Getting a high school diploma or GED is the minimum formal education requirement for the majority of police departments around the United States of America.

In the early 1900s 1 out of very 10 cops had a high school diploma. These statistics brought high-profile commissions in the 1930s to professionalize Law Enforcement and improve its public image. When Police clashed with the civil rights movement during the 1960s, minorities, commissions and civil rights leaders began to push for requiring Police to obtain 4-year college degrees. This demand caused federal funding for Police to go to College along with money for Universities to create curriculums towards Educational Reform of our Law Enforcement.

Since federal funding occurred in 1970s, police departments have been very slow and resistant to change. Hudgkins references a Bureau of Justice Statistics study in 2003, that found that 83 percent of all U.S. police agencies require a high school diploma, but only 8 percent require some college 83% of police departments in the United States require a high school diploma for employment. 8% require a 2-year College Associates Degree. 1% require a 4-year College Degree despite the benefits that a college education creates. 

A 2014 study by Jason Rydberg and Dr. William Terrill at Michigan State University provides evidence for the benefits of college education that include: Police officers that are chosen by their peers to deal with conflict resolution more often, less authoritarian beliefs, higher values on ethical behavior, less complaints from civilians of any wrongdoing, better problem solving, more awareness of diversity, take fewer sick days, have less injuries, and overall better verbal communicators.

One other benefit worth mentioning is Less Use of Force. In one study of disciplinary cases against Florida officers, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) found that: 75% of police officers that receive disciplinary actions for use of force, have high school level education. 11% of police officers who receive disciplinary actions have a college degree. Now, education is not the only way to bring that number down. After 10 years of experience, the  statistic that 75% of officers who receive disciplinary action having a high school diploma decreases to 51%. However, this does leave a lot of room for mistakes along the way if we rely on experience. 

Use of force includes, verbal threats, punching, grabbing, using a baton, pepper spray, mace, handcuffing, throwing someone on the ground, or firing a gun. By requiring a college degree for employment many of these things could be avoided before rather than after employment. 

In September of 2017, Christie Gardiner, Ph.D,  released a study "Policing around the Nation: Education, Philosophy, and Practice" stating that the national average of education for police officers around the United States are 30.2% have a 4-year college degree, 51.8% have a 2-year college degree, 5.4% have a graduate degree and a little more than 12% have a high school diploma.

In the State of Oregon, the annual income of a Police Officer is $70,000 which is on par with Nurses but more than Teachers, Social Workers, Counselors, Accountants and many other jobs which require 4-year college degree for employment and who average $50,000 or less a year. As a society it’s time that we raise the education requirement of Police Officers from High School Diplomas to College Education.

College Education could include Criminal Profiling, Criminal Investigation, Criminal Law, Criminal Justice Reform, American Government, Study of Policies, Constitutional Law, Basic Law including property and civil procedures, History of Law Enforcement, Psychology Classes, Mental Health Awareness, Human Development, Gender and Ethnic Studies, Self Defense, Field Training, Basic Foreign Languages, Community Organization and Advocacy, Conflict resolution, negotiations, and De-escalation. All these things would be great for police officers to study in providing the type of law enforcement as a society we want protecting our streets, liberties and lives.

Currently, Police Officers who currently work in schools also don't have a college education in comparison to other school professionals who are required to have a 4-year College Degree. This education gap, may lead to cause other problems in Police dealing with conflict in a school environment.

In conclusion: Police Academy in the State of Oregon require less hours of training than Cosmetology School.  

It is time to Raise the National Standards of Education for Police Departments and further Educate our Police. High School Diplomas, should not be the minimum requirement for employment. We need College Educated Officers.