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evolution of policing conclusion
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Throughout history the police force has severely changed, with the first forms of policing appearing in the Anglo-Saxon period in England; where the king would provide protection to the civilians for a tax (Mawby, 1999). Centuries later and the principles of protecting the people are generally the same. However, in recent times crimes and perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated; the need for higher abilities to control and manage these complicated situations is becoming more prevalent. It can be seen that the entry requirements into the police force are also dramatically increasing over the decades. This paper aims to critically assess the effectiveness of higher education requirements by outlining the advantages and disadvantages and how it can be improved further. To gain a further understanding a brief history of the constant debate will be analysed.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, in Berkeley, California, Police Chief August Vollmer expressed his encouragement for police to acquire a formal university education (Carte, 1973). Unfortunately it wasn’t until the late 1960s that significant debate arose from police leaders about the effectiveness and benefits of formal qualifications, and how it plays a role in police professionalism (Roberg and Bonn 2004). The first major debate in Australia occurred in 1990; when the National Police Professionalism Implementation Advisory Committee (NPPIAC) recommended that to achieve national professionalism in police services, a university qualification should be included in the education requirements (Trofymowych, 2008). Although the topic has been debated for almost a century only minimal requirements have been applied. In Queensland the current education requirements f...
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...e early 1990s; it is recommended this should be the requirement instead of the current 18 months of tertiary education. The belief that the current 18 months is sufficient enough is very lacking. The main point which has been seen is to increase the ‘professionalism’ of an individual, however it is hard to believe that a person will be professional if they only achieve half a university degree then quit. A nationwide requirement needs to be set out as a minimum for the security of Australia; it is believed that the advancement of skills, methods and training can only be achieved through higher levels of education. It is unclear if police will ever attain ‘professional’ status; however it is believed that with the correct structure and implementation, higher education will play the deciding factor. Although it is also believed that there is still a long way to go.
The Thompson Valley Police Service is seeking to double the number of police recruits over the next three years. In an attempt to attract more applicants, the newly appointed Police Commissioner, Commissioner Jason DeVillain is proposing two key changes to the current selection process. Firstly, Commissioner DeVillain is proposing to eliminate the requirement for partial or completed tertiary education. Secondly, it is being proposed that psychological testing should be removed from the selection process. As a research and policy officer for the Thompson Valley Police Service, the validity and likely impact of the above two proposed changes will be investigated thoroughly, followed by recommendations to Commissioner DeVillain to ensure the selection process is as effective as possible in selecting the most suitable candidates for the new police recruits. The role of a general duties police officer is broad in nature and requires the officer to be efficient in many areas, ranging from administrative duties to conflict resolution and problem solving. In addition to the recording and logging of all jobs attended while on duty, the officer may be required to prepare documents for court hearings, where written communication skills will also be
“For many early Victorians, policing was a new and low-status occupation. Few men became policeman for positive reasons" (Taylor 49).
Western Australian Department of Education. (2009). Protocols for working with WA police. WA: Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-framework/guidelines/protocols-for-working-with-wa-police.en?oid=com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.guideline-id-3743688
& Forst, L.S. (2016). An Introduction to Policing (8th Edition). Boston, MA USA: Cengage Learning. p.243 (245). Retrieved June 6, 2017, from https://www.betheluniversityonline.net
"Studies, Case Law, Quotes, Standards and Trends in Support of a College Education for Police Officers." Police Association for College Education (PACE). Web. 02 Mar. 2011..
The professionalization of law enforcement gained prominence from the 1940’s through the 1970’s. It came out of a necessity to improve the capabilities of police. It was believed that the improvement of organizations through better quality personnel, upgraded equipment, and standardized procedures would lead to better departments and that would lead to safer cities. Numerous research studies showed that the move to professionalize law enforcement through a higher standard of efficiency led to a detachment of police from the communities they served. Many departments began to focus on response times and quantities of arrests, etc. This led to a diminished effectiveness of police in meeting the expectations of the communities they
The article Police and Higher Education: Where are We Now by Roy Roberg and Scott Bonn discuss and review past articles and ideas about whether or not police officers should be required to have earned a college degree in order to qualify a position in law enforcement within the United States. The first person who believed in the idea that police officers should be required to hold a college degree in order to be qualified for a position was August Vollmer. August Vollmer was “the father of American police professionalism” (Walker & Katz, 2011). Vollmer is best known for being a supporter of higher education within law enforcement. However, many officers and high ranking officials did not believe in the concept of needing to obtain a college degree in order to protect their community. A majority of police officers in law enforcement did not have a college degree nor did police departments require it to be considered a position. Moreover, many police departments did not necessitate a high school diploma but rather a general equivalency diploma. The first time that this idea was utilized was during the time of the 1960’s, when, in the early 1960’s, crime was increasing drastically and by the late 1960’s the ghetto riots took place, opening the eyes of those in charge that something needed to change, and change quickly in order to prevent criminal activity and chaos.
This paper will show four different police departments that are currently hiring or recruiting for police officers. There will be a summary on the research found on the process used to recruit police officers. It will also show their current hiring trends and what hiring practices they have that are successful or not successful. The paper will also go over the different methods departments use to train their new officers and their values.
The impact of my career goals has not changed about law enforcement, just my thoughts. So, to be efficient and effective this education really needs to be added back into being a requirement in all states. At least, minimum of an Associates in Criminal Justice. Thereafter, education should continue to be ongoing, to keep better policing as a constant pursuit. Reaching this goal will span the career of the officer. Reasons for this is that the magnitude of crime issues has changed and will probably change again.
The majority of departments only require a high school diploma. Although a college education is not a requirement, it can greatly increase one’s chances of getting hired. A degree in criminal justice or criminology would be very beneficial, but an associate or bachelor's degree in any department gives a person the best chance of advancement within his or her specific department. In fact, most higher positions such as chief of police require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Besides this, an individual who is going into law enforcement will need to attend a police
It is both a result and a cause of police isolation from the larger society and of police solidarity. Its influence begins early in the new officer’s career when he is told by more experienced officers that the “training given in police academies is irrelevant to ‘real’ police work”. What is relevant, recruits are told, is the experience of senior officers who know the ropes or know how to get around things. Recruits are often told by officers with considerable experience to forget what they learned in the academy and in college and to start learning real police work as soon as they get to their Field Training Officers. Among the first lessons learned are that police officers share secrets among themselves and that those secrets especially when they deal with activities that are questionable in terms of ethics, legality, and departmental policy, are not to be told to others. They also are told that administrators and Internal Affairs officers cannot often be trusted. This emphasis on the police occupational subculture results in many officers regarding themselves as members of a “blue
American policing originated from early English law and is profoundly influenced by its history. Early law enforcement in England took on two forms of policing, one of which heavily influenced modern policing and it is known as the watch (Potter, 2013). The watch consisted, at first, of volunteers which had to patrol the streets for any kind of disorder including crime and fire. After men attempted to get out of volunteering by paying others, it became a paid professional position (Walker & Katz, 2012). The three eras of policing in America are shaped by these early ideas and practices of law enforcement. Throughout time, sufficient improvements and advancements have been made from the political era to the professional era and finally the community era which attempts to eliminate corruption, hire qualified officers and create an overall effective law enforcement system.
The influence of higher education on police officer habits would surprise many according to Matthew D. Bostrom, D.P.A of the Saint Paul Police Department in “Police Chief Magazine-The Professional Voice of Law Enforcement”. Although a degree is required for some agencies and considered ideal for any person looking to join the law enforcement field, surveys show otherwise says Bostrom. According to a study conducted in St. Paul, Minnesota there were more on-duty vehicle collisions by officers with formal education beyond high school than those who only obtained a high school diploma. The article also shows figures indicating more disciplinary actions towards officers with college degrees and a significant difference in those of officers with high school diplomas only. The measurements of work habits shown indicate that perhaps a college degree in general is not necessary to be an effective police officer. Traffic Officer James Dunn of the California Highway Patrol in an interview said, “a degree can be beneficial, but some people are very eloquent and knowledgeable even without attending college-a person can learn the specific duties of any job, but college does not teach you the responsibilities of being a police officer. You learn that by hands-on training”. Although a degree is helpful, Officer Dunn admits that he has been very successful in the law
Police recruitment is very important to all law enforcement agencies; it seeks to recruit, select, train and maintain the best possible officers (Grant et al, 2012). This paper will give you the reader a general understanding of police recruitment and also discuss some of the problems happening in police recruitment; past and present, along with remedies to these problems.
The police must be active members in their community to understand the people they are protecting and how they can be proactive in the crime prevention in that given community. For the second question in the survey I stated that it is the public’s job to obey the law and make the police’s job easier and not more difficult. Once again, I was close minded in my answer. The public is tasked with policing the police; however, it does not mean they are making the police’s job more difficult, it is just about holding them accountable for their actions. Police require a wide set of characteristics, if they want to be successful during the application process and enjoy a long career in public safety. When asked in the survey at the start of this course, I answered that an officer requires the ability to treat all people fairly in all situations. This is a phenomenal quality for a police officer to have, but it is just one of many that an officer must possess. Adaptability was the first the trait that stood out me, when reading the modules, because it is essential for a new and old officer to continue to grow and adapt.