Thursday, February 21, 2019
Police Administration Essay
Since the early part of the twentieth century, academicians and criminal jurist practitioners go by means of and through debated whether guard ships ships officers should be required to take a crap a college commandment as a minimum competency to be hired. at once, there is oecumenical agreement that a college development will not necessarily pull ahead a person a good integrity of nature officer, but a good guard officer eject be made give out by having one. more jurisprudence executives believe formal college education can improve detailed thinking skills of officers and that is becoming a more authorised factor as the complexity of jurisprudence work continues to increase.1 According to a recent article in natural law chief Magazine We bear (legal philosophy officers) to understand and apply the honor pointly. We expect them to grasp the nature of brotherly problems and the psychology of people with different attitudes toward the law. We expect officer s to professionally and effectively parcel out dis barfes involving people from varying cultural, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.2 The importance of possessing a college pointedness by police officers seems to nourish substantial support in the literature. If the need or desire is established for the possession of a college decimal point by police officers, hence how do they get one? Traditionally, a college broadcast involved students attending classes at a brick and plaster campus. This was laborious for many a(prenominal) officers that already had substantial work and family commitments. With the advent of online (internet delivered) college programs, it is possible for officers to bring in or return to college and pursue a peak where previously it may not have been practical for them to do so. With that existence said, does an online program sufficiently conduct the lovable attributes for police officers that the possession of a college degree represents?his toric Perspective for College Educated legal philosophyIn 1916, sublime Vollmer, the actor primary(prenominal) of practice of law of Berkeley, atomic number 20, was the first to emphasize the need for police officers to have collegedegrees. At almost the alike(p) time, the University of California at Berkeley began to offer law enforcement cogitate courses.3 In 1931, The National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement (the Wickersham Commission) gave case recognition for higher educational standards and more professional police officers.4 Although the issue of college education for police officers was not circumstantialally addressed, it laid the base for subsequent calls to increase educational levels for police. Largely payable to Vollmers influence, the University of California at Berkeley created a School of guard Administration in 1933, followed short thereafter by a similar coach at kale differentiate University.5 In 1936, Vollmer wrote in his book, The Police in Modern Society, that police officers should be required to have a college education.6 In 1967, the Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice made specific recommendations devotioning increasing the level of police education.This report was followed by the passage of the manager Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, which established the Law Enforcement fostering Program (LEEP). LEEP, in part, provided grants and loans to officers to enroll in college and earn their degrees. This infusion of specie created a large incentive for institutions to develop academic programs ge ard toward law enforcement. As police officers began to return to or enter college, just about(prenominal) institutions created intensify or non traditionalistic programs in criminal evaluator. Officers could receive credit for look in cogitate courses and some courses were configured so officers did not have to meet as often as traditional courses. These qual itys of programs were usually administered through the colleges extension program. Today, many public and hugger-mugger institutions offer nontraditional programs that are delivered in the online or e-learning format.According to the National focus on for educational Statistics, in the 2000-2001 academic year, forty-eight percent of all four-year Title IV8 degree granting public institutions and thirty-three percent of four-year Title IV degree granting private institutions had degree programs for undergraduates that were to be completed totally through distance learning.9 Today there are an abundance of distance learning programs organism marketed to police officers, especially online programs. The flexibility of the course schedule makes it attractive to busy students. Police officers can do their course work when it is convenient for them and some courses are designed tobe completed at the students aver pace. Many departments have made strides in requiring some college educat ion as a prerequisite for hiring but most have not. The high school diploma still exists as the most common minimum educational requirement. Even where departments have not required a college degree for hiring, many require or make it desirable to possess a degree for promotion. As early as 1989, the benefits to having educated officers were noted to include10 greater knowledge of procedures, functions, and principles Better appreciation of their professional role and its importance in the criminal evaluator system as headspring as in society More desirable psychological make-up, which includes much(prenominal) qualities as alertness, empathy, flexibility, initiative, and intelligence Greater range of interpersonal skills centered in their ability to communicate, to be responsive to others, and to exercise benevolent leadership Greater ability to analyze situations, to exercise discretion independently, and to make judicious decisions grueling moral character, which reflect s a sense of conscience and the qualities of honesty, reliability, and tolerance More desirable system of personal values consistent with the police function in a democratic societyEven back in 1978, though, researchers denotative reservations about the quality of criminal justice programs. The rapid increase in program offerings seemed to make some institutions gear their courses more vocationally than academically. more or less recommendations were made to overcome what was perceived as major quality problems in college programs developed for police officers. In addition to perceived quality problems in criminal justice programs, there was a concern that police officers would check college courses just to get the degree. In 1979, Goldstein stated, The factor that makes the whole movement toward college education for police personnel most vulnerable to attack is the emphasis which has been put on the acquisition of college credentials without sufficient concern for what is to b e learned. granted the multitude of colleges and the number of people who attend them, the degree itself reflects little about the values or relevance of the educational view.11 Clearly, the need to visualise that a college program is delivering the appropriate academic computer program iscritical. In the past, an officer attended a local anesthetic school and it was more than likely regionally accredited. Today, online colleges can market themselves across the United States or even internationally, claiming accreditation from some official sounding group. Accreditation, curriculum, and instructor competence are all of critical importance in a college program. More than a decade ago, researchers render considerations that would be relevant as one considers the potential quality of an educational program. The recommendations included12 No college credit should be inclined for police academy and similar training Technical and professional police subjects should be limited to a m aximum of twenty-five percent of any curriculum A four-year baccalaureate degree should be the minimum educational qualification for entry into police service No one should be considered equal to be a faculty fellow member on the basis of experience alone Police education faculty should be held to the same standards as other college professors (i.e. Ph.D., masters degree minimum involvement in research and publication)These issues among others were debateed by a group of criminal justice related experts who were brought together in a nominal group conniption to discuss online education and its potential effect on the future of law enforcement.The nominal phrase Group PanelAs part of a California repose Officer Standards and Training Command College project, a display board of interested professionals was make to discuss future trends and events that may have an effect on law enforcement online educational programs in the next five years. It consisted of a Chief of Police o f a medium sized police department, a professor who teaches online courses for a major public university and at a local community college, a deputy district attorney, a police officer who is a former high school teacher, a police officer who is a member of the executive board for a police officers association, the criminal justice program coordinator for the local community college, the editor of the local weekly newspaper, and apleader for a youth diversion program.There was consensus among the panel members that it is important for police officers to have a college education, and to possess the appropriate degree. The panel felt up that a college education earned the traditional way (attending classes at a brick and mortar institution) was the beat out preparation for a person to be a police officer. The discussion included many of the issues published by researchers and criminal justice practitioners since the 1930s. The panel felt it was critical for police officers to be soci alized with change groups of people and exposed to differing viewpoints. The requisite skills of tact and diplomacy learned in a physically social environment, effective public speaking, and command forepart are attributes that are learned and reinforced in a traditional educational setting.The panel recognized it may be difficult for a police officer to pursue a traditional degree due to family and work obligations. So what is this officer to do? Many of the officers returning to college or entering college for the first time have turned to online college programs. The panel cogitate the flexibility of online educational programs was a tremendous opportunity for current police officers due to the demands of their course schedule. They also understood there was a proliferation of programs being marketed to police officers through police websites or law enforcement related magazines. ordered accreditation was a key concern about such programs. The panel members explicit that tes ting-retained knowledge could be problematic since testing is done in the same preservation format as coursework, and all tests were essentially open book.With regard to the value of such programs, panel members believed that a college degree earned through online programs was different than a college degree earned traditionally. The panel believed that criminal justice practitioners were overused in criminal justice programs especially in online programs. Their concern was the boilersuit value of the college degree since true academic professors were not doing the teaching. They felt that for some disciplines, such as engineering, mathematics or history, an online program was sufficient. But when it came to being a police officer, class attendance and contact with other students opposite was preferred.The panel agreed, however, that much of what is done in a traditional setting could be doneonline, such as submittal of written reports or studies and coursework assignments. The pan el also felt that too much academic credit was given for experience in police work through online programs. The panel felt that rather than rely on a concentratedly online program for an officer to obtain a four-year undergraduate degree, a cross or crossbreeding approach, with a traditional program could bring the desired benefits of both delivery methods.The gentilityal HybridAmy Fanter, a researcher in the field of crown of thorns education, noted that Hybrid control, or hybridisation courses refer to classes where there is a carefully planned blend of both traditional classroom instruction and online learning activities.13 According to criminal justice researchers and practitioners (and supported by the expert panel) the most effective collegiate preparation for police officers are settings inclusive of a social environment. They should be exposed to other racial, ethnic, and respective(a) groups in an arena where ideas are broached, concepts discussed, and conflict is r esolved through dialogue, research, and consensus. Many components of any particular course can be done victimization the online system (such as writing book reports, completing written requirements and batting order of thoughts on issues).If a class was required to meet for a sure amount of time every week or every devil weeks, or even once a month to be tested on retained knowledge, to be challenged by other students on stances interpreted on issues, to accede by speaking about issues, and so on, then the socializing of the officer can be effectively satisfied. No numerate how effective, a distance learning program not offering this election will impact skills that might only be gained in this type of setting. Using a hybrid approach for coursework would allow for the flexibility of online educational programs and meet the some of the critical benefits of traditional programs. Those that may advocate for pure e-learning should remain mindful of the soft skills necessary for the modern law enforcement officer, and the best opportunities to acquire them.ConclusionThe desire for a police officer to have a college education appears settled.National commissions, criminal justice professional associations, academicians, attorneys, and courts have all expressed this view. The question remains how does the individual peace officer best do it? Attending the traditional college program at a brick and mortar campus seems to be the preferred way. This method may not be practical for some officers, so the alternative of the hybrid approach should be considered. It blends many of the positives from both traditional and online programs. Certainly, there may be situations where even a hybrid approach is not practical.It seems Vollmer and many others would support an online program to gain at least the concepts and critical thinking skills a collegiate education offers. Progressive police agencies may take the lead to ferment their future by entering into a partnershi p with a local public or private institution to develop a hybrid program to be implemented for their staff. In any case, police circumspection should encourage officers and employees to return to college to earn their four-year degree. The result will be better staff and officers, and a better chance to meet the needs of straightaway and tomorrow.ENDNOTES1 Bueermann, Jim, Redlands, California, The Police Chief, August 2006, accessed February 1, 2007, visible(prenominal) at www.policechiefmagazine.org 2 Bowman, Theron, The Chiefs Perspective Demolishing the Recruitment Myth, The Police Chief, August 2006, accessed February 1, 2007, available at www.policechiefmagazine.org 3 Travis, Jeremy, Education in Law Enforcement Beyond the College Degree. An address presented to the Center for Research in Law and Justice, Chicago, February 10, 1995, accessed December 19, 2006, available at http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/speeches/police.htm 4 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education insurance heraldic bearing for the twenty-first Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 1 5 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 4 6 Coons, Jeffrey, Studies, Case Law, Quotes, Standards and Trends in Support of College Education for Police Officers. An Information Paper for the Police Association for College Education, March 18, 2004, Accessed August 18, 2007, available at www.police-association.org 7 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education Policy Direction for the21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 1 8 An institution that may participate in most Title IV federal student financial assistance programs, National Center for Education Statistics, accessed kinfolk 9, 2007, available at http//nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/index.asp?id=465 9 Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions 2000-2001. Natio nal Center for Education Statistics, accessed Sept 9, 2007, available at http//nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003017.pdf 10 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 10-11 11 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 24 12 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 27 13 Fanter, Amy, Hybrid Education The Future of Instructional Models., World Wide Learn, accessed September 9, 2007, available at http//www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/hybrid-education.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.