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importance of professionalism in police
the importance of a college education in the police work
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There are virtually an unlimited amount of aspects about police work that places them in harm’s way every day. The debate still continues over whether policing is a craft or profession. As stated in Law Enforcement in the United States by James A. Conser, “A craft usually involves the development of skills that are generally learned through experience, not in a classroom (Conser, 2011, p.216). Conser also states, “the following are the typical characteristic identified criteria of profession: extensive preparation through education and training, a specific and specialized body of knowledge, a code of ethics (Conser, 2011, p.215). According to the article Cops and College: Do Police Need Book Smarts by Burns states, “it found that in …show more content…
This maybe due to the education level of the officers and they may know how to use some other tactics in order to defuses the situation. Willis from Ideas In American Policing Improving Police: What's Craft Got to Do with it, states, “Experience, not scientific knowledge, is the foundation of effective police work. By encountering a variety of situations and people over time, patrol officers learn valuable practical knowledge and develop specific skills (Willis, 2013). Willis is saying experience is more essential for a police officer. If a police officer gets the hand on training in the field that’s the way the officers will learn how to deal with the situation if it was to occur again.
I don’t believe that a police officer should only be craft or profession but both. Policing profession just allow officers to have a more developed way of thinking, they would be able to find the different ways of dealing with certain situation due to their express in college. Just as stated in Street Smart vs. Book Smart Perin goes on by saying, “The officer with effective skills in adaptation can demonstrate controlled responses during emotionally charged and possibly dangerous conditions to maintain order and calm. In college, the variety of classes required and the diversity of other students and staff allow students to learn how to adapt to a number of situations. The ability to "decide how to best respond" to situations occurs in written work, as well as,
This is very true in today's police work. A police department has to be able to stand the test of time. By this I mean must be capable of enduring changes in government, and be able to react to any situation they may encounter. The department must also be efficient when handling a case or investigation, any wrong step and everything goes the wrong way. Also must be like in the military, follow chains of command and promote in rank
Police officers must be trained to shoot with precision; correspondingly, they must not solely be trained to shoot to kill, but also to shoot to simply harm. Once they are taught both ways, they must learn to assess their situation to conclude whether it requires the former or the latter. This is highly important for the reason that it can spare a life, and it easier to prosecute officers who failed to use proper protocol for shooting. Furthermore, this training helps to prevent discrimination against minority groups. Many officers target male minorities; however, when officers do sensitivity training and assess their situation, the officer can keep his fear at bay and civilians will be treated
"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..
...g side by side with the community and to do so successfully, you must have an open mind and not allow your own beliefs to interfere with the main objective of the policing. In college you learn many things about life and living in a small nit “community” with many different people who you come to accept by the end of your college experience. One of the weaknesses that the article holds is the fact that most of the research done is outdated and now irrelevant to today’s world. The amount of people who graduated high school doubled from 1960 to 2004 and the amount of people who graduated college more than tripled in that same time period (Walker & Katz, 2011, p. 126). In conclusion, I think that having a higher education in policing will benefit drastically when it comes to preventing and dealing with crime in such diverse communities all across the United States.
As taught in the lectures, it is impossible for police officers to win the war against crime without bending the rules, however when the rules are bent so much that it starts to violate t...
Police officers have trained and developed trained tactics over the years of them becoming a police officer; they use those skilled tactics t...
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
The officers are taught to always take action first before something bad happens so that means that an officer could shoot a person mistakenly because he think he or she has a gun but along it could be a wallet but all along officers are taught that their safety comes first and use whatever kind of force necessary to make sure that they are safe at the end of the day at all means. But from all the research I did officers are trained what to do at certain situations and which weapon to use in the situations as well because the officers are very important when they are trying to keep the people safe, and arrest the ones that are doing the wrong things as well. (The
Police officers have to accomplish many things in their workday. (Career Cruising.com) They have to write detailed reports and fill out forms.(Career Cruising.com) They are responsible for making sure that people obey the law and are kept safe at all times.(Career Cruising.com) They also observe the activities of suspects.(Career Cruising.com) Cops have to gather facts and collect evidence from many crimes.(Career Cruising.com) Many police officers duties depend on the size and type of their department or agency.(Career Cruising.com) They must conduct traffic stops and issue citations.(Career Cruising.com) On many occasions they must prepare cases and testify in court.(Career Cruising.com) Cops may work with special units or task forces.(Career Cruising.com) Police officers investigate criminal activity by interviewing witnesses and looking for evidence at the crime scenes.(Career Cruising.com) Cops help victims of many crimes or accidents.(Career Cruising.com) Many times they will have to respond to calls such as assaults, car accidents, or noisy parties.(Career Cruising.com) The police must work undercover when required to gain certain intelligence.(Career Cruising.com) They patrol areas on foot, motorcycle, bicycles, or in their patrol cars.(Career Cruising.com) While on a patrol, officers are always prepared to respond to all types of emergencies.(Career Cruising.com) A Police officer could be called to any type of situation wh...
... well they handle each situation without crossing the line” (Chaney). It is highly important for police academies to hire suitable and qualified officers; and provide a broad and continuous training, with good supervision to help decrease the use of excessive force in law enforcement officers.
Aside from the inequality in education, it doesn’t outweigh the positive that comes this institution. The education system helps young minds become the upcoming professionals of their generation; allowing them to learn in accordance to an evolving society. A career in policing can be used as an example of the changes that occurs in society, demanding changes to the education of police officers. Based on Rydberg and Terrill (2013), “. . . more studies . . . have examined the role of education on use of force behavior. Several of these studies have relied on observational data from the Project on Policing Neighborhoods (POPN) and have found that college-educated officers use force less often than their less educated counterparts
Why would you want to become a police officer? Many people join the force because they want to serve and protect their state from criminals and dangers. Some people join because you don’t usually need a high end education to join. Of course some people join because they want to abuse their power.
It’s the cops’ job to tighten down on criminals. A police officer is dedicated to enhancing public safety and reducing the fear and the incidence of crime. Integrity is the standard for a police officer. They should demonstrate honest ethical behavior in all their interactions. The duties of a police officer focus on protecting people and property, but also they hold an important position of trust in our communities. Students who want to become police officers must meet certain educational requirements before completing a training program. You must have a high school diploma or equivalent education. Having a college degree is not a requirement for getting hired in most departments, but it can help to have. Even a few years of education in a related field can help especially if you plan to later become a detective. You need to try to take courses in law enforecement, criminal justice, or a related discipline. Some departments provide tuition assistance to police officers pursuing a degree. Knowledge of a foreign language is also helpful.