Officer Perspectives Across Agencies and Ranks

• In Event: Police Training and Education

Abstract

The role of higher education in policing and the appropriateness of raising minimum education standards for new recruits have been the subject of debate for more than a century. These issues remain important in the current reform context, as states and localities move in differing directions when it comes to requiring post-secondary education. Limited research has considered the perspectives of officers when it comes to higher education. This presentation examines officer views about the importance of higher education in policing and their perceptions of the appropriate minimum standards for new officers, drawing from surveys on receptivity to evidence-based policing collected in multiple agencies across multiple ranks. Results broadly suggest positive views about higher education among police at all ranks, suggesting a mismatch between officer beliefs about the value of college and low educational standards for most American agencies.

Author

• Cody Telep, Arizona State University