Police Officer Perspectives on Higher Education: Is the Degree a Necessary Ingredient for the Performance and Behavior of Police Officers?

In efforts to better understand the relationship between higher education and police performance in the United States, qualitative data from 61 police officers of all ranks and educational backgrounds from the Midwest examine attitudes pertaining to the necessity of a college-educated force. Explanations are offered as to why officers do or do not believe a college education is an essential ingredient to police work. Overall views express the significance of a college education with incongruences in the amount of education officers should attain. Accounts and opinions related to officers’ respective motivations and impetuses for choosing their profession are scrutinized. Career roles, future goals and aspirations are identified.