UP-CLOSE Associate, Bachelor & Master Degrees for Police Offi cers SUMMARY SUMMARY
As an administrator, if you are approached by an officer who wants to pursue higher education to better him/herself and the department, congratulate the officer, wish him/her well in his/ her endeavors, and consider yourself lucky to have such a driven and motivated employee.
ASSOCIATE, BACHELOR & MASTER DEGREES FOR POLICE OFFICERS
A HIGHER EDUCATION IS THE BEST INVESTMENT. By Beth Sanborn
A s police depart-
ments brainstorm ways to better their public image, minimize public complaints, and decrease alleged excessive force complaints, perhaps higher education is the answer. Why would police departments entertain the notion of higher education when sensitivity training, use-of-force training, fi rearms qualifi cation are already standard procedure? The answer is simple: Your offi cer is your investment. Your offi cer is the walking, talking, living embodiment of
44 LAW and ORDER I June 2015
a commercial for your administration. The police industry has tackled be- coming more professionalized over the course of decades. No longer are police departments accepting only the brute strength and brawn of a societal castoff as an acceptable representation for their department. Instead, factors such as educational achievements are becoming more desirable.
Old-school field training officers would caution new rookies to “forget everything you learned in the acad- emy, this is the real world.” While there are benefits to experience and brute strength, let us examine the benefi ts of book smarts as they apply to policing. Will a college degree help a police offi -
cer fi nd a burglar while on patrol? Prob- ably not. Will graduating summa cum
laude help a beat cop clear the roadway of obstructions? No. What it will do is enable offi cers to use their time more wisely. Higher education requires time management, especially for your veteran offi cer balancing a family with other ex- tracurricular activities.
This employee, who has made the con- scious decision to go back to school to pursue higher learning, is showing pride in him/herself and is showing dedica- tion to the fi eld. This is the employee who isn’t satisfi ed with mediocrity, this employee wants bigger and better: This cop is driven for more.
College, whether it be for an Associ- ate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, is a networking goldmine. Meeting like- minded professionals offers the invalu- able opportunity to brainstorm topics
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