Ryan Schroeder

August 2, 2014
Do Police Officers Need A
College Education
!efore co"#leting the assigned $or% in cri"inal &ustice ' $ould ha(e said no) !y
"a%ing "yself reflect on the scenarios *oth in +E,#loring the Police a !oo% of
Readings- and the +Cri"inal .ustice in Action te,t *oo%-, ' ha(e a ne$ outloo%) /y
*elief is that no they do not need a college education, ho$e(er a di(erse de#art"ent "ade
u# of college educated ad"inistration, and entry le(el officers) 0hese entry le(el officers
should stri(e for that ad(anced education to #ro"ote $ithin the de#art"ent)
Reflecting *ac% on our first $ee% of school $e learned of a scholar that $anted to
truly %no$ e(ery as#ect of his field) 1e $as a*le to go through a #olice acade"y
e(entually earning a #lace for hi" on the street) !y doing so he gained a (alua*le life
e,#erience *eco"ing a "ore rounded indi(idual) ' thin% that this #rocess also $or%s in
re(erse $here a #olice officer should try to e,#ose the"sel(es the acade"ic $orld
"a%ing the" "ore rounded)
' ha(e (ie$ed college $or% as hoo#s to &u"# through to o*tain a #iece of #a#er)
After only a fe$ short se"esters ' can honestly say that "y eyes ha(e *een o#ened to
ne$ thoughts and ideas that $ill last "e a lifeti"e) S#ecifically in this course ' ha(e
*een e,#osed to the not so *lac% and $hite life that our #olice officers li(e in)
0hey $or% in a culture of ser(ice and (ery seldo" are the a##reciated) 0he #u*lic
can *e there ene"y, "ore often than not they are a(erage citi2ens) 0here chosen career
of deter"ining $ho is a cri"inal and $ho is not, is a difficult one) 0hey are constantly
e(aluating $ho is a threat and $ho is not) 0his is $hat ' *elie(e "a%es the" ha(e a
negati(e relationshi# $ith the general #u*lic) ' can3t *la"e the" ' $ould not $ant to go
to $or% e(ery day trying to deci#her $ho is going to %ee# "e fro" going ho"e)